Possible scammers? Please help

[Tyler370]

I am new to airbnb and recently received two requests for the exact same length on time on the exact same days.

The first message read.... 

"Hi, Tyler. My husband and I will visit some friends at Ontario. We will work from home during the day and enjoy the city in our free time. Thank you :-)"

The second read...

"I will be visiting Kitchener with my wife to get to know the city. We are both software developers and we intend to move from Winnipeg and Kitchener was is one of the possibilities (it has a good IT ecosystem) but we need to get to know the city before deciding to move :)"

First off they both said they were from Winnipeg. Yet he first one had a profile which said they live in Brazil. They both wanted to stay an entire month....on the exact same days? And they both added the same happy smily face.

If you read the first one closely, they say they want to " work from home during the day, and enjoy the city in free time. Excuse me,  there's COVID restrictions. Everything in my city closes at 9, what night life are they enjoying? 

The second  says they are "software developers" yet can't type a coherant message?  

Question is this common? Am I being paranoid or over cautious,  or is this a scam or game to target new hosts who have many open days?

[Ann72]

@Tyler370  You're so nice to answer.  I'm glad it worked out with the shorter stays.  You didn't feel comfortable and that was the most important thing.

[Tyler370]

I've had much more success with shorter stays but now I'm getting people in the area that are booking my suite and then cancelling at last minute so that I am booked up from potential guests. lol or so thats what I feel is happening.Any thoughts ?

[Elisabeth40]

I have a wave of scam requests too this week. Already 3 so far. 

[Pete69]

What type of scam requests?

[Pete69]

Know your Canadian laws. I can only speak for California, where once someone stays for 30 days, they become a legal "tenant" instead of a "transient occupancy guest". Getting rid of them (for ANY reason such as non-payment) suddenly requires a minimum 3 week court battle and untold $$.

In the "regular world" you SCREEN tenants with a credit report, etc.

I don't accept stays of anything over 7 days. I don't want to get stuck with an undesirable guest. Would I make more money if I accepted a 2 - 4 week booking? Yes. But when I'm open, I book every weekend anyway. I'm not going to miss ALL of those extra days. The bottom line is that there are some risks that you just don't accept.

[Tyler370]

Great advice. I think I agree that the long term stays are not worth the potential trouble 

[Elisabeth40]

My personal hosting experience showed me that I have more ware and damage from long term guests . I have been throwing away sometimes rags and pillows and blankets after long term stays, even a couch one time, because it was full of tomato sauce and the foot broken. The damages are bigger as the earnings. Also you are the one who is cleaning all the time and does the laundry but over a longer period of time the cleaning costs don't cover the time you spent cleaning after people. Just NO