New host - request to stay from someone with confusing references

Chris13135
Level 2
London, United Kingdom

New host - request to stay from someone with confusing references

Hello - I am very new host so nervously getting ready to accept people in to my home for the first time!  I have a had a request for a 2-week stay and all seems legit: this person has recent references, all positive except for one one negative from 2016 (it's bad), but all good since then.  At the same time these references use the person's name, but while most say "he" there are a couple that say "she".    This could be a language issue (or even faulty predictive text), but it would be useful to know if that acts as a red flag to anyone and what you'd recommend.  I'm totally happy to host a she, he, non-binary, T+ etc. so this is just about what to infer from references (there's also that one bad one that seems totally out of sync with more recent).  Thanks in advance for advice!

19 Replies 19
Chris13135
Level 2
London, United Kingdom

@Ann72 Thanks for the advice about rates, very helpful.  I may have missed the discount! All good points 🙂

Chris232
Level 10
Petersfield, United Kingdom

@Chris13135 

 

a 2 week stay would automatically raise a red flag for me.

 

I have recently had numerous 2 week requests from new and seasoned travellers which I follow up with questions;

a) where they are coming from

b) if their intention is to use my room for the purpose of the 2 week isolation period

They finally come clean and admit it is for isolation purposes.

I can not risk my guests nor myself the risk of exposure to Covid-19, so automatically decline the request

 

Stay safe

Helen350
Level 10
Whitehaven, United Kingdom

..... On the plus side, If they're isolating, then they're not rampaging round the Capital, mixing with many, contracting the disease & bringing it back, @Chris232 ?! - Plusses & minuses!

@Helen350 Yes, and also I guess no late-night dinner parties or surprise sleepovers :).  

Thanks @Chris232 - in this case the requester was upfront about needing to quarantine and that side is OK for me, there are no other guests and no-one here will be at risk.  I do also have enough space for them to isolate completely.  But a fair point going forward!