My first booking looks dubious

[Derek59]

Yesterday I listed my first every property. Today I got a potential booking for the whole time. The person says they are moving to the uk. There is no picture. 2 reviews but they seem vague and don't have pictures either. Could it be fraudulent? I've asked questions but nothing has come back yet. Should I be worried? Should I accept it. It seems too good to be true 

[Marzena4]

@Derek59 I would sense something is wrong with it. For how long did they book/inquire? When is the check-in date?

[Helen3]

Hello @Derek59

Welcome to Airbnb. If you have Instant Book turned on turn it off now (Airbnb will try and persuade you not to but go ahead). In this way you can vet guests and ask for the information you need to ensure there is a good fit before you confirm a booking.

If you haven't done so already read their help centre and the useful community guides here to familiarise yourself with how things work.

When you first list you get an artifical boost in the listing so will get quite a few inquiries (allowing for the season and location).

Set your listing so that only those with verified (photo ID) can book.

I don't really understand what you mean by 'I got a booking for the whole time' - can you clarify?

Lots of people who book are new to Airbnb (as you are yourself) so that's not an issue. They don't always complete their profiles as they should. It doesn't mean they are fradulent, but established hosts look out for 'red flags' ie warning signs which means we might decline an inquiry .

I would ask the guest to

1) upload a clear photo of themselves

2) tell you why they chose your place

3) complete a profile to tell you about themselves

4) tell you who is coming with them

If nothing comes back after a few days you could contact Airbnb and let them know you aren't comfortable with the guests and see if they will cancel the booking.

[Isabel203]

@Derek59, my impression based on my own expereince as a host and on reading other people's posts is that scammers do tend to target listings marked as "New", so you will want to be particualrly careful with your first few guests. Having said that, this potential guest may be completely legit: your space looks like a GREAT deal: with your monthly discount, you are charging just over $50 CAD nightly for a self-contained 2-bedroom flat, 15 minutes from London, with laundry and parking. Who wouldn't love that?!?!  I see other listings in your area charging that much for a single room. I also notice that you have very few house rules and a generous cancellation policy - great for attracting guests, but not so good for protecting yourself from less-tahn-stellar guests.

Like other commenters, I would want to know more about the potential guest's plans and their reason for booking in with you. Are they planning to stay with you while they look for more permanent housing? What if they decide they don't want to leave your space: are you OK with them staying on?  Where I am from, I would be cautious about people booking in with me as "guests" then staying long enough to be considered "tenants" under the law, and being unable under the law to make them leave. When I listed my place, I decided I didn`t want to accept any longer term bookings (over 2 weeks) until I felt like I really knew what I was doing. I feel more confident now, having hosted about 30 sets of guests, but I have decided to stick with my "short term only" policy anyway, because it just seems less risky for me.

I'd love to hear what you decide to do, and how it turns out... keep us posted, @Derek59!