First timer - some advice please

[Sarah119]

Very excited to get my first request, but she is newly signed up, so no reviews, wants to come with her 9 year old son (says he is VERY quiet). Wants to stay for 2 weeks and wants a discount. Feel I should probably give it a miss, so I start with someone who has some good reviews, no 9 year old child, maybe slightly shorter...are my instincts right? 

[Donna15]

@Sarah119, yes. Listen to your instinct. The first red flag - beyond that fact that she has no reviews - is that she asked for a discount. 

In your shoes, I would decline. 

I'd also suggest that you change your cancellation fee from flexible to moderate or even - much better - strict.

You should also beef up your House Rules. Be comprehensive, firm, and clear about how you expect guests to behave. You might also want to determine whether you want to host children at all. 

[Dan2]

Hi Sarah,

I've been hosting for a few years and increasingly rely on my intuition. It's served me quite well. I've had many wonderful guests, and also a few which weren't horrible although did confirm my intuition.

With that said, I also use my head, and also prefer guests who have reviews and some AirBnb experience.

I take as a good sign they mention their 9-year old in advance.

In general I wouldn't worry about a mention of discount. I've seen the request for a discount most often from those who haven't used AirBnb, and don't notice that I have already discounted the price from the daily/nightly rate. Most important suggestion I'd have around that is to be certain to keep the finances all through AirBnb in case of future dispute.

Also, although you're undoubtedly eager to host your first guest, it's also wonderful to have delightful guests. Would it harm to wait a bit for someone who fits a bit better?

Enjoy,

Dan

[Jennifer93]

Hi Sarah!

Yes you are right to trust your instincts. I have been hosting for 2 years and have made some mistakes by not trusting my instincts. Not horrible mistakes, just wish I had listened to my gut a bit more. It's important to realize that there are people all around the world using Airbnb. That means that when you decline a reservation request more than likely the dates will fill up with other guests. I have found that these things always work out.

Each year, as I fine tune my hosting skills, I get a better feel for my business. It's amazing how many people I have met and how different they all are. It's mostly a joy and sometimes a pain!

My strongest piece of advice for you is to communicate thoroughly and consistantly with all potential and current guests. I have found that the more communicative I am with guests the better everything goes, from checkout to great reviews. 

I wish you well with your hosting!

Cheers,

Jennifer