Too many red flags?

[Amanda1775]

Early this morning I received a booking request from someone at 2:30am. Assuming it is 2:30am +/- 2 hours their time, would you consider it a red flag? 

The person booked for 1, but then messaged that it is really for 6 people. They had switched from their tablet to phone and forgot to change that setting. They said they can't change it on the reservation because Airbnb is still processing their ID.

Also, my house rules state that the 5th and 6th person need to be 14 or under per city code. 

Finally, they've had an account since 2020, but no reviews. Of course, there was a pandemic.

Too many red flags? 

The reservation is still pending with Airbnb for further identity stuff (I've seen this happen before and it hasn't been a red flag.)

[Karla533]

@Amanda1775  Depending where they are traveling from, the time of day they text or book, to me, is not a red flag at all. If this is a family with kids and a baby, of course they might be up in any time zone. 

I would not, however, violate local law regarding the age of occupants under any circumstances. In the event of an emergency your insurance may not look kindly on your claim. 

[Emilia42]

@Amanda1775 I don't see any red flags here. It actually sounds like this guest has started out with strong communication. When/if the booking confirms, you can ask them to update the guest count. If their group size is too large to accommodate due to city code, you can advise them to cancel as you won't be able to host them (per your house rules.)

[Amanda1775]

Thanks @Karla533 @Emilia42 

Yes, I thought her communication was a great start so I was so disappointed to hear that it was 6 adults over 18! But that's really too many for a 2/2 and also means the guest didn't read the house rules.

Luckily the guest withdrew the request at my suggestion when I explained the city code/insurance potential problem.

[Sarah977]

@Amanda1775  If you list for 6, this is going to happen again and again. 

Instead of listing for 6, and explaining the age limitation in your ad, I would do the opposite- list for 4 and mention in your description that you can accommodate 2 more if they are 14 years of age or under.

There is no red flag as far as a request coming in at 2am. Take a look at when the request was actually sent. There is often a lag for me in when the Request comes through and when it was sent. I often get notifications of a message at 3am, but when I look at when the guest sent it, they sent it at 9pm. 

Also I have had several guests who showed as members for several years who had no reviews. In all of those cases, there was an innocent and reasonable explanation for that, and they all turned out to be great guests. You can always ask about it, too. "I see you have had an Airbnb account for 2 years, but no reviews yet. I'm curious as to why that is- did you join to take a trip and then didn't, or ?"

[Amanda1775]

Thanks @Sarah977 

I've been contemplating doing exactly what you suggest: list for 4 with option for 2. The only hesitation is that I compete with at least 10 other condos in my complex. All are 2/2 listed with up to 6 guests. Many are run by management companies and probably don't care if 2 aren't 14 and under. My condo is definitely one of the nicer ones so maybe I'm worrying too much.

Does the message inbox show the actual time and in my time zone or their's? My phone notification matches the message time (2:43am), but I can imagine instances in which they would not be the same.  I like @Karla533's suggestion that maybe it's a mom with a baby, etc. What I'm hoping to avoid is a hint of 6 adults who will stay up late at night being loud!

[Sarah977]

@Amanda1775  The time on the actual inbox message would be your time zone. 

But the guest could be a night owl, or someone with out of the ordinary sleep patterns, or it might be only 10pm where they are located. As you say, you can imagine instances where you might do the same. 

I have never been a slave to answer messages sent when it's my sleep hours- I turn my phone ringers off when I go to sleep. If a guest can't wait until a reasonable hour for a response, they aren't guests I want.

As far as your competition listing for 6, it might actually be to your advantage to only list for 4 if that meant you could lower your price a bit. Guests may only be looking for a listing for 4, in which case they  woukd book yours if the other condos are charging more because they list for 6. 

Then you could have an extra guest fee for the children.

[Amanda1775]

@Sarah977 

Brilliant! Just did that - reduced the price and charged for extra 2 children (and lowered the extra children's ages to 12 and under so that I could easily determine at booking). This is all around better for a sofa bed.

