Hello. I'm a new host on Airbnb. I listed the mother-in-law suite in my home, which is fully furnished, separate, with a separate entrance. I provide guests with a self check-in option via electronic locks. The suite is still part of my home, so I am very cautious about who I allow to stay. I do not use automatic booking, instead I accept requests from guests and chat with them before I accept them. I try to avoid headaches, and have denied requests to people who lied about the number of guests they were bringing, as well as those who submitted requests coupled with a discount request. So far, so good. A few privacy matters have arisen. First, a guest last week indicated on her reservation that she was traveling alone. This is one reason why I accepted her--thinking she would likely be a quiet guest. When I saw a different young woman accessing the electronic keypad, I asked who she was. This young woman told me that she was the cousin of the booking guest. I asked where the booking guest was, and the cousin replied--"She's still driving here. I took an Uber." So, I let the cousin inside. Three hours later, the booking guest arrived, and apologized for the confusion. No problem. However, the booking guest checked out nearly four hours before her cousin. I had no idea whether the cousin was familiar with my house rules, or how to even communicate with this person. I was about to let the housekeeper go upstairs and clean when I saw that the guest's car was gone. Fortunately, I texted the guest to see if she had indeed checked out. She told me that she left for the airport due to an early flight, but her cousin was staying until the checkout time (hours later). I'm glad I checked, but I find it problematic for guests to share passwords with their guests who are not on the reservation. Airbnb did not think this was concerning.
The next issue is with my current guest. He booked for two. No problem. I also have a house rule that only guests who are on the reservation are allowed in the suite. While he didn't bring another person into the suite, he did invite some person to my home. He met this person in my driveway, where they spoke for a while before leaving. I know this doesn't sound like much, but I don't know who that guy was, but now he knows that my home is an Airbnb listing. He also knows what I have indoors, thanks to the pictures. I'm just concerned about guests casually sharing information about my home that, if falling into the wrong hands, could create problems. I would prefer if Airbnb vetted each guest, not just the booking guest, and also made it clear that personal information like electronic entry passcodes and addresses are not to be shared with non-guests. The Airbnb rep I spoke with encouraged me to post my concerns in this forum.
Thanks for any insight you can lend.
