@Helen807
Hello Helen and welcome to Airbnb hosting.
Tell me Helen, if a request came to you like this, how would you react?
We were all 'cleanskins' once....we all started out with no track record! I look at the way the request message is formed...is it complimentary, or does it start off asking what is available!
I accepted this request as that first message was complimentary and Sonya turned out to be a wonderful guest to host and I was so happy that I was able to give here a review like this to get her Airbnb career off to a good start.....
In over 300 stays Helen, I have had less than a handfull that I would not choose to host again. Problem guests are not the norm and the fact that this guest is also new to Airbnb does not mean that she will be a poor guest.
Make sure she understands your house rules....send her a welcome message that lets her know pleasantly that you mean business....."Thank you so much for your reservation and I am looking forward to having you stay here in Bill's and my apartment. Please take a moment or two to read my house rules, and all I ask of you is to remember we are not a hotel, this is our apartment and we would ask you to respect it as you would your own. Looking forward to meeting you on ...........!"
I was aprehensive when I started my hosting Helen but I have had such a wonderful run of guests, I don't even bother to check their backgrounds now, I just accept them and look forward to their arrival!
Cheers......Rob