Are there warning signs you see that make you turn a guest request down?

[Erin443]

Hi delightful fellow hosts...

I'm interested in hearing if you've seen certain warning signs that alert you to a bad guest? For instance, now that you see these elements, you turn the booking down? I've seen enough of a pattern now to know that if they're brand new to Airbnb, have no verifications and they're urgent or pushy about wanting to check in really early that I'll decline the booking. After speaking with a couple of other local hosts, they've found the same issues. What are you seeing in your area that makes you wary of a potential guest?

Thanks for the input. I appreciate how supportive the community is here...

[Maia29]

Last minute bookings during the "off season" is a HUGE red flag #1! Also, guests that live in the same city/town, guests that message you really late at night (on their time zone), and guests that refuse to provide government ID and social media links. Guests also make fake social media accounts to hide their true identity (you'll notice that lot of drug users, not all by any means, have MULTIPLE social media accounts and no friends.

You're right as well about pushy guests. I find that the guests that are super pushy and bossy and want to check in as soon as possible are also many times, less than honorable guests.

Be VERY, VERY careful. I wouldn't want what has happened to me happen to you. I bend over backwards to try to make everyone happy and it just bites me every time.

[Erin443]

Maia, thank you so much for the input! I would not have thought about a couple of those red flags. I'm so sorry! It sounds like you had to deal with a terrible experience? 😞 It feels even worse when you try to go above and beyond doesn't it? 

[Jennifer1897]

Some red flags for me are...

-Local guest-Unless there is some home emergency, a local really shouldn't be needing alternate accommodations. They are likely looking for a spot to do something they wouldn't do in their own home

-People that are not properly verified. If it's just a name in the profile, I kindly ask them to upload their ID. If they decline, it's usually a red flag. 

-People who try to haggle on price-I price my accommodations fairly and competitively for the area. If I guest continues to ask for discounts or keeps saying they have a "budget," I politely decline them and wish them well.  These are more often than not the guest who will find reason to complain, as they are hoping to get the discount you would not agree to in the beginning. 

-Third party bookings-This one is quite obvious, but I am still surprised by people who ask.

-People with multiple poor reviews or a poor review with no positives to offset it- While this one seems obvious, sometimes it is not. If a guest has 20 glowing reviews and one negative, I will typically except them, as it seems it was an isolated incident, or they just didn't mix well with the host. However if someone has more than one negative or a negative with no positives to offset it, I will decline

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[Erin443]

Wow, people really try to haggle with you on price? Good lord, that's so skeevy! Especially since the point of Airbnb is an affordable option in a lovely place.

Thank you for the advice!

[Michelle2475]

I’ve negotiated my price twice - the first family stained the rug and left all of the windows and doors open upon departure. The second tried the cancel at the last minute claiming a family emergency and, when I said no, she admitted it was her friend’s emergency. I’m guessing her friends bailed out and she couldn’t afford it. Never again!

[Sarah977]

People who quite obviously haven't bothered to read or comprehend anything in your listing info. Like the one who sent me an Inquiry asking "So, is it only for 1 person?" when my listing title says "For Solo Traveler".

[Erin443]

Aahahahaha! I can just picture your expression, Sarah! I have wondered if anyone reads the listings...

[Rowena29]

@Sarah977   so like maybe like  he thought that  like meant   HANS  solo?

[Erin443]

Aahahahaha!

[Rowena29]

@Erin443 

I agree with all of the above, but I mostly agree with @Sarah977 

for me, it's all about communication.  I can take no profile pic, I can take a neg review ( within reason) I''ve never asked for a social media link and a request for a discount definitely gets up my nose (  i usually send a special offer with the price INcreased).  I also get edgy when they book for one and go on to say 6 people are staying. However I know  they'll probalby cancel on their own accord when i point out the extra fees that will be incurred adjusting the booking to reflect the actual number of guests.

For me it's the message - either initially - or the response ( or lack of) to questions I then feel I might need to ask ( I have IB)

I have a few pre bookings messages - they ask why the guest is staying, who else is coming, their approximiate arrival time  how they want the rooms set up and , what is the code word.  ( I have a code word hidden in the house rules)

If the guest says "hey my family and i are looking forward to a beach holiday. we agree to the house rules" I am immediately on alert, because this tells me that they haven't even READ the house rules that they've just said they agreed to, much less the scant pre booking message. ( and almost certainly not the listing description)

If however they say something like

"Hi Rowena we are new to airbnb and we really love the look of your home.  We are a family of 5 - myself and my wife, my mother in law and son and  daughter, adn if it is Ok with you, we will also bring our budgie.  We are just looking to relax before the years starts up and we hope to arrive around 2 pm.  Could we have all the  beds set up as queens please ( no singles).  The code word is gotcha ( very funny btw)  Can't wait to stay ,   regards...."     

Then for me that is enough.  Of course there's always a chance they could be charming bastards, and I suppose if I got a message like that form a guest with DIRE reviews I'd look further, but whenever I"ve received that type of brooking message, the guests have been stellar. Some have been brand new with no profile pic, some have been really old hands.   Soem of my best guests have been last minute request  but they took the trouble to explain WHY it was last minute which made sense to me.  My gut has been right 100% of the time so far...

[Erin443]

I love your script for the perfect guest!! And the code word idea to make sure they read your house rules is freaking genius. Thank you!

[Rowena29]

@Erin443 

Actually neither of those responses I gave WERE scripts - they were actual messages I have received.  I can't take credit for the code word idea I stole it from another (clever) host  - I think it might have been @Branka-and-Silvia0  so by all means re steal if your think it would be helpful

[Sean433]

There are many but the main concern is over locals booking. The guests who tend to cause most damage are locals.

Last minute/same day bookings from locals= NO from me

Long term bookings of 28 days or more from Locals = Potential for a squatter. What I do is, I tell them I can host them for 2-3 weeks at one home and then move them to another home (you can only do this if you have multiple listings or you can move them to a friend or acquaintance that operates an airbnb).

I am currently using this technique with a current local guest who has so far stayed at 2 places for over 30 days total.

Local booking for two days over the weekend is high risk and I usually turn them down 50% of the time

[Robert4572]

I wish I had read your message before today’s guest book this morning at 9:00, showed up late and the guy who was not the AirBnb member was so high and sketchy and couldn’t stop bouncing and bobbing!  My only addition is that this is the second such booking of this ‘type’.  in both cases they arrived by ‘a friend’ dropping them off!  The member booking only lives 20 minute north and it is a very rural small town just east of Toronto!  This is the type of stuff we hear about in big cities