How to Decline a reservation request with a guest who wants to break house rules without getting penalized for the Decline?

[Douglas353]

We have a no pets House Rules.  (Our insurance company doesn't allow it.)  With it clearly stated in our listing I received this request from a guest.  How do you Decline a guest who is requesting a stay which violates house rules without being penalized for the Decline by Airbnb?   

Hi

Hope you are well. I am extremely interested in renting your property. I will be traveling with my girlfriend and our dog. Your property is listed as 'no pets' - I am writing that you kindly reconsider. Our dog is a small miniature poodle, who is a very well trained.

[Colleen253]

Right. Independant, yet Airbnb holds all the cards, giving hosts no guest information. Hosts shoulder all the burden and liability, with no security deposit and no way to be reimbursed for damages. Airbnb leads us to believe their members are verified when in reality they are not and it means nothing. Vetting a guest through communication in a booking request with a little prayer and some hosting street smarts thrown in.

Getting closer every day to cutting ties.

[Douglas353]

And remember what happened in my town when an Airbnb vetted guest rented a house for 1 night in the town were I live......  Five people shot and killed and many more wore injured. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orinda_shooting

Airbnb responded by saying they would implement a system that would screen for and flag potential high-risk reservations.  Can anyone assess if what they did is working? 

[Colleen253]

@Douglas353 Yes they did that and all it resulted in is many of us regularly losing legitimate bookings that the algorithm mistakes for high risk.

I got a booking from someone the other day who was supposedly verified yet I was given no last name for the guest. I contacted Airbnb to give me the name and guess what? They don’t know what it is. 

Airbnb cannot be trusted or relied upon. It’s all down to the host, to do the best we can with what little we’re given. 

[Douglas353]

The scammers are working overtime.  Take a look on YouTube to see how the scammers from India are using Airbnb properties in the US to commit scams. 

[Douglas353]

We might be independent contractors, but they are our partners in business.  If it were not for us they would not have a business.  If we need them for the bookings and the outstanding customer support we receive from people just learning English. 

[Lisa723]

@Douglas353 and if not for the worm the angler would not have a fish.

[ChuckandCarole0]

so if i decline a request, will those dates be blocked? doesn't seem fair, as i am declining based on that person's bad reviews....

[Colleen253]

@ChuckandCarole0 Dates are not blocked when you decline. They are if you let a request expire, but can be unblocked. By the way, the help center is full of articles about how things work. Check it out. 

[ChuckandCarole0]

Colleen253           Thank you for responding!

[Emiel1]

@ChuckandCarole0 

Only if you choose 'dates are not available' as reason for decline. But dates can be manually unblocked.

[Jeff2078]

@Douglas353,

Ok just read this thread.  Getting back to Douglas353's original question/point, and this is just happening to me right now/today.  A guest submitting a Trip Request while flat out breaking my house rules (no kids) and the clock is ticking.  Happens consistently.  Declining offers 4 reasons, dates, fit, trip length, uncomfortable.  Will one of these ding me and another will not?  Will they all ding me?  I am at the mercy of requesting the Guest to withdraw their Trip Request, fingers crossed they will, but what a horrible quandary for the host no?  What Airbnb needs to add in their list of 4 Decline options is: "Guest Trip Request directly breaks stated house rules - no penalty to host!"  Simple, clear, bam, done.

[Helen3]

Just decline as you are uncomfortable as guest breaking house rules . I decline quite a few requests like that @Jeff2078 

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Jeff2078 declining will not hurt your stats - However too many declines and Airbnb will, I think, suspend your account for a few days.

Just one thought - Is it a request or an inquiry? If the latter you don't need to decline or accept.

[Jeff2078]

This is a booking request.  Do you see the irony in your statement?  Declining will not hurt your stats but too many will hurt your stats?  How many is too many?  How often is too often?  Airbnb needs to offer a clean and quick out for obvious (and inadvertent) Guest rule breakers so Hosts can open their calendars back up immediately and get back to business.  I lost a whole day yesterday on this, a Thursday, so now I've lost my chances for a weekend booking; a good loss of $$.