Guest which may be intending to use my Airbnb listing to establish a hookup pad through a website

Answered!
Sheri76
Level 2
Houston, TX

Guest which may be intending to use my Airbnb listing to establish a hookup pad through a website

I have a guest arriving shortly which has communicated somewhat vaguely. This morning I had a weird text through a bizarre social network addressing me as Rick and indicating that they like my profile and want to hook while in Houston. Is there any history of Airbnb listings targeted for such purposes and how can prevent it since my listing is booked for 13 days?

I don't want a revolving  door of continuous hook-ups with strangers coming in and out throughout the day. Please advise. 

1 Best Answer

@Sheri76   Trouble is, your listing does not appear to have any rules concerning unregistered guests/visitors. This is a thing you need to fix immediately if you don't want guests to take the liberty of bringing any number of visitors onto your property for any reason. My text would be:  "only the guests named and registered in the original booking are permitted onto the property. No additional visitors are allowed at any time."  Even if that seems harsh - having a clear rule without loopholes gives you the power to make exceptions on a case-by-case basis with guests you trust, and a more airtight case for termination if a guest breaks the rule.

 

I don't think it is or should be relevant whether the guest's visitors are app hookups, friends, or colleagues, because it wouldn't be reasonable to micromanage which types of (legal, consensual) socializing the guest is doing. The message you received addressed to "Rick" might be a red herring (why would a social media contact write to the guest's Airbnb host?) so I'd ignore that.

 

Since you didn't have a rule in place at the time of booking, you'll have to bring it up directly to the guest. Communication is key here - tell him that his previous review raised some concerns. and you just want to make sure he's aware that as a one-person booking, he is the only person that you're permitting to access the home during his stay. If there's any sign that this is a problem for him, I think it would be fair to offer him a chance to cancel for a full refund. It would have been better to get in front of this well before his arrival, but it's not too late.

 

As to the question of whether you're paranoid? Well, look through these forums and you'll see stories from hosts whose homes have been used as brothels, meth labs, extreme party houses, drug dealerships, fetish dungeons, and any number of things unintended by the host.  Even though most guests won't be problems, it's still important to have clear, firm rules and be prepared to enforce them.

View Best Answer in original post

5 Replies 5
Sheri76
Level 2
Houston, TX

He only has one review, from a Houston host as well. Apparently he booked for one but had multiple guest coming and going. Friendly did not trash the place but did not respect house rules entirely. The host suggested he consider using a hotel next time. Am I paranoid? I have instant book and never had a problem. 

@Sheri76  With that review I’d take a shot at getting CS to cancel his stay. 

 

@Anonymous I agree with much of your point except for this, a guest bringing what is entirely an anonymous stranger into an abb listing goes beyond what I expect most hosts’ good judgement would agree to. 

even if my guest books & pays for half a dozen guests, I expect to know who those people are and I expect that they are known entities  to my guest as well

@Kelly149   We don't know one way or other whether the visitors in question are "anonymous," or to what extent the guest is acquainted with them. And part of my point there is, I don't think a host should put themselves in any position to ask questions like "how do you know this person?" and "what do you intend to do with them in your privately rented space?" 

 

I find it easier to handle a no-visitors policy than get all up in people's business like that.

@Anonymous I do ask guest to tell me who is coming at time of booking.

 

I don't care who they bring or what they'll do once they get there, but I do want to know that this is a known entity. And if somebody said "I'm booking for 2 but I don't know who that second person will be." Nope. Not at my house. Hotel for you.

@Sheri76   Trouble is, your listing does not appear to have any rules concerning unregistered guests/visitors. This is a thing you need to fix immediately if you don't want guests to take the liberty of bringing any number of visitors onto your property for any reason. My text would be:  "only the guests named and registered in the original booking are permitted onto the property. No additional visitors are allowed at any time."  Even if that seems harsh - having a clear rule without loopholes gives you the power to make exceptions on a case-by-case basis with guests you trust, and a more airtight case for termination if a guest breaks the rule.

 

I don't think it is or should be relevant whether the guest's visitors are app hookups, friends, or colleagues, because it wouldn't be reasonable to micromanage which types of (legal, consensual) socializing the guest is doing. The message you received addressed to "Rick" might be a red herring (why would a social media contact write to the guest's Airbnb host?) so I'd ignore that.

 

Since you didn't have a rule in place at the time of booking, you'll have to bring it up directly to the guest. Communication is key here - tell him that his previous review raised some concerns. and you just want to make sure he's aware that as a one-person booking, he is the only person that you're permitting to access the home during his stay. If there's any sign that this is a problem for him, I think it would be fair to offer him a chance to cancel for a full refund. It would have been better to get in front of this well before his arrival, but it's not too late.

 

As to the question of whether you're paranoid? Well, look through these forums and you'll see stories from hosts whose homes have been used as brothels, meth labs, extreme party houses, drug dealerships, fetish dungeons, and any number of things unintended by the host.  Even though most guests won't be problems, it's still important to have clear, firm rules and be prepared to enforce them.