On Penalizing Hosts for Rejecting Unsuitable Guests

[Kevin-s0]

So many guests don’t bother to read the listing. So many are naive about how to get around in Japan and how long it takes. And Airbnb penalizes hosts for rejecting bookings. If you reject more than average your ranking in the listings goes down. So in effect you encourage hosts to accept as many as possible - or be penalized. I feel this is detrimental. Hosts shouldn’t be penalized if guests have children but still inquire about a listing that doesn’t accept children. That’s the guests fault. But if the host rejects them, that goes into their rejection total. Or a listing that is too far for them to get to in one day. Same thing, the host is encouraged to accept them or be penalized. But hosts are caught between your rules and naive guests. I get a disproportionate number of non-English speakers. I feel hosts like me are penalized for trying to do a good job. I understand you are trying to prevent racism. But in effect you encourage hosts to accept guests they shouldn’t as they may be penalized otherwise. Some hosts get around this by accepting guests, then discouraging them from coming. It’s a waste of everyone’s time.

[Francisca16]

It's mind bogling how guests rate hosts for the most mundane stuff. A guest checked in on Hallowwen day, dropped his bags and hit the party scene on Manhattan. He didn't get back until the wee hours. The next evening, he left again clubbing and came back very late. I did not complain because guests have their separate entrance. The following day he left and came back in the afternoon and quickly packed up his stuff to catch a flight. He told me he was grateful my place was close to the airport and he could just hop on the train and be at the airpot within 25mins.

This guy praised my hospitality, and clean environment in his reiew, but gave me 3s because my place was 1:20 mins to Manhattan. I live in Queens for Christ sake! I stated it in my listing that it takes 1:15 mins to Manhattan and 30 mins to JFK by train. There should have a balancing act! What about the fact that it took him only 25 mins to JFK at only $8.50. Why punish me because of my location when he could heva gotten himself a room in the city. He chose my place because it was cheaper and close to JFK. I am still upset about his review.

[Carla97]

I agree!  I live 25 minutes out of the city of Vancouver.  I make this fact very clear.  I get rave reviews and then get 3 or 4 stars due to location.  Totally not fair! Then I get the standard Airbnb response "We cant change your location, please change your description".  In this day and age, with GOOGLE maps etc. guests need to READ and do their homework. If they are too lazy, then dont blame the host; accept the consequences. 

[Kevin-s0]

Carla I agree.  Same here!  We are near Hakone but not in Hakone and I state that, and I answer questions saying the same but we also get low ratings for location at times.

I`m from Tsawwassen originally by the way.  Nice to hear from someone back home!

[Edwin57]

I agree with every host but yes but it really doesn't matter, what works give them the descriptions though the Airbnb message board,keep in mind some people can't read

[Andrea9]

@Kevin-s0

I've found a method that has worked well for me if they want something I don't/can't offer and they haven'y read the listing properly:

I respond that my listing does clearly mention XXXXX which they seem to have missed, thus making their wishes not a good fit for it. And would they please cancel their request for that reason. It always surprises me that most of them comply.

[Kevin-s0]

Thank you Andrea, I`ll try that.  I like the part about asking them to cancel their request.  Thus not affecting your ranking with Airbnb.

I had no idea that rejecting inquiries could affect my ranking.  I was pretty upset when I found that out.  As I felt I shouldn`t have been penalized for people who were not suited for the listing (hadn`t read it properly etc.)

[Noot-and-Steven0]

I just put really important things in bullet points in the free form House Rules.  Guests now have to agree to these rules before they complete the booking.   Things like this... 

"By accepting these rules I understand and agree to the following.  And I understand that if I break these rules my reservation will be subject to immediate cancelation by Airbnb with no penalty to the host."

"I understand that this apartment is 2 hours away from the airport and I'm responsible for taxi to and from the airport"  "I understand and agree there is no smoking/drinking in the apartment" etc... 

If you host enough you'll eventually get an occasional irresponsible/sociopath guest (about .01% in my experience).  It's much better to quickly escalate to Airbnb and have them cancel the stay rather than give the crazy guest a chance to leave a scathing review.  I've had to have the police escort one crazy guy out an hour after check-in but it was well worth it.  Unfornutatully I think you need to do this within 24 hours of check-in, otherwise the guest can still leave a review even after the stay has been canceled by either party. 

[Akos2]

Hi !

First off, I'm sorry for my english 🙂

Honestly, I do not understand such behavior. For me there is no personal color, or origin. Every guest I welcome always with open arms. 

[Michael1253]

The hotel trade is a very dangerous one especially in this day and age.

You cannot check luggage.  You cannot employ highly observant members of staff who think it is all a question of smiling and letting them all in.  It is also a question of knowing that anyone can come in through that door and put everyone else at risk.

