Long-term booking request. Things looks fishy. I have concerns... any advice?

[Andrea2477]

Hello everyone, I usually don't post on the group but I would really go with some help this time.

I'm a SuperHost in London and here is the story.

A month ago I received a message from a guest who lives 10 minutes from my house (or so she said) in Clapham South, enquiring on the availability of my flat for 3 months starting from September and if it was possible to see the place. I don't live in London anymore but it just happened that I was travelling there for a few days so we met and I showed the apartment: she looked around and she confirmed her interest. I should have taken the opportunity to ask more question but in the end the only thing I asked was why she needed a place for three months if she lives already nearby and the answer was that she needed a place to stay while she figured out what to do next.

I had bookings until the end of September and therefore I asked if she would take it from October. After a week, she came back saying yes... and when I pointed out that that would end the booking around Christmas, she asked if it was ok to book it until January.

You would say... AMAZING!!! However I can't get my head around why anyone who lives locally would ever pay a premium for a booking on AirBnB. My place goes for £100-110 a day but I offer a 30% discount for bookings longer than 1 month. Still that's probably £1000 more than the long-term rent for a similar property in the area. I would understand a booking of 1 month while searching for a long-term accommodation, but 3-4 months at a premium price?!

I feel something is fishy here... Am I being paranoid?

What could go wrong?

Trash my place?

Make up excuses to get money back from AirBnB?

Did anyone have a similar experience?

Any advice?

Thanks a million.

[Helen3]

Won’t that take you over the legal limit for STR’s in London @Andrea2477 

Also I don’t agree with your analysis about longer term lets in the UK. 

You can do a long term lease for three months, take a deposit credit check tenants, take up previous landlord and employment references. I wouldn’t do a long term let without doing this. You can’t do this through Airbnb. How do you know she won’t try and sub-let? 

[Andrea2477]

---

@Helen3 wrote:

Won’t that take you over the legal limit for STR’s in London @Andrea2477 

---

 No... only short-lets shorter than 90 days counts towards the 90 days annual limit rule.

Re the long term lease of three month option, if your tenant stops paying the rent after the first month you won't be allowed to evict them before 6 months have passed. That the standard AST lease agreement that everyone does.

Re won't sub-let... I'm not sure how would you know either case... AirBnB or normal long term lease.

[Ute42]

.

@Andrea2477 

Flat out: I don't understand You.

You've met Your potential guest in person, You talked to her, You have a personal impression on how she comes across and You had all the time to ask her all kind of questions, and now You ask us for advise?

You wrote: „I should have taken the opportunity to ask more questions“. That's a real good point, bc the only question You asked was „why she needed a place for three months if she lives already nearby“ and she said „she needed a place to stay while she figured out what to do next.“

Andrea, what kind of an answer is this? This is a no-answer, she's simply refusing to answer Your question. Why didn't You ask more? What happened really - did she lose her dwelling, did she get fired from her job, family issues, relationship broke up or what?

You were standing right in front of this person and for a months long rent You were ok with the answer she needs to figure out what to do next?

Adrea, You pretty much screwed up the vetting process and now You come to us asking what we think. We didn't meet this person, You did. What do You think?

I don't understand You.

[Andrea2477]

Flat out: no need to be harsh.

Yes, I came here asking for opinions... because it's by sharing knowledge and experiences that you can learn from others. What's the point of this discussion board otherwise?

The longest booking I've ever had was for no more than two weeks... so yeah... I probably didn't handled the situation the best way possible because I had no experience.

Just to clarify... She did say that she was looking for accommodation because of a breakup with her boyfriend... and I'm running a full set of background checks and references with her job and previous landlord. I'm not stupid... but because I'm facing a new different challenge, I was hoping to share MY mistakes so that they maybe can be useful for someone else who will face the same challenge in future for the first time. And maybe learn by someone who went through this already.

What's wrong with it?

On top of it... I also wanted to highlight how in UK there are no adequate laws to protect hosts/landlords who receive requests for stays longer than a month, but shorter than six. AirBnB doesn't offer the kind of legal protection that an AST agreement gives on normal lettings, and the AST itself is not suitable for letting shorter than 6 months. A gap that leaves hosts and landlords exposed to unnecessary risks.