Help! Are these red flags?

[Jocselyn0]

Hello everyone ! 
I’m new to Airbnb. I got a request that has risen a couple of red flags for me. I don’t think if it’s because I’m new to this and maybe over reacting.. or if they really are red flags. 
First I got a request for a man looking for a room for his daughter as I am near her university. Because of the time he wanted to stay overall (around 4 months I believe) and because one of his reviews I didn’t think we would be good, so I declined (his review is that he had originally booked for him and his wife, host had to accommodate quickly even after the host had said she could only host 2 people, he also had different expectations the the homeowners house rules and became confrontational, host wouldn’t have felt safe if the mother and daughter weren’t there)After the decline he still tried and I made it apparent that it wouldn’t work out. About a week passed by and I got another request from him. 
He found another place for most of the months he was looking for but still needed somewhere to stay this month coming up. Because of the shorter stay and financial help through air bnb, I thought I would give it a try and ask if we could speak in person. This was also for me personally, so maybe I could have some peace of mind regarding his review, and to clear up what exactly he was looking for and see if he was looking for a place just for his daughter or will his wife and him also be staying that long.. he didn’t want to answer that right away and wanted to meet up. 

He came to see the house. I let him know to let me know when he was here. But as I was eating dinner, he helped himself into my home (I was with my roommates) without knocking or letting me know. After this I still have him a tour and he seemed like a nice person. Then he told me he would only be staying here the whole month with his daughter.. but his wife who is out of the country  might come.. but probably not. 
I thought it was pretty weird he decided to walk in without knocking or anything and scared that he isn’t much of a house rule follower.. especially for a stay a monthlong. thoughts ? 

[Sarah977]

@Jocselyn0  Big red flags. Bad past review, coming into your house uninvited, and his entire story sounds sketchy. Do not accept this guest. And do not ever, allow pre-viewing your place or give out your address to anyone before they have a confirmed reservation. How did you even exchange phone numbers and address with him- that info is blocked before a booking is confirmed. You should not communicate with guests off-platform. It's fine to text with them if it's just a matter of them telling you they are going to be a bit late on check-in day, but other than that, stick to the Airbnb messaging.

I have a hard time understanding why you even question if you should rent to someone who enters your home like that. For all you know, he's just a common thief, scoping your place out for a burglary.

[Scott-and-Mary-Ellen0]

 @Jocselyn0  Absolutely what @Sarah977  said! What if you had been alone? Don't be so naive. This is your private residence, this person is an absolute stranger/unknown quantity. Don't get drawn into conversations with people who aren't clear about who is staying or maybe not staying, and who are cagey or sketchy about wanting special accommodation. Never let someone have a "look-see." We just explain that "what you see is what you get" in terms of photos, amenities, etc., without giving the exact address. Explained reasonably, most people understand that you can't take a chance on someone "casing the joint." A phrase to learn is "For your safety and ours..."--we don't give out that information until you're verified/confirmed to book/keep all messages within the Airbnb platform, etc. Best of luck--be smart! (Also, it's a good idea to keep doors locked even when home.)  M.E.

[Jennifer1897]

There are some sentences in your paragraph that lead me to believe this was potentially a third party booking. You say he was looking for a room for his daughter, and you wanted to "See if he was looking for a place just for his daughter or will his wife and him also be staying that long." Third party booking are not allowed through Airbnb, and can be troublesome if you do decide to go against this rule. 

That being said, allowing potential guest into your home prior to booking could be a negative. I understand the request to want to see a place you plan to stay long term at, but as others said, it could also be a ruse, and turn into a dangerous situation. I have only every let one guest see my home beforehand, and it was because he was hired at my place of employment, and I was able to verify this before he viewed the home. Always be careful about allowing people into your home, especially those with negative reviews. 

A guest should be upfront about the number of people he/she will be bringing so you can plan and charge accordingly. Would you be comfortable with a third person arriving at some point? Are you able to accommodate that? 

Lastly, every so often an otherwise good guest gets a bad reviews. Maybe the host and them were not a good fit, or maybe it was an isolated bad stay. At times I have overlooked a bad review if a lot of good ones overshadow it. However, a guest that got confrontational, would be a red flag for me. Being a little messy is one thing, being angry and/or intimidating is another. Be careful with allowing guest like this to book, as it could very well happen again. 

If I were you, I wouldn't accept the request. The bad review, lack of boundaries or manners (Just walking in) and unclear information as far as who is staying is a recipe for a bad stay. 

[Velma8]

Agree with everyone above!

DON'T HAVE ANY CONTACT WITH ANYONE OFF AIRBNB PLATFORM.....PERIOD!