How to deal with guests asking questions about the safety of the neighbourhood?

[Wayne101]

Hello, I honestly don’t know if I’m being too sensitive or if what I’m experiencing is a problem but check this out. 

Guests, who are mostly white, have asked my wife, who is also white, if the area that they chose to book, where we live, is safe. Now, when these same guests see me they don’t ask me any questions and one was even rude when meeting me for the first time. Another went as far as to cut me off mid speech 

Now these same guests leave reviews that the area is “run - down” after booking in a place they say they feel is “unsafe” and I’m left with reviews that are bi-polar since some say the area is amazing and others say the area is scary. 

I guess im just venting now but my wife keeps getting this questions is the neighborhood is safe and those folks ask us this after checking in then leave bad reviews on the neighborhood. What can I do about this? 

One person went as far as to book and then tried to cancel the day of her booking then left the Airbnb after being there one day and said the area scared her she was supposed to be there 5 days......like is there a way to prove these kinds of things to be false? 

And isnt calling a neighborhood “run - down” inappropriate? 

[Wayne101]

This is a really helpful suggestion. I appreciate the thoughtful response 

Another question, probably doesn’t have a strait forward answer, but here it is. Some guests choose to come in extremely late or leave extremely early. Then they leave reviews “like it was sketchy walking down the street at 4am” that seems silly because you choose a odd hour to leave then blame it on the hosts location. Any suggestions to address this?

[Kelly149]

@Wayne101 This is just another area where you need to explain & educate guests. Some people just think that everywhere is like where they’re used to. And then you also need to let go of the idea that people can be made to be reasonable, it’s just not always possible. 

Ive seen other host listings that did a good job with this. I’m thinking of Alice & Jeff, Kitty & Creek. Look thru other listings and get ideas about how hosts sell their spaces, especially unique listings. 

And then if you have to, also start using your responses to reviews as further education to future guests “yes, bill, most locals wouldn’t recommend a long walk at 4am. Thanks for your visit!”  “Yes, sue, this is the city, there are more types of people than you’re used to from back home. We think people who are confident travelers, interested in a diverse neighborhood will love visiting here. Thanks for your visit!” Etc 

good luck!

[Wayne101]

This makes a lot of sense, thank you for this feedback. One thing I definitely have not been doing is responding to people that rate the neighborhood negatively. 

[Sandra126]

House rule: Quiet time between 11pm and 6am? Or whatever. To discourage those bookers who are going to spend all night out.

[Fred13]

@Sandra126 You and I think so similarly, that was exactly what I was thinking. Only thing to add is to make the photographs interesting. 

[Gregory87]

@Wayne101 Your situation is fairly common, in my opinion.  You're located in an urban area and people are visiting from suburban or rural places and often times only know about your area from media (TV/radio/newspapers/etc) or stories from friends and family.  We have this same issue here in the Twin Cities (Minneapolis & St. Paul).  We're the "big city" for people visiting from the surrounding states and outside the Metro area.

One of our early guest inquiries was questionnable and she ended up not staying with us.  When I checked her profile later, she had elected to book in a more "diverse" area with a more urban setting and she complained in her review.  I've also seen this in a number of other hosts' reviews in the area from  guests who are visiting from smaller, more homogeneous communities when they book in the city in neighborhoods which don't reflect their area.

I've visited New York with my co-host (who studied there for a few years in the UWS/Harlem area).  If you aren't familiar with the hustle and bustle of a city, it can definitely be an intimidating place when coming from a more subdued region.

@Sandra126 has a good suggestion with adding pictures to your listing of the neighborhood so guests know what to expect.  I would highlight Anmol's review by putting it in your listing photo section.  (Use this video for help:  youtu.be/NKyttgLhoWg ).  That way you don't have to sell/defend your area.  A guest has already stated the information for you.

New York is a much better and safer place than in the 80s and 90s, but most people aren't aware of this.  Continue to promote your Airbnb and neighborhood.  Let's the reviews do the talking for you!

[Wayne101]

Yea I saw Sandra’s suggestion. I plan on doing that. That idea never crossed my mind 

[Gerry-And-Rashid0]

@Wayne101  Great reviews - nice pics- the description of the area is a bit bland. I go more for it being a quiet area, with many familes from all different nationalities. That also means you have a variety of restaurants ????

[Wayne101]

You think the description will help with respect to their issue concerning the area though?

[Noel63]

If they ask that qustion, they're already skittish. I would just tell them it isn't safe to avoid having them as a guest.

[Ana1136]

@Noel63 it is our job as hosts to communicate with guests. Is the area safe is a reasonable question to ask especially if you googled his area and you saw the crime rates. Not everyone comes from a big city and people might get scared, and it is our responcibility to make them feel safe. People ask me if my town is safe and we have never had a murder here, should I just decline every one of them? They have all been amazing guests and people and I have learned a lot from them. But then again, your property your rules, if you decide to decline every guests that asks a question it is up to you. Good luck hosting 🙂

[Noel63]

@Ana1136Not every guest that asks any question. Just discourage the ones skittish about safety. If @Wayne101 is already having to play defence with reviews about safety, he doesn't need any more.

[Ana1136]

@Noel63 I stil feel it is our responcibility to make them feel safe and we should feel safe inviting them at our places that is why we ask them questions. People travel to places they have never been before, maybe heard little of, maybe alone, how will they know which areas are safe if they don't ask. We all, I am sure you too, take our safety very seriously and I don't see anything wrong in asking. They might think it is weird of you to ask them what is the purpose of their stay but you do anyway ( just an example,I don't know if you do but many hosts do ) because you need to know more about them in order to feel safe. It is the same.

[Noel63]

@Ana1136I don't think it's wrong for guests to ask. I think it's smart for hosts to avoid those guests if they have had trouble in the reviews in that area before.

I'm not speaking from personal experience. My area is very quiet, so in my case, safety questions wouldn't bother me. However, I live in the desert. If someone asked me if it was dusty outside, I would discourage them from booking (even though the whole town is the same).

[Ana1136]

@Noel63 but in some areas it is inevitable, as there are areas with more and areas with less crime. Hosts shouldn't stop hosting those guests because of the questions. And the problem is that they ask the questions after they arrive at the propery,not before thwy book. Should they cancel their reservation because of that?