Red Flag Questions

[Laura2592]

There are a lot of hosts who post about difficult situations here. I am always struck that there seem to have been indications in many cases that the guest may not have been a match, but the host missed or overlooked the red flag. I thought it might be helpful to list questions you get that make your "spidey sense" tingle.  Now not all of these mean you are about to have a bad experience, but perhaps this will help you weed out those who aren't the perfect fit for your space.

"How many people can stay here?" Red flag because that is listed in the reservation. They didn't read, or they are having a party. And if they didn't read, they didn't read your rules 🙂 Most hosts have pretty clear occupancy limits. Many guests like to stretch those.

"Do you allow pets?" Also, that is clearly listed. If you don't, you don't.

"Will you make an exception for my non-shedding very sweet and well trained dog?" Again, if you don't allow pets that is stated. The guilt trip questions about the sweetest, best behaved dog in the world don't bode well. 

"Will you make an exception for ...."(fill in the blank.) Normally if the interaction starts this way, there is a long list of exceptions you will be asked to make and you will be frustrated by the end of the stay. This type of guest is better served with a reservation that fits what they are actually looking for, rather than one which they want to modify to their ideal standards. 

"Do you offer discounts?" Bargain hunters are never a good sign. These guests will most often be those who try to get a free stay with a spurious complaint.

"Are you on-site?" Again, that is clearly stated in all listings (or should be. If its not in yours, make sure you are updating.) This is often code for "I would like to break rules and not get caught/maybe have a party."

"Can I have guests over during my stay? They aren't going to be there overnight." All hosts need to decide what level of access they want to give to strangers who are not paying to be at their property. Consider this one carefully. 

"Can you have (specialized item) available for me during my stay /can this be purchased?" If it's something basic that many people might want (like an iron) or you were planning on getting one anyway, maybe consider it. It does start the stay off a bit oddly as the guest can clearly see what your amenities are. But I once had a guest whose life was about to end if she didn't get a specific kind of garlic press. Those kinds of high maintenance "must haves" really cross the line between guest stay and "this is my house and it needs to be stocked with my favorites...like Beyonce's contract rider for what she needs in her dressing room." I have seen hosts post on here that they purchased furniture to a guest's liking. Just say no. What you have on offer is stated.

"Do you have a pool?" Uh, if we did, you would see it listed. Again super obvious they have not read the listing in any way, shape or form.

"Can I check out late?" We actually don't care about this one as we don't do back-to-back reservations. But if you do, this is another guest boundary pusher. Your space may not be a fit. 

What do you have to add, fellow hosts?

[Sarah977]

@Branka-and-Silvia0  Yes, there are some people who are very skilled at presenting themselves well in written or phone communication, but dealing with them in real life is a whole different ballgame.

[Mark116]

Red flags:

-empty profile

-failure to absorb/understand/reply to messages...as in, 'let us know that you've read the house rules'  'can't wait to visit'

-non responsive, e.g. doesn't even answer messages

-asks questions that make it clear the listing, even the opening sentence, was not read, at all.

Secondary red flags:

-being a host

-asking extremely detailed questions about the listing, making odd requests, example we had a guest once who wanted two twin top comforters on the queen bed.  Answer no: but they were entitled complainers. 

-asking for a discount, though not always, as long as after my response they drop it, that is okay, a lot of people feel there is no harm in trying.

[Laura2592]

@Mark116 yes-- I agree with the very specific requests. I always wonder why the guest doesn't just bring their must have with them. I travel with my favorite pillow. I am picky about pillows. I would never dream of demanding a host provide me with the specific type of pillow I prefer. Its not that hard to pack it.

And the "it doesn't hurt to ask" mentality really isn't true where our place is concerned. Again, we put a lot of thought and effort into making sure that people understand what we can offer. Discounts, extra guests, etc are not something we entertain. So asking me for those things puts me on my guard that you won't be happy with what I can provide. And I want you to be happy! Sometimes I even say that..."Unfortunately we can only offer capacity/pricing as stated in our listing. We want you to be thrilled with your stay, so if you feel that we might not be a match, I am happy to direct you to other hosts in the area with great reputations. Thank you so much!"

[Ann783]

Any inquiry that begins with "we are super easy and respectful."

[Valerie-Et-Loic0]

@Ann783 good to know, will never write that anymore !

[Brian1613]

What do I have to add?

I’ve seen many of those things. Graciousness goes a long way in dealing with most, or all of them. We are in one of the most intensive customer service businesses in the world. Where people stay overnight is a  huge deal.

Yes, they don’t read. If you price appropriately, to both your operational costs, and the needs of your guests, then you create happiness that transfers into excellent reviews, which, in turn, helps your bookings, and lowers the griping/stress, because no one, on either side of the equation, feels cheated.

