First guest stay - Advice re. guest feedback/reviews

[Michelle2941]

I am new to Air B&B and have received my first guest enquiry for 1 months stay (4 people) and before I accept it, is there any way of obtaining some feedback on the guest either via their profile or previous bookings etc? I have looked at their profile and it states that they have just joined in 2022 and no further information available. I am probably being over cautious but wondered if anyone could give me any advice please before I proceed with a lengthy 31 day booking?

[Paul1255]

@Michelle2941  I hope you're well!

New hosts often find it is safest to start out hosting shorter stays when they are first getting up and running, much easier to iron out the kinks and get some good reviews in.

A month long stay for your first reservation with a guest who is brand new to airbnb and with no reviews could be a big risk, and you should think carefully before accepting.

The first thing to do should be to work out if you're comfortable hosting for that length of time, and then communicate with the guest to find out as much info as you can- it won't be provided by Airbnb as the guest has just created their profile. Guests who are local to your listing/area are sometimes a red flag- but not always.

Sometimes guests think they can take advantage of new hosts and it's easy to understand why, when you're just getting set up and understanding how the platform and short term rentals work.

[Sarah977]

@Michelle2941  No you are not being overly cautious at all. And you shouldn't take a 31 day booking. Anything over 28 days gives tenant rights in most jurisdictions.

And accepting a long booking from a newbie with zero reviews is a really risky and foolish thing.

Reset your maximum booking length for 2 weeks. As a new, inexperienced host, you want to start out with short bookings to build up reviews, and while you learn the ropes of vetting guests and hosting.

Don't decline the inquiry, declines count against you. (Inquiries can simply be answered, Requests must be either accepted or declined within 24 hours) Just message the guest back saying you aren't accepting long term bookings at this point.