Person requesting housing has a BAD REVIEW - how to respond?

Person requesting housing has a BAD REVIEW - how to respond?

I had a request to rent our property and her one review said: 

 

Hosts: Do not rent to these guests. They will accidentally pack the toiletries and then try to shake you down for a refund over bogus issues. They don’t communicate well and are impolite and rude.

 

I do not want to rent to this person. How do I tactfully say I can't allow them to stay? Do I just say, "I'm sorry, based on your review, I can't approve your stay?" 

 

I don't want them to try and book it with another name. I'd appreciate your suggestions. 

 

Thanks in advance. 

 

Kate

3 Replies 3
M199
Level 10
South Bruce Peninsula, Canada

@Kate2019 

Just decline.  You don't need to justify your reason.

Sarah977
Level 10
Sayulita, Mexico

@Kate2019  No need to provide a tactful explanation to thieves and scammers. As @M199 says, just click on decline. 

@Kate2019  In addition to declining (which you should definitely do), you can also manually block a date somewhere within the time frame this guest was requesting to make that period effectively unbookable under another name. You'll still need to keep your guard up with requests, especially from new or unreviewed profiles, but guests' first communication is usually a pretty strong indicator of how they'll behave in your home.