Same day bookings with no reviews

[Christina669]

Something strange has been happening for the last few months but has really ramped up during this pandemic. 

I get requests for a same day booking, usually for only one night. The guest will have no reviews and is from the same city as me. Normally a guest gives me a nice summary of why they are reserving my Airbnb but these requests come with short, often misspelled messages like:

“can have a party?”

”is their WiFi?”

or just “thanks”

My settings are such that I have to approve any requests from guests without reviews or who are asking for a same day booking. 

I always decline these requests but I’m curious if this happens to other hosts, and what people think this type of reservation is for?

[Anonymous]

@Christina669  Oh, the possibilities are a cornucopia of horrors. You could make things a lot easier on yourself by setting a 2 or 3 night minimum (you can always selectively override this for specific time frames that you'd like to fill on your calendar).

[Debra300]

@Christina669,

I've gotten requests like that from guests, and the results have been mixed.  The requests generally came from:

1. Local young people couples who still live at home, and can't sleep over at each other's place.
2. Young people who are totally new to Airbnb, and are not familiar with how the platform works.

I don't want to overly generalize, but I am finding that people in their 20s and 30s general have very poor written communication skills, and do not appear to know that it's inappropriate to correspond in text/chat/casual vernacular with strangers regarding business matters.  However, when I've spoken with them on the phone, they are usually very well mannered, (Yes ma'am, and calling me Ms. Debra), and speak properly.  Let's blame it on text, What*app, FB, IG, SC, TT, and all of the other social media platforms.

The one bad experience I had was a guy not departing on time, and he unplugged the Roku stick from the back of the wall-mounted 55" TV.  My 65 y.o. neighbor/property manager didn't feel comfortable with dismounting the TV.  So, I had to pay $72USD Amazon Services to do the job.  Fortunately, I was reimbursed by Airbnb, because I communicated with the guest through Airbnb, and he had admitted to removing the media stick, but didn't want to pay to correct his indiscretion.

I am fretful when I get bookings from guests without reviews, but then I think they will never get their first one if hosts keep rejecting them for not having reviews.

[Anonymous]

@Debra300   I don't think unreviewed guests are inherently problematic. But I would set a much higher bar of entry for people who are trying to place a same-day booking. There are legitimate reasons that people find themselves needing last-minute accommodation , but a private home on Airbnb does not strike me as the logical first port of call. In the pile of same-day searches there's always going to be a disproportionate share of locals with questionable alibis, people who have just been kicked out of another property, and chronically disorganized travelers. Doubly so if they're just looking for one night.

[Debra300]

@Anonymous,

Agreed, guests without reviews are not inherently problematic.  Let me elaborate, and say that I become concerned when the person who inquires about a short notice reservation has also recently joined Airbnb, because they often require more attention.  From my experience these guests may be a first time traveler, a first time international traveler, or it's the first time they've stayed in a paid accommodation.  Compound that with the fact that through their questions and comments it's very apparent that they've not read the listing details.

I accept one night reservations only at my Atlanta apartment. I pay a prevailing wage to my cleaner, so I say right on if a guest wants to pay the cleaning fee for just one night.  I have Instabook turned on, and require at least one day lead time before arrival.  So, when I do get a same-day booking request (for either Atlanta or St. Lucia), I have the the opportunity to converse with the person before making a decision.  Thus far, the majority of these types of requests come from local couples who've decided to have a date night or getaway weekend.  

[Anthony608]

"I get requests for a same day booking, usually for only one night. The guest will have no reviews and is from the same city as me."

This happens to me more than I would like and I am beginning to think it is some type of scam or people are up to something illicit.  Most of the time the reservation request will come in late in the afternoon, often (like you said) with very little information.  The account will have no reviews and be registered in a city or town only about 15 to 20 minutes away, if not in my very same city.

Dealing with these people I have two major theories:

1) Homeless people: Nomadic between AirBNB, literally day by day and often coming up with money that afternoon to find a place for the night.

2) Prostitutes: Using the house as a pick up point for a John.  Most often, these will be young girls who check in around 6 or 7PM, then leave in a local car with an unknown male and don't come back for the entire night.  I live in Maryland and the cars noticed doing this are 99% always with Washington DC plates.  There have actually been news stories about this, i.e. DC pimpa using Maryland AirBNBs to put girls in until a client is available.

I have indeed had some good one night same day bookings and I want to give everyone a chance until they give me a reason not to.  Also, if I see a scam, I slam them in the review and then others will know about it and the account can't be used.  But, as we know, such people simply move on to another account.  That is on AirBNB and there should be safeguards to prevent that kind of thing from going on.