@Niki24
Niki, the world is full of window shoppers. It is most unwise to offer anything other than a pre-approval to potential guests.
This 'student' probably asked for a pre-approval from a dozen hosts before finally settling on one....and frankly I think that host will come to regret their decision to host this student!
Niki, people who 'haggle' do not make good guests, you are much better off declining them!
I would suggest you pay a bit more attention to the detail of an enquiry!
I analyse thoroughly the way the enquiry has been worded or the Instant booking message has come to me.
If someones says...."We have seen your nice photos and your reviews and are looking forward to staying for a day or two!"
Niki, I don't want to dig any more, I just want to hit that accept tab.....They have come to me in a passive complimentary way and I am sure they will make good guests.
When they come to me with a request like....We are in your area for 'something or other', is there off street parking? what cooking facilities are there, can we invite a friend for a drink....I want to do a lot more digging, I want to see what their past reviews have been like, what have other hosts thought of them....they have come to me in an aggresive fashion and I have found throughout my life that aggresive people are aggresive for a reason....and that reason is to suit themselves!
When they come to me with questions about information that is contained in the house rules, or they are enquiring about a discount, or they just want to 'haggle' over some aspect of the listing or other....decline is really the only satisfactory option.
This type of enquiry comes from people who are used to getting their own way and it is a form of powerplay for them! The more they weaken your ground by bending a bit here or there, the more they strengthen their own and Niki, they are not like a bottle of fine wine, they don't improve as they go along.
I have had 110+ hostings and I have had the most amazing collection of wonderful people walk up my drive and into my life.
But I accept/decline by my experience and a keen sense of cunning. The one time I deviated in that 110 hostings was just recently and I offered a discount to help a guest! I have had cause to regret that decision!
If you give them the opportunity guests will jerk you around, analyse every request. there are of course the ultimate red flags....Locals, Parties, Pets....some will say third party bookings, but I have not had a bad run with wives who have booked for travelling husbands, a daughter giving her mother a weekend away! I know it is not ABB policy but third party booking do not represent disaster for a host.
This is turning into a bit of an epic so I will just conclude by saying, if you read between the lines when these requests come, your chances of being 'jerked around' are really minimal!
Cheers....Rob