Does rejecting requests result in your listing appearing lower in searches?

[Chris156]

Dear fellow hosts,

As I have been forced to reject the last few requests due to reasons mentioned below, I was wondering if someone can tell me whether doing so means that my listing appears further down in searches?

The first request was either a hacked Airbnb account or spam, it was a person offering services to Airbnb hosts and after I rejected the request, the account was blocked by Airbnb shortly after.

The second request was from a couple with a 1yr old baby. I state on my listing that my room is not suitable for children.

The third request was from a couple who wanted to come for 5 nights in total but split into 2 bookings of Dec 1st-5th and then Dec 9th which they couldn't even request correctly as I only accept bookings for a minimum of 3 nights.

I requested to the guests for them to cancel the booking request themselves but they failed to do so so I had to cancel myself to prevent any issues with the 24 hour response. 

Does anyone know if this has an effect or does anyone have any advice in such situations?

Thank you!

[Robin4]

@Mia27 .......these days we hosts have our backs to the wall Maria. Airbnb, on many occasions, will expect the host to assume responsibility for anything other than a straight up booking request!

It is safest to accept everything!

If it is an enquiry, sales related or other, offer a pre-approval! You have met your reponse committments, but you are still free to accept bookings for the enquiry dates from others.

The enquiry will then go one of three ways. They can come straight back to you with a 'booking request', satisfied with what you are offering! Do your verifications and either accept or decline that booking request within the 24 hours window!

The enquirer may decide to not act on your pre-approval or commit, and simply disappear....you have done your bit and are still free to take other bookings!

If the enquirer comes back to you with special requests, re price or something other than what your listings offers, ignore their requests and send them a 'special offer' for your standard price or standard terms!  They will then realise that you are not to be bargained with, you have fullfilled your responsibilities and their enquiry will fall off the system after 24 hours if they choose not to pursue your offer! No further action on your part and no penalty to you....you have offered accommodation according to your listing, and that's that!! 

Always make the action the guests responsibility! The same applies once a booking request has been accepted. Do not under any circumstance cancel a guest booking. Always state to the guest (and to Airbnb) that you are prepared to host, and make the guest do the cancelling. Don't even 'approve' a cancellation request from Airbnb on behalf of a guest. That will be seen by Airbnb as a host cancellation. In some instances now Airbnb are telling guests the only way they can get their money back is if the host cancels the booking....BE PREPARED!!!!!

Remember, you are in an agreement with Airbnb to host guests on your terms, not pander to guests demands...Accept everything!!

Cheers......Rob

[Mia27]

Thanks Rob,

I will pre aprove everybody I have in the que at this point.

What bothers me is that some people make the inquiry for 4 and then when I answer they say they have 6 coming.

Like in one case I have the inquiry quoted for 4 and she says they are 6 coming. I'm going to pre aprove everybody and see how it goes. This is my 2nd month as a host, so I'm still learning the ropes.

[Robin4]

@Mia27 You pre-approve them, but if you are worried about additional guests arriving you tell them in your message stream that your accommodation is strictly limited to 4 persons and an acceptance of their request (should they wish to proceed to a request) can only be granted on that basis.

Maria, you will make some mistakes....we all do, but as I have said in another post, 'It's better to have knowledge and not need it than to need knowledge and not have it!' Best to type some of the things you are not sure of into the 'Search the Community' box at the head of this page. This will bring up previous questions and answers on the forum and you will learn much from doing this.....

As you are in Denver you would be well advised to have Airbnb's contact phones handy just in case you get into difficulty. The phone numbers are.....+1-415-800-5959 (local San Francisco number)

 or +1-855-424-7262 / 1-855-4-AIRBNB (toll-free)

Cheers....Rob

[James1]

@Mia27 If, after you pre-approve someone, they say they are bringing more people here's what you do. Remove the pre-approval and send them a special off that adds the extra charges for extra people. 

[Mia27]

Rob,

I tried to pre approve a couple of inquiries and in both it told me I couldn't pre-approve because the dates were available.

I double checked and in both cases my dates are available as I don't have anybody coming those dates. I just sent them special offers. I hope that wasn't wrong.

Do the dates stay blocked to others when the inquiry is still there until you pre-approve them?

[Robin4]

@Mia27 a pre-approval does not block dates on your calendar. When you pre-approve the system tells you that your calendar is not blocked and you are free to accept others bookings.

It could be that you may also have received a booking request for those particular dates. A booking request will take preference over a pre-approval

Cheers.....Rob

[Marit-Anne0]

@Mia27

Please look up the community help guides at the top of the community help forum.

[Michael242]

It seems to me that the penalties that airbnb threatens due to rejecting bookings is unfair and onerous.

They are, in effect, demanding that you let people into your home or apartment who you feel uncomfortable with. I reject quite a few people, mostly because comments in their initial request

are simply rude, terse, or incoherent.

Often, people ask questions that indicate they have not read any of the basic information about my place.

Can we have 5 people? Is there parking? Can I bring a dog?

How can they be interested in my place without even reading one word about it?

Others are so presumptuous, that I tend to reject them.

I just got one that said only: "I will arrive at 4 p.m. on Friday." No you won't!

I have had a hundred or so great bookings, largely because I don't take the ones that seem rude,

or ignorant of the airbnb process.

Penalizing us for not taking in people who behave strangely seems problematic.