Hi! I'm new to Airbnb as a host! Had my first inquiry very quickly after posting my place. However, I think they may have moved on because I had trouble understanding the process. I thought that by approving them they automatically were guaranteed a spot, then I click approve and it turns out it was a preapproval… Can someone please give me a brief explanation of how the process works after you get a rental inquiry?
It depends on how you have your booking process set. Standard Booking: allows for booking, then pre-approval, then accept the reservation Instant Booking: Allows guests to instantly book/ reserve so it by passes the pre-approval step and goes stray to accepting the reservation.
And...with pre-approval you can pre-approve any number of requests for the same dates or overlapping dates, and whichever guest confirms first gets the space.
Don't be afraid to pre-approve a few guests, as you will find out some people are enquiring with a number of properties at the same time. Although, it's fair to tell guests that you have other interest in those dates.