24 Hour Response to Guest Request

[Dean104]

I recently responded to a guest request within 24 hours, though I did not accept or decline the request as there was an issue with the dates.  I used Airbnb to convey the issues and the guest and I worked out how to adjust the dates.  I purposely did not want to decline the request because that is off-putting.  

I received a message indicating that I didn't respond within 24 hours and that Airbnb blocked the dates.  This is wrong-heading in my opinion.

You need to change your policy to not require hosts accept or decline within 24 hours but instead, as is communicated, RESPOND within 24 hours.  Uncoupling the accept/decline with the response is prudent.  I do understand why you need hosts to resolve things in a timely manner but a response is a response and in this particular case, I needed to find out if the guest wanted 5 days instead of 7 days.

Sincerely,

Dean ****

[Personal information hidden for safety reason]

[Emiel1]

Hello @Dean104 , 

This is how it works with a request (If it was an inquiry, responding only was sufficient).

If you can't work it out with the guest within the time limit, you can as an alternative:

- Accept the reservation and change it afterwards as desired

OR

- Ask the guest to withdraw the request and sent a special offer yourself.

BTW You can make the blocked dates available again.

But i recognize the problem, as i mostly deal with people living in another (reversed) time zone. making it very difficult to end the communication proces within 24 hours.

Best regards, Emiel

[Anonymous]

This has happened to me before too. On a few occasions, something the guest wrote in their request necessitated that I ask a follow-up question to make sure they understood my listing and rules and that my guestroom was suitable for their stated needs. I've had to make things rather awkward by saying that if I didn't hear back within the 24 hour period I would have to decline the request, but that they could still submit a new request if desired. 

Up until recently, I thought this was the appropriate way to handle requests that the host is not sure about. But now, I'm getting a warning that I'm "not meeting Basic Requirements" because I've apparently declined more than 12% of requests. Most of those declines have been the result of requests being inappropriate for the room offered or guests failing to respond promptly to follow-up questions. A few have been from people whose communication left me feeling unsafe letting into my home. But now I feel backed into a corner, where I might risk suspension of my listing if I decline one more request, regardless of the reason.

I'm OK with Airbnb keeping the 24 hour time frame for making a decision on a booking, but I think it's wrong to do this and also impose a penalty for declining. Guests are not vetted in any way by Airbnb, and hosts shouldn't be penalized for exercising their judgment when deciding they don't have enough information to trust someone with keys to their home.