How to screen booking requests

[Simon5338]

Hi,

We are completely new here, just having published our little house for rent here. We came out a little late, and with our place just having been live for like 1 month, we thought that summer holidays were passed. But now, suddenly we experience several booking requests. We then found out, that we hadn't setup a cleaning fee and no delay in booking requests, so people could just request the booking on the same same of rent. Now we have been adjusting this correctly.

Still being new here, our question to all you ecperienced hosts is then, how you perform a proper guest screening, to avoid guests who might behave disrespectfully with your property etc?

For instance, I got a booking request from a guest that already have 5x reviews from this very month (July), from 5x different hosts in different countries. In my opinion these reviews could be fake, since it's a bit unrealistic to receive 5x different reviews from 5 different countries in just 4 weeks?

I hope to learn from your great experience here.

Thank you 🙂

[Kitty-and-Creek0]

@Simon5338 

Good question...Europe is small, compared to other places like Asia or California. So many countries in a small area, with such excellent transportation linking them all. If the guest has been staying in 5 places in Europe, for example, I'd not be too concerned. It would indicate to me a wonderful July vacation. If otherwise, a question might be appropriate about the reason for the request. It is always possible that this is a business traveler, for example, covering a large territory. It could also be something else. If someone makes a request to me, and does not say the purpose of the trip, I ask. Best of luck to you with this. Glad you asked - new hosts are vulnerable!

[Joan2709]

@Simon5338 

Good advice from @Kitty-and-Creek0 

The important part to remember is you can ask lots of questions to get a "read" on what type of guest this will be. Here is a previous thread about that with some excellent advice from @Robin4:

How to Vette Guests BEFORE accepting a Request to Book by @Robin4 

https://community.withairbnb.com/t5/Host-circle/Instant-Book-s-Good-Track-Record-Any-updates/m-p/212...

For me the most important bit of information is that first contact with the guest, be it in the reservation enquiry/request or the first IB message.

A prospective guest needs to tick 4 boxes in order for me to accept their booking.

1/...... They need to name themselves and tell me who will be staying.

2/......They need to give me a reason for their visit.

3/......They need to compliment me on my listing.

4/......They need to ask nothing of me, they just want to pull out their credit card and stay!

I have said here before but for those who have not come across it, Guests fall into 2 categories......Passive/Complimentary or Aggressive/Demanding:

Passive/Complimentary:

If a guest comes to me with.......

"Hi Robin, my friend Graham & I, who are both in our 70's, will be visiting South Australia from Perth, WA.
We are staying in Adelaide for a few days where Graham will be singing in The National Festival of Male Choirs Gala Concert on the Sunday! Then we are heading to the hills for a couple of days and plan to visit Monarto Safari Park.
Pre covid, we used AIRBNB quite a lot, both in Australia and in New Zealand and enjoy the hospitality and unique experiences it offers.
Your accommodation looks lovely, and we look forward to meeting you.
Kind Regards,
Mary"

I can't hit the accept button fast enough, I don't need to do any more digging I know they will be great guests.

Aggressive/Demanding:

When someone comes to me with.........

"Hi Rob, going to a wedding on 27th locally and need accommodations, we will need an early check-in to give us time to prepare for the 2.30 wedding, can we have 12.30 . What off-street parking is available and we made need the sofa-bed in case my brother comes back with us".

Now hang on, I don't know you from Adam and you have this list of requests, most of which would have been answered if you had read the house rules! 

Guests who have a list of questions tend not to make good guests. To them it's a form of power play, they have done it all their lives and the more questions they ask the more they strengthen their ground and weaken yours till they get to the point where you will give in to anything just to get them out of your life. Never deal with a haggler. I will just send back a message....."Thanks for enquiry, I note from your information my property may not be a good fit for your requirements. I wish you well but suggest you may find other properties in the area that might suit you better"!

Types of Questions to Ask:

Ask (from @Elaine701)

"What brings you to the area? Are you coming for the golf tournament? [or whatever you want to use - there is no golf tournament it is designed to find out why they are coming]. If you would like recommendations for popular restaurants or activities, we would be happy to pass those on to you."

If your property is a 2 bedroom place and they only show one guest on the request:

Ask:

"Your reservation request is for 1 person - will there be anyone traveling with you?"

If you accept Pets:

"Your reservation shows 3 adults, 2 children, no infants, no pets - is that correct?"

I would also add a note that Airbnb does not allow 3rd party bookings:

"Please note that Airbnb doesn't allow us to accept 3rd party bookings (booking for someone else, but not staying yourself). The primary renter must be staying at the property during the reservation."

[Kitty-and-Creek0]

@Joan2709 @Simon5338

This sort of reply is my standard for requests that are not a good fit, for whatever reason. I always wish them well and hope their search turns up a property that is a perfect fit for their needs. 

