Acceptance of guests/ rating for host

[Suzy36]

I am prompted by the system to accept or decline a guest within 24 hours.
I have been doing this. However, I had to decline several people and I did this ONLY when they did not match my rules and regulations:
1. I have a NO KIDS policy - they include up to 4 children
2. I have a NO PARTY policy - they ask to have a party
3. I set a price - they are not willing to pay it and want heavy discounts
4. I have an AGE policy - no minors - they are a group of guest under 21
5. they just do not answer my initial greeting and request of acceptance of rules and regulations
6. they ask for time that is not available
7. guest sent double request, booked one but the other one we cancelled out
8. inquired while house was booked on another platform, I am not a computer and have to do one thing after the other, so sometimes bookings overlap

I was told by AirBNB reps that this would not affect my ratings, yet under PROGRESS I find my acceptance rate dropped to 75%. This can't be right! Future guests are ignoring what I write in my ad and my account is derogatorily affected by accepting guests according to my rules and regulations.
So: if a guest asks to stay with 10 people and I have only4 beds I still have to accept him/ her if I do not want my account to negatively affected, that is not right!
Please take a look at this. Thank you. SL

[Mike340]

@Suzy36

This has been mentioned many times by hosts, in many similar posts.

The best thing to do is message the guest to say why you cant host them ( as you are doing) but neither accept or decline the enquiry. Just leave it open. That is what I and many hosts do. In many instances you will get notificed that the guest no longer requires your dates (they have closed the enquiry)  and the enquiry is closed for you too. Hosts should not decline or cancel any reservation. The guests should do it, because otherwise you get penalised on your statistics. However enquiry "declines" does not effect your Superhost scores. A  poor acceptance rate merely means that you tend a computer bot sending you a message telling you that you need to do better !!

It is all a somewhat flawed system I am afraid. 

[Brianna15]

If it is a “request” and not an inquiry you get even more of a penalization for not responding within 24 hours. Not respondinngonly works if it is an inquiry. 

[Suzy36]

Mike thanks for your note.

There is just one thing ... 

Once I receive an inquiry and answer, approx. 10 hours later I get a prompt from AirBNB telling me that I need to either accept or decline or my account will be negatively affected by not answering.

So no matter what I do, I seem doomed with AirBNB ;(

[Jessica-and-Henry0]

@Suzy36

What I usually do is send a LOOOONG reply that I "accept" with the assumption and condition that the guest will fully and completely respect and follow my house rules. 

So if someone were to send an inquiry for 2 guests for my single occupancy private guest room I would reply with something like "I am happy to host ONLY ONE guest since my listing is single occupancy with a super single size bed as is stated in the description. I do not allow guests of the guest to enter my home so your friend/family member/ partner is not allowed to drop by or enter my home at any time during your stay. If this does not work for you please do not proceed with the reservation and book elsewhere. Because hosts are penalized for declining regardless of the reason I will approve your inquiry with the understanding that you clearly understand and agree to follow and abide by all the rules and conditions stated in my description and house rules should you proceed to book with me. Please contact me if you need further clarification before you proceed with payment, or just let my approval expire if you do not wish to book with me. Thanks!" Then I click approve so the ball is with the guest and they can decide whether or not to proceed with the reservation. IMO, it's not my fault if guests don't read and want to pay first 🙂 

[Ange2]

@Suzy36   If it is just an 'inquiry' once you answer  re-cache the page and check that the clock has stopped ticking,  it is at the top of the reservation. If you are sure it is an 'inquiry and the clock does not ticking it is a glitch or it is  in fact a request for which you have 24 hours to accept or decline or you are penalized.

I just came across this great video by two Airbnb hosts @Dave & Deb  what's the difference between an " Inquiry and a Request" . https://community.withairbnb.com/t5/Hosting/VIDEO-Inquiry-vs-Request-What-s-the-Difference/m-p/77153...

[Helen3]

Hello @Suzy36

What lovely places you have.

I only had time to read one of your listings. But I can't see anywhere in the description where you mention you don't accept children or allow parties.

Why not put it up front in your listing description to help avoid people with kids or wanting to party making an inquiry.

I am not sure you are allowed to discriminate by saying you won't accept under 21's.

[Letti0]

@Helen3 Many resorts, HOA's or companies have in their bylaws that renter must be over a certain age. The bylaw's are what AirBnB must follow as law in these cases, so it is not discrimination by saying you won't accept under 21 or 25 in these cases.

[Letti0]

@Suzy36 That is not an inquiry, that is a request to book. An inquiry you get an option to pre-approve or decline, but the clock stops if you reply to the inquiry and no futher action is needed. On a request to book I do very similar to what @Jessica-and-Henry0 do I accept with conditions and then they need to cancel and pay the service fees charged by AirBnB. They are never going to work for my place because they want to break the rules or have not even read my rules. Once they get my Rental Agreement they must sign and return before door code is given, they are quick to cancel on AirBnB since I have a strict cancelation policy.  

[Suzy36]

Helen thank you for your note.

First 5 lines under rules and regulations, in all listings, don't know how much more I can put it up front ...

House Rules

No smoking

Not suitable for pets

No parties or events

Not safe or suitable for children (0-12 years) - Pool does not have a safety fence.

Check-in time is 4PM - 8PM

You are in the UK, we are in Florida USA and here the legal age in certain aspects is 21. You can sign a contract at 18 however, if you want to rent somewhere, landlonds may have their own rules. 

We do not discriminate against young poeple, only if they are under age we request them to be  in attendance of a parent or guardian.

Differences Between US and UK Laws

There remain some significant differences. For example, in the US, age discrimination protection is only extended to employees aged 40 and over, who allege that they have been discriminated against by reference to younger workers. In contrast, in the UK, this protection will apply equally to a younger employee alleging discrimination on the basis of his or her youth.

As an example: liquor stores do not sell to minors / persons under 21 in Florida, this is not discrimination but merely law to protect societey.

[Suzy36]

@Letti0 thank you for the explanation! Sheds a lot of light on my problem 😉

[Lisa723]

@Suzy36 depending on what other site you are booking through, you may be able to set up automatic calendar syncing so you don't have to worry about colliding reservations:

https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/99/how-do-i-sync-my-airbnb-calendar-with-another-calendar

[Lisa723]

@Letti0 I'm not sure that's still true, I think there was a recent change and now you have to pre-approve or decline inquiries as well...

https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/430/what-is-response-rate-and-how-is-it-calculated

"Your response rate is the percentage of new inquiries and reservation requests you responded to (by either accepting/pre-approving or declining) within 24 hours in the past 30 days."

[Letti0]

@Lisa723 It doesn't seem to be effecting my response rating the way I do it.

[Rob311]

@Letitia0 I like your approach for forcing the general house rules on guest who didn't plan to comply.  The problem we have is people requesting to book for far less than our minimum stay.  If I accept, AirBnB collects only for the stay they requested, not for the minimum number of nights we require.  I'd certainly be willing for someone to stay less than the minimum time as long as they pay for the minimum! Does anyone have a solution to this problem?