Do you offer discounts?  Yes. For stays of 10 days, two weeks, and a month. They’re priced into our year. We still get what we want, or more.

Can my lovely pet stay here? We allow dogs, and birds. Cats, we’ve found, can scent as they mark territory in ways that are really impossible to get out. Beyond human smell, other cats pick it up, and get territorial. Reptiles have heat needs that are a fire hazard in historic wood buildings. Decent explanation.  They move on, without being offended, or they book.  If they book, we offer covers for the couch and chairs.

General damages: We have furniture that’s pretty, but guest-resistant, with pads/covers that are doubled, so we can work on a problem, and still be ready for our turnaround.  If there’s long-term damage, our rate factors in about $2K per room ($5/night) to cover potential damage. Since we never get that, at the end of the year we adjust our damages account, and move what we don’t need over to income.

DIVA/Demanders - Our county doesn’t allow full kitchens. Guest needs a wine opener? We send one up. For some of the more “borrowable” items, we have a few, and brand them, and put them in the back of our guest book for sale. Same with some of the more damageable knick-nacks.  It’s amazing, when guests know that there is a price on things, how much more respectful they are of them. We went from damage/shrinkage, to 99% no shrinkage, on everything from cups/saucers, umbrellas, and even pens, with branded items/priced out items.

If you haven’t considered it, put your Airbnb under an LLC or corporate structure. It’s a business. At least here, in the U.S., you can take deductions for damages to work equipment, for advertising and promotion, etc. that will make a lot of hosting’s daily grievances more tolerable.

It also helps indemnify and backstop Airbnb’s host insurance plan. The guest rents from the business. You lease your space to the business. A con artist tries to claim some whiplash-style injury, and sue you for it, they sue a business with liability that is limited to its assets. Makes you a much less attractive target for unscrupulous lawyers too. 

These “red flags” are life in the hospitality biz. You WILL get people who do not treat the space well, just like that odd relative that leaves with things in a mess. Cataloging it is fun, to blow off steam, but expecting them, planning for them, and pricing appropriately for them, allows you to be most gracious, and improve your earnings.

[Helen3]

I would add can I book a four bed house for one person for one night particularly at a weekend or during a holiday period 😁😁

@Laura2592 

[Laura2592]

@Helen3 oh yes. 

One night stays.

Last minute stays.

We actually have our filters set up so that we can't do either so we don't get those requests 🙂 But I have read some really agonizing things on this forum about both. I am sure some hosts (near airports or train stations) have a pretty lucrative business with single night stays but that isn't our market at all.

[Karol22]

I resonate with a lot of these red flags. To add, for us we feel it's a big red flag when people attempt to reserve our listing on behalf of someone else (especially when the one making the reservation has no reviews). We host a residence and we've had bad experiences when (say) someone books for their parents or another family member. Most of the time the guest staying hasn't read the listing, they have no idea it's a residence and are expecting a hotel experience with concierge. I totally understand this may depend on your listing but for us, we need to be careful that those who are staying with us understand what they are reserving.

[Colleen253]

@Karol22 Not to mention, third party bookings are against the terms. So, when someone basically leads with "I haven't even read the T&C of this platform I'm a member of, so of course I won't read your listing or your house rules".....well......

https://www.airbnb.ca/help/article/427/can-i-book-on-behalf-of-a-friend-or-family-member

[Kelly149]

Not to steal Robin’s line, but it’s all in the tone. They can ask anything if they indicate a familiarity with what I wrote already in the listing AND if they indicate that they are ASKING for something EXTRA at my personal HOME (and they’re willing to pay for the privilege).

-didn’t read. Nope. 
-telling me what they want instead of asking. Nope. 
-think extra should be free. Nope. 
-think they’re the boss bc they’re the guest. Nope. 

Questions are fine. Ignorance & presumption are not. 

[Dan-and-Michelle2]

Couldn't be said better @Kelly149 Thanks

[Sharon1279]

Got this today - have declined and reported it!!

This property will be the perfect vacation , before i make the booking i want to ask you something about the property. I have found your same property , with a different host. My question is do you have a co host ? because i don't know which one to book, this one is at a bigger price with some bad reviews. Here's the link to check it by yourself : http:/abn-co-host-listing-45212.casa
Please get back to me informing me how to proceed. Thank you !

[Holly134]

Exact word for word inquiry for me. You did right. 

[Don-And-Emily0]

@Sharon1279 Were they trying to get you to click on a bad link? I got something similar on VRBO recently asking for my bank account for an “immediate transfer”. I reported them.