Do you allow guest to book with no reviews

[Benita21]

I’m new to hosting and rely heavily on past reviews from previous hosts. Having said that how do you feel hosting families with 0 reviews. Any problems, etc

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Benita21 Everyone has to start somewhere and so yes we have taken guests with no reviews and had no problems. Now if it was a group that looked as if they were coming to party we would certainly reject their booking unless they has good reviews.

[Benita21]

Thanks for the input!  I guess you just have to go with your gut feelings!

[Lucy747]

I'm afraid I used to be of the view that everyone has to start somewhere until last August when I did exactly that in accepting a guest and friend for a week's stay.  The 2 turned out to be 7 and I had to call the police to evict them after they refused to leave.  Once the police went in, it was revealed that the 'guests' were in fact a countylines drug gang.  Locks had to be changed and we were quite literally terrified. The flat was destroyed and I had to cancel bookings that were due whilst we endeavoured to carry out the extensive repair works.  Airbnb's much bragged about damage scheme turned out to be completely inaccessible.  I am out of pocket by approximately £20,000 which 8 months later I am still trying to recoup from Airbnb.  There are hidden caps within the so called 'scheme' such as $500 on lock changes $500 on cleaning - which all sounds adquate but once a drug gang has been through your house it is anything but.  Then it becomes impossible to speak to anyone actually dealing with your claim.  I have permanently been told that someone will call me but no one ever does.  Needless to say, we have withdrawn both properties from Airbnb, placed them with an agent with a comprehensive insurance package with a reputable insurer who then places them on other platforms. We're now making more money than we ever did before and are considerably safer. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news but I learnt the hard way that Airbnb's validation of guests is not adequate and their damages scheme is hollow.  Police have subsequently advised us that UK county lines drug gangs have been using Airbnb to set up new bases in cities partly because their validation is so useless that anyone can book.  So if you do contineu then I'd advise: 1) do not use instant booking 2) if you get a booking from someone with no reviews - ask a lot of questions and if in even the slightest doubt do not accept. 

[Huma0]

@Benita21 

Yes, I have always accepted guests with no reviews because we all have to start somewhere. When I first started hosting, I had never stayed in an Airbnb myself, but doesn't mean I would have been a bad guest.

While reviews can be helpful, they are not the be all and end all. My worst ever guests were the couple with the most reviews I had ever seen (around 25 of them), all positive and a 5* rating across the board. I would not wish them on my worst enemy. I have hosted many problematic guests who have had a lot of positive and no negative reviews. On the other hand, I've hosted lots of wonderful guests with no reviews (sometimes newbies can be quite appreciative. They are so excited for this new adventure and mindful to make a good impression and get their first great review). You get good and bad in both categories.

To me, the guest's communication is far more important to me than how many reviews they have. You can often spot red flags here that you shouldn't ignore. Or, you can really set up expectations via the correspondence to ensure a smoother stay.

In my experience, the guests who often turn out to be problematic are the ones that ask questions about their wants and needs but are just not responsive/ignore messages when you ask them any questions. It's all about them and they just assume that you will be happy to get a booking. Why should they tell you anything about themselves? Why should they read the listing properly? They are paying and therefore you should make their stay whatever it is that they WANT it to be regardless, of what's specified on your listing. Basically, they are entitled. 

Meanwhile, the guests who freely and unprompted, send a friendly message, tell you about themselves and the purpose of their stay, why they want to stay at your Airbnb and ask questions that are not already answered on your listing, tend to be great. They understand that it works both ways. They understand that it is your place and your decision RE who gets to stay there. They have read your reviews so they already know you will be a great host and they appreciate that.

[Benita21]

That makes me feel 100% better!  I had someone request to book with no reviews and I asked them some questions and no response. I reached out to them a couple times with no response so I declined them. I then had the same situation with 0 reviews and reached out to them for a little more info and they responded immediately. I allowed them to book!  

I feel better now - thanks for  responding !

[Kelly149]

I find that their style of communication is a greater indicator of success:

-are they asking or telling

-do they indicate familiarity with what is written in your listing

-do they tell you something about themselves and their plans

The subject of my most recent poor review (and a thread above this one in CC today) had 3 other 5* reviews, which didn't help, but if I'd followed my own advice about those 3 ideas above I'd have declined him and saved myself the headache.

PS I've had plenty of bad guests and many of them had previous 5* reviews. It is not a silver bullet