Carefully consider who you will accept as AirBnb will not have your back. I may totally be ahead of myself as I have not had the guest yet but this is more about AirBnb policies.
I have Instant Book turned on but I got a booking request as the guest had a bad review and due to that instead of an Instant Book it became a request. I asked for an explanation and I was okay with the response. Not thrilled but lets say I felt kind that day and gave them a second chance per their answer. I didn't want to make them feel like I was interrogating them but perhaps I should have and maybe I would have declined. After the booking is confirmed, the profile photo shows a photo of the video game. Well now this has added to the concern as my settings do require a profile photo and as far as I know it must be a face per Airbnb policy even tho they don't require it but hosts can. I live in the same unit, so it's comforting to know who is coming. I immediately contacted the guest and asked them to upload a photo of themselves. 24 hours later they have not done so, so now I'm even more uncomfortable. So I contacted Airbnb as the following help article referred me to If a guest's profile photo doesn't contain the guest's face and, for example, contains only a cartoon, an avatar, or a picture of something other than a person, you can cancel penalty-free by contacting Airbnb. (https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/2377)
Secondly, I also referred to this cancellation policy but here is where my situation is falling through their policy:
If a Host uses Instant Book, they may be able to cancel for additional valid reasons without consequences under certain circumstances. Some examples include:
The guest has several unfavorable reviews or a lack of profile information that concerns the Host (Hosts will be able to cancel Instant Book reservations online three times in one year for these reasons—after that, they’ll have to contact us to cancel without consequences.
Because of the guest's previous negative review, it was no longer an Instant Book even tho I have the Instant Book setting on. Additionally, the profile picture doesn't show up after the booking is confirmed. So basically I can't claim the lack of profile information as I approved the booking, even tho the profile picture wasn't available prior to booking, which makes the profile incomplete after booking.
Mind you I have never canceled during my couple years of hosting, except once when a water pipe bursted.
AirBnB's response was that the reservation could be canceled penalty-free (meaning no fee), but the calendar would be still blocked for that time frame and I would not be eligible for a Superhost status during the next valuation. How is this penalty-free? I mean English is not my first language but pretty sure that penalty-free means more than financial penalty.
Additionally, I have asked the guest to remedy and I'm now so uncomfortable not knowing who the person is especially because of that one negative review. AIrBnb policy makes it look like they will support the host but that is not the reality. So basically per my understanding, I can cancel a booking without consequences after Instant Book if no actual face profile picture is available (given that my settings require a profile picture in order to book) as it will fall under an incomplete profile but will not be able to cancel consequence-free if not an Instant Book, even tho a profile picture requirement is on and it will be available after the booking is accepted. None of it makes no sense.
AirBnb representative said I need to add the photo requirement to my house rules indicating exactly that it has to be of guest's face. I did not get an answer to the following question if this above written rule really falls under the breaking house rules category and I can ask to cancel a booking consequence-free?
I highly doubt this as I have had a hard time enforcing my house rules before with Airbnb as the representative's response is that you can write up anything in there and we can't enforce them as those are not Airbnb rules. Yet their article about house rules says: Your house, your rules, and Airbnb will stand by them. Not the case per my experience as I have really had to fight tooth and nail, especially about extra guest fees even if I have video footage and even if a guest has admitted to extra people in AirBnb messages. At this point, I'm not even bothering about the extra guest fee enforcement if the guest doesn't pay voluntarily. It's just not worth it.
But well I learned my lesson and I guess I'll be uncomfortable for a week, never ever will I give second chances even if the slightest hint of a red flag is up because once you have accepted that booking there is no return unless the host wants to be penalized heavily. Perhaps the guest will be totally okay and that will be the best outcome in this scenario but for AirBnb support, yeah...lets say that every day I feel more and more that they are not supporting the host at all and are forcing hosts to be uncomfortable because of the penalties, and not even one-time forgiveness for something that I did not do wrong. It's either I'll obey to AirBnb or I become homeless. Yes, I could do long-term rent but I have lots of family in Europe and it's nice for them to have a place to stay between guests as I couldn't do so with long-term tenants.
Well, stay sane while navigating Airbnb policies that take away from hosts more and more with every update. In a few years, hosts will probably be penalized even if the pipe bursts as it will inconvenience the guest and the host should have had their pipes inspected regularly to avoid such incidents, etc. Obviously sarcasm but I wouldn't be surprised.
Thank you for reading my venting. And fingers crossed that my guest will be pleasant. At least I know to take tons of photos before they arrive as the previous review was about damage.
