Signs of a > Good and Bad < potential Airbnb guest

[Dale711]

Hi everyone ,

 

Sign of a good potential guest : 

1. Verification. Now, this one may not be one of your obligatory criteria. Again, depends on what kind of host you are and what kind of guest you are looking for. It can be a weight off your mind, but don’t think that this is an end-all. See if the potential guest also added a phone number and e-mail address. Which brings me to the next point.
2. Full Profile. This is the first easy way to figure out if the Airbnb user is serious about the platform and is open to communication. If the profile is filled out fully, you can begin to figure out what kind of Airbnb guest you are looking at.
3. Social Connection. This has been a big one since Airbnb added the feature, pretty self-explanatory. Another step to trusting your guest’s identity.
4. Some potential Airbnb guests are awesome enough to compile a handy list of references from actual other people! This a very good sign that the guest is making an effort to be transparent and trustworthy.
5. Reviews. They don’t get removed and are the most obvious place to look to get some insight on the user you are dealing with.

Sign of a bad potential guest:

1. Communication outside of Airbnb. Very bad sign. I would not recommend communication or any transactions off the platform for one simple reason: protections that Airbnb provides. As soon as you go off the platform, you lose all of those protections. If a guest wants you to lose those protections, it may be for a bad reason.
2. Bad communication. If the guest doesn’t respond or responds in a way that doesn’t answer your questions or shows that they didn’t read your listing description or messages can be either a sign of general carelessness or something potentially worse (for example, multiple people communicating through the account). The general quality of communication is very important. Trust your instincts on this one.
3. Dodgy questions. If your guest keeps asking for details on the location, surveillance, other neighbors, the property, etc., while not giving you the information you want, or, worse yet, if they are inconsistent, that is a major red flag. Trust your instincts on this one too.
4. Guests from in-town. This is not necessarily a major red flag, but it does warrant a bit of an investigation. There are legitimate reasons for a guest staying at an Airbnb within the city, but to avoid any possible parties, robberies, and other dodginess, ask all of the questions that you need to, and then some.

Ask Questions!

If you have any doubts or want more information on the guest, then don’t be shy. That’s what the entire messaging system is for! You can develop your own style and have a set of screening questions that you ask every time and evaluate the reaction of your potential Airbnb guest. One trend that I have noticed is that the guests often do not read the description or house rules carefully. Ask about that. If there is any specific rule that is very important for your listing then always ask the potential guest if they are clear on it. Use common sense and your gut! And don’t forget to have fun while playing Airbnb detective!

Happy hosting!