refusal quotas for hosts

[Adi25]

OK, I have listed my office as a place for light travelers - with a duffel bag - who need a place to put their heads down and short trips. It's cheap: 25$/night

I have a queen sofa bed - very comfy - in there and explained in the listing that this is my office and when the bed is extended there is basically no room left. There is no dresser and no space in the closet. I clearly spelled these things out. Yet, I get a ton of inquiries, many for long term stay, although I wrote in the description is it for short stays only.

I refused all the iquiries that dont fit the environment thinking it is my right: the environment does not fit the needs of the guests. Some guests didnt have IDs, another had a 1 month old baby... A guy instant booked me for 7 days, explaining he had lost his job and he's moving back.

I replied explainign again that the room is very small and that he, moving back, must have lugagge. He says he will keep his lugage in his car and that it doesnt bother him the room is tiny.

Next thing he shows up at my house with 3 gianormous pieces of lugagge and no car. He must have taken a cab or something. I asked where his car was he told me "it's a long story". I pointed out at the lugage repeating there's no room, he mumbled something like "I've been living in a truck for the past 3 month, I'm used to it."

Questions: this guy broke my rules. Can I call the customer service to say this guy's broke my rules and have him gone his money returned?

I am afraid to do so... I've been declining requests for this room from all kind of people who didn't bother to read my requests and Airbnb punished me for declining. Now my listing has a red flag and a warning "attention needed". Aparently we are expected not to decline people who clearly inquire without reading. We are expected to approve 88% of the inquiries! I found out the hard way. Now I am afraid to do anything without getting penalized. I don;t know how to weed out people and only get the ones I want, light travelers who stay for a coouple of days.

I tried to remove the instant check in but the system warned me my listing won't score high in the results. Is anyone on "approval only"? But then, even with "approval only" does anyone know if I can truly denny all the people who don't qualify or we still have our guest quota no matter what?

[Rebecca160]

@Adi25 You could definitely call CS about this guy.i think that I would. If you get CS to cancel, it supposedly will not count against you. 

If you decided to stick with him, then he will just have to share the bed with his ginormous luggage. I bet he leaves quickly. 

I would definitely cancel Instant Book, as clearly people are not reading your ad! You will still get bookings, maybe not as much.

[Rebecca160]

@Adi25 Your ad does say there is a dresser.

[Ned-And-Laura0]

I think the problem is your photos.  It looks like a nice size apartment for rent, not a tiny office.  You have a sitting area with two big chairs by a fireplace and the main photo shows a lovely outdoor dining set, plus the full kitchen (which I assume is shared).  So while it is clear in the description, the photos tell a different story and at a price that low most people will try and squeeze in there if you'll let them.   Maybe show a picture of the whole room after the couch is open into a bed so they realize how little space there is.  Or maybe mention the total sq ft of the space so they know it really only fits the bed and little else.