Guest Red Flags - Tips for New Airbnb Hosts:

[Jo191]

Hi Airbnb Community!

In the two years that I've hosted with Airbnb, I've had my share of nightmare guests. When I started hosting, I had zero experience, and quickly learned that Airbnb has no real way of pre-verifying if a guest is going to be good or bad. Airbnb provides a Name, maybe Photo, maybe Verification, and maybe some reviews, but it's really not enough.

Now that I've had a little more than 80 reservations with +100 guests, I learned that there was a common thread linking all my bad guest experiences. These "red flags" had been present the whole or presented themselves quite early in the process. Some of these are obvious, but some are less so, but each one of them is a strict 100% dealbreaker, do not pass go do not collect $200.  I'll decline and refer them to a local hotel or bed and breakfast. Because often enough, what they really want is a hotel but at airbnb prices. 

Obvious Deal Breakers:

1. No Reviews

2. No Picture

3. No Verification

4. Bad Review(s)

Additional Deal Breakers:

5. Asks for a discount

6. Asks to for an early check in and/or late check out/hold luggage, etc

7. Asks to bring more than the maximum guests

8. It becomes clear they have not read the house rules

How have you guys selected guests in the past? Has it changed? Do you guys have any deal breakers that have really helped?

[Therese76]

I totally agree. My first months guests were awesome, then things deteriorated. The last straw for me was ......... I will not talk about it. I called ABB so many times that I now know their script. I will never put my trust in a Coorporation again, at least not on purpose, but I will have to be vigilant (like Google, Facebook, etc (you know when it’s tough to find out who exactly is in charge, who is the owner, who is responsible)). I stupidly gave away my privacy and then put my trust into this Global Corporation, with the thought it would keep me safe. A Corporation!?!  It makes me sick-to-my-stomach to think how incredible stupid I was. But then again I was desperate (another thing I am unable to talk about). However, after being betrayed by entities that knowingly put me in harms way, I learned a very hard but powerful lesson. Who exactly is in charge of Airbnb??

[Suzanne302]

You can add my name, too, to the list of hosts who say the things on your list aren't necessarily dealbreakers. And my room can be as cheap as $40 per night.

Some of my BEST guests have been those with no reviews, although a bad review would be a deal breaker.

If they don't have a profile picture, I kindly ask them to upload one so I can verify the person making the reservation is the person who shows up. If they refused to do that, it would be a red flag.

Maybe some of us are just lucky. Or, as is probably moreso the case, nobody ever writes in this forum about all their amazing guests, only the bad guests get the publicity so it appears there are nothing but nightmare guests.

[Dee33]

The only deal-breaker here that I agree with is asking for a discount.

[David--Bubba0]

30 years (CPM) Certified Property Manager in the vacation rental biz (Hawaii, Taos Ski Valley) a few of my Guests dealbreakrs. (Remember long distance Hosts have distinclty different issues, expenses, procedures or problems than Owners who live on-site or nearby):

1. A Chinese couple who filled in all of the blanks (except the Airbnb does not have dropdown box choices) in Chinese symbols and no legible address, city and phone numbe.
2. Wanting to pay by "Company Check"  because boss is paying (Scam) for their stay.
3. Wanting to pay by check becuase they don't pocess a credit card. Huge red flag travelers have to process a credit card these days to do any signifacnt traveling. If they don't, why not?No credit card indicates many signs of irresponsiblity, lack of creditworthiness, inabilty to pay bills on time

[Dana279]

Ok I am experiencing something new with my third guest. She lives and works in the city and is renting my room out for a few days. She noted it would only be her and that her friend was simply helping her get her bags in. While out for a lunch meeting today, I got a notification from my security system about my camera being messed with. After watching the video, I see her walk around the house, notice the camera, move it so that it is facing more towards a wall, and down the hallway I see some guy walk out of the room and her try to him behind her. I have not confronted her yet and am not sure how. It says clearly in my house rules that unexpected guests will not be allowed. I already feel a little uneasy that she moved the cameras around and is being sneaky in my house. What do I do? PLEASE HELP! 

[Yulianna0]

@Dana0, you can contact your guest notifying her that you got alarm on your camera. You can ask her if she or someone have moved it occasionally? 

Other thing that you can do - is to contact HC directly asking for help. This person is not only breaking the rules bringing someone into the house but put your property in unsafe situation, moving cameras. Send them fotos or video from the camera. 

[Ursula117]

About a month ago I had a guest that checked off all 7 of your red flags.  Fortunately I discovered beforehand that he was planning to use my home to work as a prostitute.  An hour ago I got another booking  that was eerily similar.  I turned it down.  It seems to be de jour in my city that travellong prostitutes are using Airbnbs as preferable alternatives to hotels.  

[Brady---Shae0]

These are all deal breakers for us. Whenever we go against our own rules and accept someone who meets these criteria it almost always bites us in the butt.

[Debbie525]

Question.... I’m new to Airbnb and can’t figure something out.  Quests are booked, Airbnb states what I should receive in revenue from them, but  across from this is a price in red marked 300.00 approx less than the original total.   What is that all about?

[Stephen1004]

Maybe a payment plan? Or you have posted a promotion or weekly discount?

[Stephen1004]

Hope you got an answer.

[Samantha542]

As I have a new listing as a host (I Air BnB'd my previous house) I am only getting reservation requests from new users who have no reviews and nothing on their profiles for some reason. I feel like this is Air BnB penalising me for not doing Instant Book.  The requests I have had are from people who clearly don't have an understanding of Air BnB  (do i have my own bathroom, can i come tonight when i say 48 hours notice is required, can you keep the cat out of the house, and it goes on) most of who I have declined for this reason - meaning i then get penalised by Air BnB for declining. 

This makes it very difficult to feel safe in accepting reservations and unable to do anything about it. 

[Stephen1004]

My next 6 reservations are new-to-Airbnb reservations.  And I have instant book.  Wish me luck 🙂 

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Stephen1004 it'll be fine (on the balance of probability)