@Lois-and-Darryl0
I am annoyed that Airbnb choose to heavily promote a form of protection that in reality does not exist!
I am annoyed because countless thousands of hosts around the world do not adequately protect themselves, because they are led to believe by Airbnb that they don't have to!
What is even worse is that Airbnb users in a multi dwelling development not only void their own insurance, they void the insurance for the entire development by short term renting! They alter the scope of the insurance risk!
As to those nightmare experiences here are a few things that you need to be aware of before accepting a booking.
"My parents and I want to have a nice night to celebrtate my graduation!" A jukebox and 50 teenage tearaways later this listing has holes in the walls, vomit everywhere, a scorch mark in the kitchen benchtop, and a few windows broken!
Hey we have heard it before but I have to mention it again.....this 'lovely young thing' who made the booking wouldn't by any chance have been a local would she???
There are two golden rules which catch so many up here! You never, but never take bookings from locals. People who want to party do not stray far from home to do it......and when the boss wants a 'bit on the side' he is not going to travel across state borders to get it. I have seen enough posts here on this forum to suggest that local bookings represent an un-acceptable risk. All the instances of major damage and major theft have come from letting to local 'guests'!!
The other rule which can catch a host out...." I took a late booking from what seemed like a nice woman needed just one night, she informed me her partner would come and collect keys mid afternoon"!
Was this a short notice 'Instant book' ?? People who just pop up out of the woodwork with no specific schedule or plans in mind and book 'for the next night just on a whim' will with 100% certainty cause you some major issue....and this mostly comes about through Instant Book.
It is better to turn off instant book, refresh your page once a week to keep it up the order and suffer a slight drop in bookings than have to pick up the pieces when thousands of dollars worth of damage has been done to your lovely listing.
That lovely young girl....that dapper looking boss..... do not give a **bleep** about what they leave behind...and neither will Airbnb! It's all about them, not about you!!!
The third enormous red flag is that enquirer who wants to haggle over some aspect of your listing! They may want a better price, they may want to see it before booking,...they may want a guaranteed parking space....they may want a room on the east side of the house so they don't get the afternoon.....boing!!! The instant someone want to book with conditions decline their enquiry. They are not like a fine wine....they do not get better with time. They will become more and more demanding until you will give them their money back just to get them out of your life.
And lastly, document well every aspect of your listing preparation prior to the guest arriving. I have a comprehensive checklist which I tick, date and photograph which, in part, is to make sure I don't forget to do something, but also to let the guest know, this will not be the listing to try out for a freeble with some concocted complaint. We are seeing more and more of this lately! The guest will say, the Wifi was broken, the aircon didn't work, there was a mess in the kitchen sink, they slipped over on a banana skin left by the bed! And to Airbnb's damnation, they go along with these concocted complaints and refund the guests money.....so you know what is going to happen the next time that 'guest' wants to travel don't you?.......Document everything!!!
After a while you spot these signs very quickly and although it does you no favours by repeatedly declining, it's far better to loose a booking or two than have to go through the heartbreak of putting your lovely property back together again, or having to refund some 'turkeys' money that you never wanted to host in the first place!
Lois and Darryl, love yr work...keep it going!!
Cheers.....Rob