[Sarah977]

@Amanda1775  I've never really understood the sofa bed in the living room thing in order to cram in more guests. If it's just one family and it's for the kids, then it makes sense, there's no need for privacy, but if the host is thinking of it as more sleeping space for adults, it doesn't seem like a great idea. If it is adult couples travelling together, the ones who get the sofabed have no privacy, and it renders the living room unavailable at night if those folks want to go to sleep and others want to stay up and watch a movie together or just hang out. 

And as most homes these days tend to be open concept, with no walls or doors between the living room and kitchen, it also means no one can use the kitchen for a late night snack or anything without intruding on the privacy of whoever is using the sofabed.

A lot of hosts seem to think that in order to compete in an area with a lot of listings, they have to offer the same or more than others do. But it can be the opposite. If a host offers something different than others do, that can be  to their advantage. Just because other listings in a beach town offer a pool doesn't mean a host has to have a pool to successfully compete. If their listing is priced lower because they don't have a pool, there will be plenty of guests who'll book it, preferring the lower price and thinking that they don't need a pool when the beach is a 3 minute walk away. ( I actually never understood pools at beachfront properties where swimming is good. Why book at the beach if you're just going to hang around the pool? )

[Helen744]

@Sarah 977 I agree sometimes guests say" Well you obviously could accept six people so why five.?" I tell them that I do not allow people to sleep on sofas or in chairs or on the floor unless they request our one single floor mattress, which is set up in a double bedroom and has full linen. This is sometimes used for groups of adults where one of the children is supposed to share with grandma or something. Children appreciate the lovely linen and the separate space even if they are in the same room. also comfortable hosting is about how many people can sit at a table . If children can use a coffee table . If there is room for adults to play games as well as children and of course privacy within the rooms. We have a big hallway which divides the house and it is just a thru space but works for privacy reasons. Someone who loves their games can stay up while others can raid the kitchen for snacks or simply snore away. these things set a standard that is not defined by the 'star system" nor do some people appreciate them but if you are a city dweller where every square inch has a motive then you do appreciate it. H

[Sarah977]

@Helen744  Yes I see so many new listing now where the guest count doesn't jive with the other furnishings. They may be able to cram in enough beds or sofabads to sleep 10, but the dining table only accommodates 6 and the living room seating as well. So if everyone wants to sit around and watch a movie together, where are the extra 4 people supposed to sit? 

If, on the other hand, a host lists for 6 and says they can also accommodate up to 3 or 4 children, the dining table for 6 will be adequate if they also provide a kid-size table and chairs.

[Gillian166]

agree @Sarah977  There's a show on netflix (or wherever, can't remember now) that was set in the USA and was about upgrading STR. We love reno shows so got sucked in for a while, but the male host was constantly saying it was all about "heads on beds" and was always trying to add in more sleeping spaces. Not once did I hear him talk about the size of the hot water system! which is actually my #1 concern with having a full house of adults. 

[Sarah977]

@Gillian166  So many of those shows and blogs with people claiming to be "experts" are only about them amassing "followers" and viewers. It's about enriching themselves. They couldn't care less about the reviews that result for hosts who followed their advice, the hassles that resulted from hosts overloading their listings, etc.  Many of those places with a high guest count actually are illegal in that they are contravening fire or occupancy  regulations. 

[Amanda1775]

@Sarah977 @Gillian166 @Helen744 @Karla533 @Emilia42 

Turns out the guest was "under 25" according to Airbnb. I'm assuming all 6 were between 18-25. That explains the willingness of 2 adults to sleep on a sofa bed and a 2:43am message. She also accidentally sent another message meant for another host explaining that they were celebrating 2 birthdays and a late graduation due to the pandemic. Yikes!

Good thing I ask all guests to verify their ID with Airbnb.

The first line of my house rules is that you must be 25 to rent. Unfortunately, and I agree with the guest, it's hard to find the house rules.

[Sarah977]

@Amanda1775  "She also accidentally sent another message meant for another host explaining that they were celebrating 2 birthdays and a late graduation due to the pandemic. Yikes!"

Sounds like she sent out Booking Requests to multiple hosts instead of Inquiries. Which means she's clueless, as if more than one host accepted her request, she'd be charged for all the bookings. 

Bullet dodged. High school graduation? They are all 17 and 18 years old..