There are a lot of hosts who post about difficult situations here. I am always struck that there seem to have been indications in many cases that the guest may not have been a match, but the host missed or overlooked the red flag. I thought it might be helpful to list questions you get that make your "spidey sense" tingle. Now not all of these mean you are about to have a bad experience, but perhaps this will help you weed out those who aren't the perfect fit for your space.
"How many people can stay here?" Red flag because that is listed in the reservation. They didn't read, or they are having a party. And if they didn't read, they didn't read your rules 🙂 Most hosts have pretty clear occupancy limits. Many guests like to stretch those.
"Do you allow pets?" Also, that is clearly listed. If you don't, you don't.
"Will you make an exception for my non-shedding very sweet and well trained dog?" Again, if you don't allow pets that is stated. The guilt trip questions about the sweetest, best behaved dog in the world don't bode well.
"Will you make an exception for ...."(fill in the blank.) Normally if the interaction starts this way, there is a long list of exceptions you will be asked to make and you will be frustrated by the end of the stay. This type of guest is better served with a reservation that fits what they are actually looking for, rather than one which they want to modify to their ideal standards.
"Do you offer discounts?" Bargain hunters are never a good sign. These guests will most often be those who try to get a free stay with a spurious complaint.
"Are you on-site?" Again, that is clearly stated in all listings (or should be. If its not in yours, make sure you are updating.) This is often code for "I would like to break rules and not get caught/maybe have a party."
"Can I have guests over during my stay? They aren't going to be there overnight." All hosts need to decide what level of access they want to give to strangers who are not paying to be at their property. Consider this one carefully.
"Can you have (specialized item) available for me during my stay /can this be purchased?" If it's something basic that many people might want (like an iron) or you were planning on getting one anyway, maybe consider it. It does start the stay off a bit oddly as the guest can clearly see what your amenities are. But I once had a guest whose life was about to end if she didn't get a specific kind of garlic press. Those kinds of high maintenance "must haves" really cross the line between guest stay and "this is my house and it needs to be stocked with my favorites...like Beyonce's contract rider for what she needs in her dressing room." I have seen hosts post on here that they purchased furniture to a guest's liking. Just say no. What you have on offer is stated.
"Do you have a pool?" Uh, if we did, you would see it listed. Again super obvious they have not read the listing in any way, shape or form.
"Can I check out late?" We actually don't care about this one as we don't do back-to-back reservations. But if you do, this is another guest boundary pusher. Your space may not be a fit.
What do you have to add, fellow hosts?
