How can I contact other hosts directly?

[Courtney185]

I'm trying to contact other hosts in my community and the only way I can figure out how to do it is by contacting them about a booking request. Is that the best way to contact other hosts? Will I get in trouble for doing so? 

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Courtney185 You could see if there is a local facebook group for Airbnb hosts. If not, and you don't want to risk your listing, then perhaps start an account in your husband's name and use that to contact local hosts. Bit naughty I am sure but there are always ways around rules (assuming there is a rule against this - I don't know if there is or not)

[Emiel1]

@Courtney185 

If you want to contact a host, an Enquiry (option "contact the host" on the listing) is less intrusive then a booking request. But i guess most host will not appreciate messages not related to a booking (but it depends on the message). Do not risk your membership at Airbnb as it needs only 1 angry reporting host to be in trouble

BTW Many hosts can be found outside Airbnb platform if you do some (re)search....

[Sarah977]

I would be upset about having another host contact me using a booking request because then I would be obligated to either accept the request, in which case your credit card would be charged right away for the booking and my calendar dates would be blocked, or decline it, i which case my acceptance rate would be lowered.

You need to use the "Contact Host" option, which is a Inquiry, and only requires the host to send a return message within 24 hours. If you don't understand the difference between a request and an inquiry, you should look that up.

@Courtney185

[Courtney185]

You're right - I misspoke - using the 'contact host' option is what I meant. But you still have to inquire about booking dates in order to use this method, which I didn't think other hosts would like either. I was just wondering if there's a way to search for and find hosts in the AirBnB Community or contact them in a way that doesn't make me come off as a potential guest! 

[Sarah977]

I wouldn't really mind if another host contacted me through an Inquiry. Because an Inquiry doesn't block the dates, that's not really an issue, as a real guest could still request to book for those dates or IB them. But it might be a good idea to enter dates as far in the future as a host has their calendar open, just so they don't get all initially excited that they might now fill that empty slot next week.

@Courtney185

[Helen350]

An ex-CC member (who has been banned!) found a novel way to contact me last week..... He booked one night! - With no intention of staying, as he appeared to be still in the USA! 

-It's been quite a week of people paying and not staying; 4.5 days in total! (One seen enough of the sights, so left early, one temperature not Covid,  one just making contact, & one informed by me it was not legal from his country without having quarantined!)

@Sarah977 

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Sarah977 I agree you wouldn't want to get the hosts hopes up of a near term booking however inquiring with dates a long way out means that the inquiry will just sit and fester (unless declined) for months until it becomes impossible to fulfil (ie dates passed or other booking taken)

[Sarah977]

Not in my experience. An Inquiry that gets answered with a message, without either pre-approving or declining expires after 24 hours if I clear my cache.

@Mike-And-Jane0

[Helen3]

Why are you wanting to contact them @Courtney185 ??

[Kelly149]

@Courtney185 yes, you can search for hosts in the CC, but that requires that they are users in the CC and many hosts aren't.

I would start with that

[Helen427]

Hello @Courtney185 & welcome to ABB CC

 If you use keywords relating to your area here in CC it should come up with names, there's provisions here in CC to DM others.

Alternatively if it's for something such as a Research Survey, there's avenues to start topics on them.

Do you have any options of putting up notices in your community? Or in local community group mail outs?

Go through the listings in your area & see if you recognise them & introduce yourself is another avenue.

 I've meet a few locals in my area who are participants of our ABB community whose homes are listed & had chats through out and about walking.

All the best from

Auckland, New Zealand