Contacting Potential hosts? Pre-reservation host contact?

[Dennis969]

We will be in the Tampa area later this month and would like to walk through a few un-booked AIRBNBs  in the area to find the best match for us for Januarys in the years to come. We are and have been AIRBNB customers for several years. Our upcoming stay is an AIRBNB.    We are NOT expecting to walk through anything currently booked for that time period. But I see listings we'd consider if we could validate the safety factors, proximities, etc. while in the area.  So.......if there no way to chat with a potential AIRBNB host?  In advance...many thanks!!

[Till-and-Jutta0 · Accepted solution]

@Dennis969 Sure you can contact potential hosts before finishing the booking, by using the Contact Host button. However, for said safety reasons Airbnb is NOT encouraging hosts to provide any address details before booking, or allow guests to walk through homes not yet booked.

See https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/47

[Dennis969]

Thanks much!!!  

I will give it a try.....makes sense to me that in shopping for a nice upgrade for us...we could  see  a few open rentals inn the desired area.

While I can understand the eternal need for safety......I am willing to do what we can to ease those concerns.

Anyway.....thanks....the button I clicked on seem to point to a need to make a reservation in order to be able to send the host a note.

[Till-and-Jutta0]

Attention: There a two different buttons - don't confuse.

One is for a booking, the other one for an enquiry.

[Helen3]

As a host I wouldn't let you do this for a number of reasons @Dennis969 

1. Doing so is a safety risk for the host. You could be a burglar casing the property.

2. I would have to block out the viewing date so could lose a booking

3. It's against Airbnb's T&C quite rightly as people asking to do this are often trying to take the booking off Airbnb so that don't have to pay the booking fee.

4. I would have to pay for an extra clean if I let you look around the property.

5. You don't need to see the inside of the Airbnb before booking your trip millions travel safely with Airbnb and other short term rentals without doing so.

If you only want to use properties you can visit in advance why not do a direct booking with a hosts that offer this and ask them if you can visit.