New Host

[Linda3449]

Hi there,

My name is Linda and I'm new to Airbnb hosting.

I have a question regarding profiles of potential guests.  What is the general consensus around accepting requests from someone with a basic profile and no reviews from other hosts?  

I guess my question is how do I filter out potential dodgy guests.

Thanks 

Linda

[Linda108]

This is a frequently asked question so there are many great posts about this issue.  Some hosts, especially newer ones, do not accept guests without reviews for a while.  It takes some experience with the public to understand how your listing will be used.  You have to learn to ask the right questions that elicit a response from the guest.  I find polite written communication is most often related to careful respectful guests, which is what I want.  Short, evasive, untimely communication doesn't work for me.  I am comfortable dealing with the new Air BNB travelers because I have been doing this for a while.  Don't use Instant Book yet either.  After about 10 guests, if you want to use it, require only positive reviews as part of the IB criteria.  Nothing is 100% but hopefully this helps.  Linda

[Linda3449]

Thanks so much Linda (great name by the way).  This is exactly what I thought too.  I have asked them more questions about their airbnb experience and their purpose of travel etc.  But yes, I guess it will all come with experience.  I'm glad you said not to use instant book straight away as that is exactly what I'm doing.

Thanks 🙂

[Sarah977]

@Linda3449  While some hosts say they are in areas with such heavy competition that they'd be dead in the water if they didn't use IB, other hosts have used it but gone back to requiring requests, and some, like me, have never used it and never intend to. 

It depends on a number of factors- the nature of your listing, what you personally feel comfortable with,  whether you are someone who likes exchanging messages with prospective guests, or someone who just wants bookings and dislikes back and forths with guests.

As a home share host, I would never feel comfortable having someone be able to book without communucating with them first. And building a bit of rapport through the written word makes it feel, both to myself and the guests, like we're not total strangers when they arrive. 

A listing that could easily attract partiers may not be the best choice for IB, and I've read a lot of posts from hosts who've had to deal withh house trashings who decided to turn off IB so they could personally vet guests.

IB works really well for some hosts, though, and they tend to be pretty experienced hosts, or have listings where they live on the same property, or next door, so guests can't get away with bad behavior, or the listing is such that it attracts the types of guests who just aren't the problematic types.