How to do i see guests profile before acceptjnv their stay?

[Soraya102]

I want to know how I can see who books my house check their profile and reviews. How do I do this? Surely this must be done I am tired of hbjng my house destroyed and I can't spend 7 hours cleaning vomit etc. Please help...

[Elaine701]

@Soraya102 

Ok, well, it's easy. Click on the guest's photo, and it brings you to their profile, where you can read whatever they've written and see their reviews. 

But since you imply "after they've booked", then it suggests you aren't checking until they've booked. Or you're on instant book, presumably with no filters, such as verified ID, photo, and good reviews. 

If you're using instant book, you should turn on all filters. It's no guarantee, but it does weed out the worst of them. Otherwise they have to "inquire" or "request", which gives you the opportunity to view their profile and ask questions before they book, and turn them down if you're uncomfortable with their answers. This is a basic preventative measure, and IMO, all hosts should be vetting their guests before letting them book. There's too many extremely risky guests on the platform these days.

You should be looking at every guest's profile carefully. Those with no profile or history should be asked a lot of simple questions, such as "I noticed you have no profile or history. Perhaps you could tell me a little bit about yourself, how many people you will have staying (rhetorical question, since the number of guests should be shown in the booking) , what their age ranges, are, and what is the nature of your visit".

The answers can speak volumes about their intent. Watch for inconsistencies (e.g., number of persons, age ranges, etc) or explanations that seem implausible or unlikely. Also, if they're all under 25, that's a red flag. 

I hope that helps. It's a necessary part of the process these days. Good luck. 

[Soraya102]

Hi Elaine

Thank you so much for taking the time to explain everything to me. I really appreciated it. 

I have turned the instant booking off. So only request that I am finding difficult to see any information I do click on their profile but it only shows their first name and it says I can't see anything else till I approved their request but if I do then see am uncomfortable with their profile party photos or bad reviews then it would cost me $100 each time I cancel. I am not sure if this is because I live in New Zealand or not.  Maybe Airbnb needs to answer this as I have sent them feedback with no reply.  

If I turn the request off and let instant booking go again it will cost me $ to cancel the bookings. 

You are right about those questions and I have declined some bookingss based on red flags.  Unfortunately, those who lied about staying with family slipped through **bleep** it 

If you find out anymore I love to hear from you. Thank you so much again. You are a star xx 🥰

[Elaine701]

@Soraya102 

Ok, things may be different in NZ, but in my app, whenever I view a potential guest profile, I can see:

A) If they even have a profile

B) Whether they have verified identity

C) How long they've been a member

D) all reviews that they've ever had using that account. 

If they have none of the above, then they have none. You'll just see their name. This is your cue to ask questions 🙋

Another cue is if they just joined and have nothing. They may be perfectly lovely newbies, but they'll need to learn that it's not Craigslist. 

Another cue is if they have a profile and reviews, but some or most express some difficulties with this guest. If they have 10 glowing reviews and one is the polar opposite, then you can kind of overlook that. 

But it's always wise to ask questions, unless everything looks great from the profile down to the reviews. Again, no guarantee, but if they have a lot of reviews and they're all glowing, then you're probably pretty safe. 

Oh, and we don't get charged anything for turning down a, request or an inquiry. A "request" Is essentially a "non instant book" Booking. You can accept it, or decline. But declining too many "requests" can make you subject to penalties such as losing superhost status. 

And "inquiry" is just that. They're only asking questions. It's not a "request" to book. Your only obligation is to answer. You need not approve or decline. 

And thanks, but I'm hardly a "star". I've just been doing this a long time and have made all the mistakes 🤨 

Good luck with everything. Watch your back! 

[Linda108]

It is not uncommon for new users to have little or no information on their profile.  I use IB and am comfortable with it, but I have years of experience.  While you cannot see a profile picture until the reservation is accepted, you can see whatever else they have on their profile.  If new, there may not be any information, so you need to have several questions you ask.  Not only do you want information about the trip and guest, you want to assess how quickly and completely there is a response as that is a good indication as to how they will be as a guest.  The profile is only one part of your vetting a guest.  Good luck.  Linda