Pre-Booking Communication

[Michelle140]

Hello, I have someone who inquired for a three week stay. He would like to discuss on the phone more about the listing (and I also suggested visiting before booking also, since he is somewhat local), but Airbnb removes all phone numbers before booking. I think this is a reasonable request before such a long stay, but I don't think there is any way around this restriction. Any suggestions or tips? Thanks.

[Helen3]

Hi Michelle

Bnb do this for a good reason. It protects both the host and the guest.

Three weeks isn't a long stay at all and your guest should be able to glean all the information they need from your photos, description and interaction via email on BnB.

It's really not a good idea to suggest someone visits before they book. They will then know your address which present possible security issues.

Many experienced hosts would see someone who is local and wants your contact details as a 'red flag' and decline the booking. If they are local why do they need to stay in your home?

It's probably worth familiarising yourself with the rules of being a host to ensure BnB is the right site for you.

Good luck

Helen

[Michelle140]

Thanks for the response. I feel three weeks is pretty long for a shared space, ha. Closer to a housemate than a short visit. But it seems like Airbnb has support for situations when things are not working out for some reason or another (probably more supportive if it comes from the guest than the host). Also, I meant "local" as in the same state. He travels for work a lot in the spring and fall to different locations. This one would be a 3 hour commute if he stayed home. So he usually stays local to his job site as opposed to commuting six hours a day 😉 I'm sorry if I wasn't clear about that.