Rejecting a reservation

[John9587]

Hello

A little bit new to this.

We have somebody that wants to reserve for three days in November.

But the questions they are asking are making us nervous.

Like can we play music by the pool.

I’ve got four friends coming.

 Stuff like that.

So it’s making us a bit nervous.

Is it OK to reject a reservation if you’re not comfortable with it?

Thank you

Joan and Maria.

[Patricia2526]

Hi @John9587 

Yes. As a host, you can choose not to accept a reservation if you’re uncomfortable with the potential stay, especially when the guest’s questions suggest they may be planning activities that could conflict with your house rules or create risk.

In this situation, I’d look at the pattern of questions, not just one question. Asking about music by the pool plus mentioning four friends coming could reasonably make you want to clarify whether they intend to have additional visitors or a gathering.

I would not reject based on assumptions, though. If their answer confirms something you’re not comfortable with, you can decline rather than take a booking that you already feel uneasy about.

[John9587]

Thank you very much Patricia.

There were a string of questions where the story kept changing as the day progressed.

Hence our nervousness.

John and Maria

[Helen3]

Hi @John9587 

You can make sure on your house rules that you have one saying no visitors allowed outside of guests who have booked. Also have strict rules around any quiet time outside .

having a pool does make you more at risk of attracting noisy families/ those wanting to party

what were these guests previous reviews like?

did you receive an inquiry or a booking request? 

[John9587]

2 different names doing a booking request now for the same dates.

Neither has any history with AirBnB.

Asking a lot of weird questions

[Shelley159]

Hi @John9587 

Good advice by @Patricia2526.

The Guest Favourite rank measures how often hosting requests are rejected at that listing. That's part of the reason why many hosts don't want to reject unnecessarily.

But it also measures the guest experience, of course. If these guests seem likely to party, break things, demand things and leave a bad review if you don't play along, it'll hurt the listing more. If they disturb the neighbourhood, it may be the end of your listing.

Keep in mind that all of your competitors are rejecting requests at times, so one wise rejection every now and then likely won't hurt your listing's relative rank at all.

[Emilie]

Hi @John9587, 

Welcome to the world of hosting, you're in the right place to find guidance 👋

Patricia, Helen and Shelley have already shared some insights in how they would approach this situation, has it help you decide how to navigate those enquiries?

Let us know if you need more advice 🙂

Have a lovely day, 

Emilie