Received a strange question from an instant book.

[Daniel38]

So, someone booked tonight and asked if I have any rules I am very serious about ... uh ... not a great way to start this transaction. Makes me nervous.

So, are the penalties less severe for canceling an instant book? I guess I should know these rules. I am starting again and previously instant books had to have several verifications and good reviews. I think this person just is brand new to the site.

[Kitty-and-Creek0]

@Daniel38 

This sounds like a newcomer to the platform. I would do the same thing I do when someone is on a device where they have issues with accessing  any part of my listing. In your case I would copy and past the house rules into the message thread.  I would thank them for asking, here they are, and do you have any questions? 

[Daniel38]

Thank you. I appreciate the sensible suggestion

[Colleen253]

@Daniel38 The platform has become very user unfriendly of late. Airbnb makes it super easy for guests to miss things like house rules, as they are very well hidden. If this person is a new member, I would give them the benefit of the doubt. I like @Kitty-and-Creek0 's suggestion. If after a bit more communication, your impression of them doesn't improve, maybe look at cancelling. You still have some leeway to cancel an instant book penalty free.

[Olivia-and-Olivier0]

Yes definitely a new comer, and not a great way to make an impression, especially when we have nothing else to go by, besides few lines of text and a name (if even real) and no other data to make an informed decision. I d say when in doubt, always cancel. 
a guest that doesn’t give importance to the rules ir is already set to break them, can cost you more in the long run (plus potential bad review if you point out to them to respect the rules).
If you remind them/ask that they Please follow the rules they said they “agree with”, they might negotiate/talk back on each rule. It s annoying and exhausting. Im

speaking from the after-guest experience.

[Inna22]

Why are people so trigger happy to cancel? You can always do that. Let's assume the opposite: this person could not find your rules and wants to make sure they do the right thing. I just read your listing and it is pretty brief, does not give anything there. I put my most important rules in the listing itself.

I would reply with a list of my hard "no" rules: no smoking and no extra people and ask if there was something specific they were looking to do at the property that you could clarify. Or ask them to tell me what brings them to my city

[Daniel38]

I am still learning Inna22. This AirBnB environment is brand new to me, even though I was listing a room in my house 5 years ago. A LOT has changed. And, so, as a newbie still finding his legs, I feel nervous and vulnerable. What rules do you list and what rules do you find most important? Also, what is the recourse if someone breaks the rules?

[Kelly149]

Sometimes when someone says something shocking, it’s best to say something shocking back…

”are you intending to be terrible?”

”what did you have planned”

”that’s a strange question, why do you ask”

btw, terrible people don’t usually ask for clarification, they just act how they want. 

communicate how you want them to communicate, ask questions, get more info and go from there

[Anonymous]

@Daniel38   I see from your profile that you have a lot of hosting experience, but the listing that's currently active appears to be brand new. So far, it doesn't have any House Rules written by you, just the automated ones (no smoking/pets/parties). So while your guest's choice of words was eyebrow-raising, I'd give him the benefit of the doubt and consider that maybe he wanted to know if you had some extra rules that hadn't made it into the listing yet.

Just in case, though, by the time this person checks in you should reiterate the rules and make it clear that you're dead serious about all of them.

[Daniel38]

Thanks Andrew for the thoughtful response. Before I was hosting a room in my home and now this is a townhouse out of town. So, in that sense it is a different world. But, I also think that the tools are different, more sophisticated and I'm not sure how to optimize them yet. The community is bigger and it seems to be moving faster, as well. There is a learning curve here and I'm catching up. Do you mind sharing the rules you have for your listing.

[Colleen253]

@Daniel38 As the host of an entire place listing I will say that rules surrounding extra/unauthorized guests is at the top of the 'most important' list. Overall, Airbnb guest behavior seems to have gotten worse since the pandemic. Airbnb has also gotten much better at breeding bad guests/bad guest behavior, and CS has gone completely into the toilet. So beef up your rules, vet guests thorougly and brace yourself for just about anything. But don't panic. Having good practices in place prevents many issues.

[Anonymous]

@Daniel38   The first line of my House Rules tab asked that guests confirm in their request message that they have read the listing in full, which worked about 70% of the time (uncoincidentally, my Acceptance Rate was around the same). The first rule was:

- Only the guests named and registered in the original reservation are permitted to enter the building. No additional visitors are allowed.

I also chose to beef up the smoking policy:

- Tobacco smoking is not permitted anywhere in the building; to smoke, one must descend 2 flights of stairs and exit to the street.

The other rules were about stuff specific to the home, but I tried to keep it pared down to things that might impact someone's decision about whether to book. In my particular situation I didn't have any specifications about stuff like cleaning, parking, or noise, but those would have gone in there too if I'd had them.

[Laura2592]

@Daniel38 I would just answer honestly.

"Hi guest--

I don't think I have ever been asked that! Our house rules are all well enforced but I would say the big "no gos" are bringing extra guests that aren't on the reservation, smoking any substances, leaving the place a mess, and late check out (or whatever are most important.) In reality they are all important, but those 4 (or 3, or 5) will be grounds for terminating a stay. Luckily most of our guests are fantastic and don't have those issues. Let me know if there is anything else you have questions about. I appreciate the opportunity to offer clarity before the stay and thanks for your inquiry :)"

[Laura2592]

This thread has inspired me to list most important house rules  (with a header as such) and state unequivocally that they are grounds for termination if breached.  Not that all rules aren't important but my pet peeves deserve top billing.  I'd be happy if at least those few things were adhered to 98% I'd the time 

[Colleen253]

@Laura2592 "...grounds for termination if breached". Right on. This is becoming more and more important as guest behavior and Airbnb CS deteriorates. For instance, you have a guest throwing a party or some other major rule breach is going on and you can't reach or rely on Airbnb to cancel a booking, this helps back you up to eject the guests. Hosts need to use their house rules with purpose, so they can serve as leverage when needed, and save the housekeeping notes for the house manual.