Is This Safe??

[Erica17]

Im really nervous about renting out my couch for an entiremonth. I am a female and a male wants to crash my couch for a month says its business/ vacation wouldnt it make sense to get a hotel for vacation??

[Marcus0]

@Erica17 does the guy have a profile with previous reviews?  This can greatly assist in your decision. Maybe you may want to ask some more questions first like where he works, what are his working hours, will him arrive home late each night, depart early, will friends/associates come over and hang out? 

I notice your house rules are extremely limited, this is asking for trouble and responses from guests like " I didn´t realise i couldn´t cook spicy indian every night, or i didn´t realise using the bathroom at 2am was a problem".  Sounds silly but you will get this.

If you are nervous already this is not a good sign.  I would start of by advising him of your rules, what you expect and what you do not want in quite some detail.  Get him to sign these rules and take a copy of his ID.

I just checked your places and i see you have now limited the booking stay to a few nights, this is probably the better way to go at the start.

[Andrea9]

@Erica0

I totally agree with @Marcus0, and you really need to beef up your house rules, since they allow too much wiggle room for bad guests (yes, they do exist - just peruse this forum if you're doubtful!). Also, do know that in case of a dispute or complaint, Airbnb will judge in how far the guest was overstepping by taking a look at your house rules. 

I'd also limit the number of nights possible to rent to a period of time you'd feel comfortable with having the same person stay there without actually becoming a roommate.

Also, you could only rent out the couch to female guests and that way not have to be in the predicament you describe?

But then you'd have to make that clear right away -  either have 'female' right in the title of your listing, at the top of the first section "about this listing" as well as mentioning it a couple more times in your description. That way all the people not  reading  listings properly before inquiringwould stand a good chance of catching it.

[Donna15]

@Erica17, this raises all kinds of red flags for me. Especially as scammers are known to prey on new hosts.

Firstly, the guy won't just be crashing on your couch, but sharing every other inch of your living space as well (with the exception of strict private areas). He'd end up being virtually a room-mate.

Secondly, in CA a guest staying longer than - I believe - 30 days, can automatically claim tenancy rights, often leading to long and horrible legal procedures to get the person evicted. I note that this guy wants to stay for a month. And yes, a weird way to spend a business trip/vacation. If it's business, for example, his firm would be paying for a room or a suite. 

In your shoes, I would decline the request, indicating that your accommodation is not a good match for his requirements. Full stop.

As as others have suggested, I also strongly urge you to create a comprehense, clear, and firm set of House Rules.