Guest wants to phone

[Kayla321]

Hi, I have a guest who sent an enquiry about a stay. The guest wants to phone and ask some questions before he books because he is staying for a long time and it will be a big booking. However, when I send my number Airbnb blocks it and he can't contact me until he has booked. What can I do?

[Brian2036]

@Kayla321 

You must communicate through the Airbnb message system before booking.

[Brian2036]

@Kayla321 

For a long term lease on a property as nice as yours I would suggest having the guest book through Airbnb for the first week or two.

Then if everything seems to be OK you can offer them a written lease for a longer period and collect first month/last month and security deposit up front to protect yourself.

[Brian2036]

@Kayla321 

I can guess what one of his questions is going to be: “Can we make a private deal to avoid Airbnb fees?”

 The correct answer is NO.

[M199]

@Kayla321 

From numerous posts on this discussion board, Airbnb is not your best solution for longterm rentals. From what I read, you should likely use another longterm rental service. The general consensus is that Airbnb is a better fit for short term rentals.