Problem with "Host recommendation required"

[John921]

I allow instant booking and have chosen the "Host recommendation required" policy/rule option, described as: "Require guests to have recommendations from other Airbnb Hosts and no negative reviews. If they don’t meet this requirement, they will send a request instead." Yet a guest just instant-booked my listing even though this person has only 1 prior review, a 4.5 rating overall and 4.0 for cleanliness. How is it possible for guests to instant-book in this way if they--as far as I can tell--do not meet the "host recommendation required" policy/rule?

[M199]

@John921 

It's happened to myself as well.

To my understanding, guest stars/ratings are not included.  The guest may have received positive written reviews from hosts to avoid a revenge review, yet still given only a 4.5 rating.  Conversly what regularly happens to hosts.

Try going to the guest profile and read their prior reviews.  You can do gjis by clicking on the confirmed guest profile and searching within that.

[Sarah977]

@John921  It doesn't mean they have a 5* rating. It means other hosts have said they would host them again to that question on the review form. Just because a host marks a guest down on something doesn't mean they wouldn't accept them as a guest again nor that they were a terrible guest.  

[John921]

Sarah977, that explanation makes sense. "I wouldn't host this guest again" is quite different than the broad term "negative review." The online definition of the "host recommendation required" option should specify the latter, defining very precisely exactly what violates this option. 

[Linda108]

@Sarah977  is right.  I have hosted guests that could be a bit better in some area, but I would host them again.  I do not require perfection, just a willingness to do better.   Communication is a great example as many guests do not realize how much good communication is needed, especially if they are new on the platform.