I will just send back a message....."Thanks for enquiry, I note from your information my property may not be a good fit for your requirements. I wish you well but suggest you may find other properties in the area that might suit you better"!

[Simon5338 · Accepted solution]

Hi Joan,

Thanks a lot for your great support, and thanks to everybody else in this thread.

Well, having entered Airbnb with my best intention, I feel like my advert has been too sloppy since I've only received requests from people with unfair demands, and having no intentions of identifying themselves or even having some respect and cancelling ahead of time, not the same day.

No I've adjusted my cancellation terms.

But still feeling like having a bad start at Airbnb, having attracted the complete wrong people with bad intentions.

That's why I felt like my good faith was being abused of people screening for adverts for easy entry and potentially no physical host, so they could just do whatever they felt like.

[Bernadette466]

Hey @Simon5338 ,

I was just looking into some hosting strategies, and I came across two things that I think are super important for new hosts to know.

First, I learned the hard way about pricing. When you first start out, you might get a lot of inquiries by keeping your rates low, but a lot of those people won't respect your policies. It's completely normal for bookings to slow down after you raise your prices. This is actually a good thing because it means you've shifted your listing into a new market and are now attracting more reliable guests who are willing to pay for quality. Stick with a pricing strategy that works for you.

Second, I'd highly recommend enabling the **verified ID** requirement on Airbnb. This is one of the best ways to protect your property and ensure you're getting serious guests. It's a quick setting you can turn on, and it lets Airbnb handle the guest verification process for you. That badge on a guest's profile gives you so much more peace of mind.

Hope this helps you out!

[Simon5338]

Thanks a lot for your support once again 🙂

I've enabled the verified ID now, and will stick to my new higher price strategy.

/Simon

[Rebecca]

Hi @Simon5338 👋

You've got some great support here from @Kitty-and-Creek0 and @Joan2709. Have you had a moment to read through it?

[Frances3408]

@Simon5338 . Hi Simon, some great advice here. Dont forget to also use Host Circle when you need to discuss anything directly with other hosts. its more private and its sometimes a great place to vent!

Also, as a new host I'd encourage you to ask for guest reviews to help build your listing and future guest booking confidence (assuming the stay was good and you didnt experience issues). Just make sure its not too pushy. At check out I like to thank them for choosing my listing, wish them a safe journey and then ask if they have time, would they help by providing a review. Yes, they will get prompts from Airbnb but will remember your kind words first.

Finally, you have a check in of 10am. This is pretty rare except in large cities. I'd move that back to 2pm. That way you can still do same day turnover if you are quick, but by default leave a 1 day before and after booking buffer, which you can delete directly on your calendar closer to the time if you choose.

Good luck.

[Simon5338]

Hi @Frances3408 ,

Thanks a lot for your kind support about my frightening start here 🙂

Can you help pointing me in the right direction for a proper Host Circle for me? 

Thanks 🙂

/Simon

[Bernadette466]

That's a question every host worries about, and it's totally valid. You have to feel confident about who you're letting into your home. The key is to trust your gut and use a few simple strategies to get a feel for guests right from the start.

Here’s what I've found works for me:

Set the Tone with Your Listing. Be really clear in your listing about your house rules things like no parties, quiet hours, and a strict guest count. This will immediately attract the kind of guests who are a good fit for your home.

Let Airbnb's Tools Help You. In your booking settings, you can require guests to have a verified ID and positive reviews from other hosts. It's a great way to let the platform do some of the work for you.

Talk to Your Guests. If a booking request comes in from a new profile with no reviews, don’t be afraid to send a friendly message. Ask them what brings them to town and to confirm they've read your house rules. How they respond can tell you a lot.

Trust Your Gut. Ultimately, the most important thing is your own judgment. If you look at a profile or get a bad feeling from a message, you can always let the request expire as long as you’ve responded. It's your home, and you get to decide who stays there.

One other thing I learned the hard way is about pricing. When I first started, I made the mistake of setting my rates too low, which often attracted the wrong kind of guest. Sometimes, raising your rates can be one of the best ways to attract a more responsible, higher-paying clientele. It's a great way to help screen for people who will respect your home.

[Simon5338]

Hi @Bernadette466 ,

Thank you so much for your advice, and especially about pricing - not setting it too low. I've done that, just to get the ball rolling, but I can see now that after having increased the price, then no inquires occur. That tells me, that these prior guests who made a request but didn't fulfil my policy about supplying identification prior to booking - most likely all had pretty bad intentions.

I understand this takes some experience and gut feeling, but in the start here, it's actually pretty frightening to get the first bookings, based on no gut feeling experience.

/Simon