The role of the professional innkeeper is to ensure that only those suitable to share space with others are allowed in.  Drunks, Prostitutes and Drug Peddlars have to be discouraged or lose all the other clients.  Now we have arsonists and others with uninspiring intentions etc.  -   a  very difficult job.  Add capable night staff with street knowledge and  it all becomes far too expensive.  Yet many small hotel owners give keys to their guests (to save on night staff which falls asleep in any case) who during the night can bring in their own guests and not just charge but create nocturnal bases for many a delincuency.  How much do the agencies know of these risks ?  -  absolutely nothing. The right to refuse is sacred and must be done with great delicacy with no room at the Inn response.  Some may suffer as a consequence who were just too tired to speak properly, but would they be happy to learn that there is no security on board and that they cold quite easily end up with a knife on their throats or fire licking at the doors with no room to escape except to through a fourth floor terrace   ?

The time is now to enable Innkeepers to reduce their overheads with real outside services at low cost including drastic fiscal reductions on overheads and social security payments which in Spain represent together with all other union introduced costs of about 1000 euros per month for each 1000 euros of net salary   -  not fair at all to turn private investment into state contributions especially against a market that already provides touristical expenditure in dozens of other sectors. 

[John867]

Well,Yes, I got penalized for rejecting a booking from a guy booking a short break ,across two weeks ,booking in 2 dogs--when my spec. says,no short breaks in August,August is start day of Saturday,and we only can allow one dog.

I had no alternative but to cancel to avoid a possible loss of near £1k.

Also not too happy with AirBB when they ask punters to find a reason to critize the place.Obviously one is not complaining about the views of visitors.In one case a visitor said the place and us hosts were wonderful,however kind of under pressure to say how the place/hosts could improve,went on to add, but the 40 yd drive and turnaround could be difficult for some drivers--really will put off many.Yet the visitors had the biggest SUV seen and needed  one another to move the thing in the drive way--they were small could nt see over the bonnet/hood!!

Another said the weather was better nearer the coast!

[Michael1253]

It is sad to hear such dribble coming from clients and  reminiscent of the old union tea break days by the second which  offered nothing but excuses to show employers their tinpot power.  In the hotel context it is to make staff apologize fro charging for a service.  I was hounded by one client who went on  to tamper with the tv wiring and programmes which after resetting three times, eventually led to him throwing it on the floor and acusing me through Booking.com that I had told him that he came to rest and enjoy his bed not to spend his holiday time watching television.  I had simply said that there were other better things to do than mess around with television sets.  I got myself off Booking. com for daring to print such rubbish and spread the word around the net. 

There is no service really available for other than  those who appreciate effort put into their security and well being.  A good clean cut with people who do not respond to what is acceptable with people we want to meet, is necessary and always at the outset.  With the agencies, you get the same person who has just told you in effing words what he thinks of our establishment over the phone booking and on being told that there was no room available, hurriedly getting in through the agency out of spite and threatening more problems.  A nightmare in the making. 

[Becky9]

I thought if you have an INQUIRY, you only need to reply yes or no within the time window to avoid penalty. I always give a reason, so I have a paper trail. Turning down a booking for a legitimate reason (i.e. you don't allow kids) doesn't penalize you. Am I wrong? 

If you need to CANCEL, asking the guest to cancel on their end, if it is their error doesn't seem unreasonable to me. Superhosts lose their status for a year if they cancel, but I have asked a guest to cancel, so I don't incur the penalty. Once I had to cancel for an urgent reason, but when I called Airbnb to explain, they waived the penalty.

[Kailey0]

Inquires you techincally only have to reply to the message within a certain amount of time. I don't believe you have to even decline or accept them ever. 

For Requests you have to reply with yes or no within 24 hours. 

For airbnb whenever you decline someone you get penalized and your listing gets futher back in the search, which doesn't make sense what so ever. 

Cancelling is a whole different thing. Cancelling someones approved booking shows on your stats to the renter. It will tell them how many people you have cancelled on, and it also gives the person you cancelled on permission to give you feedback, and if they don't it will still show up in your feedback that you cancelled their booking. 

[Kailey0]

This subject still really bothers me. I still feel like we shouldn't be penalized for declining guests. 

This is why we haven't turned on the Instant Booking.. So we cant to make the correct people are booking our place. 

Just this week alone I have had 2 different groups try and book my place for a bachelorette even thought is states VERY clearly that there is no parties/events allowed at my place. How come I am getting penalized for someone requesting my place without fully reading my listing. Airbnb really needs to rethink this! makes no sense. 

At the end of the day I own this place not airbnb, and if I want to decline someone I will. 

ok my rant is over hehe

[Rosemarie9]

Exactly!

I try to make intelligent decisions with requests so as to not get in a difficult position later with abusive difficult people. I live alone and have two guest suites so am conscious of other guests being safe as well as myself. I have been put in a few very difficult situations and airbnb are no where to be seen. Ultimately it is our home and safety that is in question.