How do you screen guests before accepting?

[Holly142]

I've been a host for 6 years. My cabin is nothing fancy with a tiny kitchen and bathroom, but it's location which is totally private on a bluff with views really sets it apart. I keep it very clean and maintained . I've always been one of the cheaper cabin rentals in the area, but that has attracted some guests that I'd rather not host again. I went back and forth in my mind for a while about whether I should raise my prices a little and I finally did. I also want to screen better and be more particular about accepting reservations but does that ding you if you decline? What happens if you decline a guest?

How do you screen guests when they request to book? At this point, I'd rather have a few less reservations to weed out some of the others.

[Holly142]

Thanks for all the responses. I'm considering all avenues and really appreciate the conversation on this topic.

What about a new person to airbnb with no reviews?

What about someone who joined 3 years ago and has no reviews?

[Emilia42]

@Holly142 

Some things to consider about "someone who joined 3 years ago and has no reviews"

- It is extremely easy to set up an Airbnb account. You need an account to access Airbnb beyond a very general search. For instance, you cannot see a host's profile or check availability unless you are logged in.  Creating an account is as easy as clicking "log in with Facebook." So someone like my mother has an Airbnb account although she has never stayed in one and probably never will. But 3 years from now, that could change.

- A guest could have made a reservation in the past but the host canceled. You would have no way of knowing. 

- A guest could have stayed with a host or multiple hosts who don't review. I know quite a few of these. 

- People have spouses and friends and other family members who are the ones making the reservations. Even though my boyfriend has accompanied me on many stays, not all reviews show up on his profile. I'm not sure why not.

- You joined in 2017 and you have no guest reviews. It very possible that people signed up with the intention to host or travel but it simply never worked out.

[Sarah977]

@Holly142  I have never used Instant Book. As a home-share host I don't need to quite as cautious as those who rent out entire places and live off-site. It's not like my guests can sneak in extra people or pets, throw a wild party, etc. And I only host solo guests.

On the other hand because I share my kitchen with guests and they are in my home, I want to make sure they are a good fit.

I tend to get guests who are veteran travelers, have used Airbnb before, and are good communicators, so for the most part, I have not had to ask a bunch of questions- they write an initial message that is polite, informative, and I can tell they have read the listing info.

But I have still gotten some initial messages that just say things like "Arriving at noon" or "Looking forward to coming". In that case, I message back, thanking them for the request, and asking a few questions, the answers to which would let me know if they took the time to read the description. Things that aren't mentioned right in the beginning of the ad- in my case I'll ask, "Just want to make sure you're aware that it's a 20 minute walk to town and the beach and that there is both a dog and a cat on the property". 

That normally elicits a more informative response. I might message back and forth with them a couple of times before accepting. 

I also message with them after the booking is confirmed, sending them transportation info, directions, suggestions for things to bring (hat, comfortable walking shoes, a small flashlight), they might ask some questions, so by the time they arrive, we have established a bit of a rapport.

I think that even if you're an off-site host, if the guest sees the host as a person,  rather than just some faceless entity who rents out space, they would tend to be more respectful.

And last thing- it's important to market towards the type of guests who'll be a good fit for your place, especially if it's off the beaten track and not some run of the mill suburban or city home. In my case, I say it's a good spot for those who like being out in nature, like to do yoga, write, work on their art, bird watch, take walks, that sort of thing. You don't want to attract prissy guests to your cabin who will have a screaming melt-down if they happen to see a field mouse 🙂