Long-term reservation request from non-verified person that has no profile and only gave first name

[Terry-and-Steve0]

Hello, 

I just opened my first Airbnb. Late last night I recieved an inquiry to find out where I was in relation to a specific business and what kind of discounts I would offer if they rented my space for 166 days. This person only used a first name, did not have a profile and the profile picture was not of a person but of a pumpkin patch scene...There is no indication they have been verified by Airbnb as well. I am leary. I sent back a response without accepting or declining. I told them how far the business was they needed to get to and that they would need a car to get there everyday. I also told them I would need to draw up a contract and request specific insurance, along with them needing to be verified and potentially a basic background check run. In addition, I would like a reference from the business I am assuming they are coming here to work at for those 166 days. 

I have not gotten a response yet. Should I in the mean time decline the reservation? How do I investigate who they are with Airbnb?

Thanks

Terry

[Sabine42]

Hi Terry & Steve,

As i have been reading posts here on this forum for some time now, i think i'm spotting a trend. Lots of brand new, first time hosts are approached with offers like yours, from 'guests' like yours. No profile, no verifications, no reviews. They purposely seek out inexperienced hosts as they are often eager to accept bookings of whatever nature. I would highly recommend you decline this one for a number of reasons, start with short term guests until you are more familiar with hosting and also get up to date with all the scams that are going around on airbnb.

Hosting somebody long term is VERY different versus short term. Just my opinion, good luck & happy hosting!

[Terry-and-Steve0]

Thank you Sabine!

i declined the request. I told this person that if they can send me all the info I requested I would consider reopening the request. I need to spend more time on this forum learning from everyone's experiences. Good advice. Thank you for taking the time to respond.

Terry

[Andrea9]

@Terry-and-Steve0

Exactly as @Sabine42 suggests.

Also make sure you know what the law in your area is regarding tenancy rights. Otherwise you may find yourself in an eviction nightmare.

[Terry-and-Steve0]

Thank you Andrea, I will do that. Thanks for responding.

Terry

[Clare0]

@Terry-and-Steve0 I would add to this discussion 2 things: 

1. Check the tenancy laws in your state.  Where I am, California, tenancy rights attach to any rental of 30 days or more.  If they fail to pay or break house rules, I would need a lawyer to evict them.  For this reason, I do not accept stays longer than 21 days.  Here's a help article about Long Term stays: 

https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/805/what-are-some-things-i-should-consider-before-hosting-long-t...

2. Set Verified ID as a reservation requirement for booking with you.  You can find it in Manage Listing under Reservation Requirements.  Check the box that says Require Guests to go through Verification.  You'll still get Inquiries from unverified guests, but they won't be able to book until they verify their ID.  Serious guests won't have a problem.  I had an Inquiry from an unverified guest and 5 minutes later he verified his ID. 

Hope this helps!