Suggestions to accepting bookings

[Robert923]

I do not do instant bookings so therefore cannot request that guests have a certain number of verifications and /or reviews.  Recently I have had a few guests that have only just opened their accounts on Airbnb, have 1, or 2 at most verifications and no reviews.  Now I want to ask guests to have a minimum of 3 verifications and at least 2 good reviews.  Do I include this in the listing description?  Has anyone else come across this and if so what have you done?  Thanks.  Robert 

[Roberta2]

Hi @Robert923

All hosts and all guests start with no reviews. Please be open minded. My experience is usualy that guests with no reviews go the extra mile to have a great 1st review, and are exemplary guests.

You can, of course, ask for a guest to get ID verified before accepting a booking - that is your right, just ask nicely. I usualy do it, and if the guest has nothing to hide or fear, they usualy comply quite quickly.

Good luck hosting!

[Robert923]

Thanks Roberta for your reply- I always try to be open minded!!  I have accepted and will continue to accept guests with no reviews - i understand when you’re starting out it’s not possible to have them on your profile.  What has happened to me recently is that I received three requests for bookings from new account holders with incorrect and incomplete information on their profiles plus 1 verification only and no reviews - I did comment, nicely, to the most recent guest that his profile information was incorrect and incomplete - for me it is essential that at least the profile be complete.  My experience with guests with no reviews has been the same as yours generally.  The last example was not exemplary- and the guest still has not corrected his profile !  But then everybody has different experiences. 

[Helen3]

I would say about 85% of my bookings are from guests with no reviews and they have all been lovely. I only take guests with photo ID, a clear photo and who answer my IB questions, so I guess I vet as well as I can before accepting a booking.

[Ange2 · Accepted solution]

@Robert923     I have it in the description but many guests do not read so I send it in a response message,  along with a paragraph stating that "Airbnb is not a hotel  to please read the description, amenities and rules etc. etc. . . " .    Most guests are more than happy to comply with extra verifications, if they do not I decline them.  I do take many first time users and all have been great, some may need extra prodding because their mindset remains in hotel mode.

You have verified your listing with a Government ID so you can require it of guests. Go to Listing and click on reservation requirements, you can check a box to require verification (the link leads to how to upload ID so I assume "verification" in this case does mean ID and not just email and phone number.  Although, I have gotten reservations (even IB)  with nothing, not even an email, so always better to check each one individually.