Human/Sex Trafficking uptick in Airbnbs?

[Saba-and-Sekayi0]

This is a very important post, especially as human/sex trafficking is a significant world issue that everyone has to be vigilant of.

I would appreciate some feedback. Today I received a reservation request that I am instinctively suspicious of. The individual asked to call me, before being approved, and to do a walk-thru of my space. We do not do walk-thrus, especially during a pandemic, nor communicate outside of the Airbnb app, so that was a red flag however I proceeded to message the individual. Now I am being asked by the individual if it were okay to “have a massuse” come to my house. That is a glaring red flag to me, as that is a classic telltale sign of trafficking. I was advised to cancel the request and no longer engage with the individual, so I did just that and reported the user.

I've also read articles from the last year or so and it seems like human trafficking and pop-up brothels are becoming a growing concern for Airbnb hosts. I wonder what can be done for people like this to be stopped immediately? Looking for any other similar experiences or thoughts on this.

[Laura2592]

@Saba-and-Sekayi0 that's very odd.  Glad you canceled.  

We don't get a lot of requests like that because we are in the middle of nowhere but my friends who host in LA and San Francisco get them pretty often.  Also porn shoots disguised as "romantic weekends " and a whole camera crew shows up.

When possible an in person check in might help a host feel more comfortable about who or what is going on in their space. I know many hosts are shying away from contact with guests but if you are in a market that's a popular draw for this sort of activity it might help ease your mind.  Also not allowing single night stays seems to cut down on a lot of weirdness.

It is very important thats hosts are aware of this issue.  I 100% agree. 

[Saba-and-Sekayi0]

Great point, @Laura2592. It seems like this issue is happening for hosts near major cities, as we are nestled near Washington, DC ourselves. In-person meeting of guests is great thinking, but is so tricky given the pandemic.

Taking off the "single night" stays has been a game changer as well. We caught up to that during the spring and I'm glad we did. The first and last time we had it, we got an unpleasant guest and unruly night to say the least.

Thanks for your time and post!

[Anonymous]

@Saba-and-Sekayi0   I think you made the right decision by declining. It should be clear that no unregistered guests of any kind are permitted on to the property for any duration of time. But it also helps to have a few levels of backup. While self-check-in is a desirable convenience for many, an in-person check-in (from you or a nearby co-host) would help to identify discrepancies between the group size and identity represented in the request and who actually shows up. You can state on the listing that ID's will be checked and recorded upon arrival (as long as it's legal in your jurisdiction to do so). External cameras at the entrances - fully disclosed on the listing - are a huge help to hosts with these issues.

I would guess that most people seeking to use Airbnbs for criminal purposes are deliberately targeting listings that they perceive as unguarded - remote hosts, no surveillance, and the cover of legitimacy offered by a single-family home. If you make it clear in your description and your House Rules that you've got eyes on the property 24/7 and won't tolerate any shenanigans, you can at least avoid being seen as low-hanging fruit.

Were there to be a trafficking situation in the property, some plausible deniability would be an issue. Your basis for forcibly removing the guests would have to be a violation that you can prove (e.g. unregistered guest policy) rather than a hunch.

[Saba-and-Sekayi0]

Wow, this is excellent!!! THANK YOU so much for all of this, Andrew. We're going to really abide/implement  your expert tips and strategies. Much appreciated.

[Ann72]

GORGEOUS place, @Saba-and-Sekayi0!  I would suggest either taking @Laura2592's suggestion of a 2-night minimum or raising your price.  I think you'd be fine at $109 a night or more.  Raising the rate could put off someone seeking what you suspect, because it would cut down their profit.

[Laura2592]

@Ann72  I could not agree more. We started out at a low price and it was a huge mistake. We have had better guests and more bookings at a higher price point. You don't want to be a "bargainBnB" because it does not necessarily attract people who leave the place in good shape or conduct themselves appropriately. 

[Saba-and-Sekayi0]

Thank you so much, Ann! I really love what you are suggesting here. I've been debating on raising pricing for a few months, and this is confirmation for sure. I'll definitely be doing that today.

[Saba-and-Sekayi0]

By the way, congrats on being at level 10 Ann! I have no idea how we can get there, but we will!

[Ann72]

@Saba-and-Sekayi0  You're already clearly a Level 10 host, which is a lot more important than being a Level 10 here!  But just be very liberal with you "likes" and you'll get there in no time!  😂

[Sarah977]

@Saba-and-Sekayi0  The levels shown here on the forum have nothing to do with anything aside from one's activity on the forum- number of posts you make, how many thumbs up you get. They don't have anything to do with your hosting account. They have nothing whatsoever to do with one's hosting prowess or level of expertise, although it tends to be true that the more one participates in the forum, the more knowledgeable you become about hosting issues by reading all the varying experiences reported here.

So someone could have been hosting for 8 years and have all 5* ratings, yet appear here as Level 1 because they have never posted on the forum before. And someone who's only been hosting for 6 months could be a level 10 if they're on here all the time and as chatty as some of us 🙂

Which is not to say that @Ann72 here isn't experienced, successful and quite knowledgeable 🙂

[Ann72]

@Saba-and-Sekayi0  You are going to be so much happier with higher prices!  @Laura2592 and I can attest to that!

[Huma0]

I once had a lady try to instant book my listing for herself and two teenage girls. She was unable to, so contacted me. This was an easy one to turn away as I don't accept under 18s and the listing is for max two people anyway, but she was so persistent, wouldn't leave me alone and tried to IB again by changing the reservation to two adults, despite me already saying no to her stay. She still couldn't book it, so there must have been something going on with her profile, e.g. a negative rating.

Anyway, there was something really off about this woman's communication. She wasn't a relative of the two girls but didn't really explain her relationship with them or why she was travelling with them all the way from Asia. When I stressed that I don't take under 18s, she said that the one girl was 17, so it "didn't matter", and the other was 14, but was tall, so "no one would notice".

I would not have taken the booking anyway due to the ages and number of guests, but was I right to feel uncomfortable about the reasons for this trip, or just being paranoid?

[Mark116]

@Huma0  You were probably just being paranoid, like the OP here, who seemed to have thought that the people in her unit were trafficking a missing girl, when it was their daughter.  That said, people who are willing to openly and brazenly flout your rules, e.g. 17 is like 18 and 14 is also like 18 if they are tall.....are people who are going to flout other rules and then self justify, whether they're doing something actually illegal or not, you don't want to host them. 

[Huma0]

@Mark116 

Yes, you are probably right. I just felt it odd that someone travelling long distance with two minors might mention the reason, e.g. "I'm taking my god daughters on holiday," or whatever. I could have tried to get this information out of her, but didn't want these guests anyway, also for the reasons you mention.

I was SO annoyed when she changed the booking to 2 adults and tried to IB again, after I had firmly told her, NO, NO, NO. Her attitude seemed to be that it was not my choice who stayed in my house but hers. I'm a live in host for pete's sake! Honestly, the nerve of some people.

When I still hosted short-term guests, I often got requests from parents travelling with their children. They would try to persuade me to make an exception and some got really angry, even abusive, when I turned them away, even though it's clearly stated on the listing. I had to change the wording to "I do not accept under 18s under any circumstances."