Red Flags when Accepting Reservation Requests

While most guests who use the Airbnb platform are courteous and respectful to hosts when staying in their homes, there are some guests who unfortunately view Airbnbs in the same way as a hotel and therefore do not respect the two-way street of the Airbnb community. 

If you choose to approve requests from guests before reservations are confirmed rather than allowing the Instant Book function, there are several warning signals that you can pick up from the first few messages guests send through that will indicate whether or not they will be easy to host. If you pay careful attention to these red flags then you should be able to avoid troublesome guests:

Making too many requests

While requests for an early check-in or luggage storage are common and reasonable, a guest who makes a lot of requests for things not included in your listing is a red flag for a likely to be difficult guest. If these requests sound more like demands then you should definitely be wary about accepting the reservation.

Negotiating the price

If the guest’s first inquiry is for a discount then it may be cause for concern. Perhaps they are planning to stay for a month in which case you can let them know if you have a monthly discount applied. However, if they are asking for a discount for a short stay then you should kindly let them know that the best rates have already been set on your listing. If they continue to try negotiating then it would be best to move on. 

Potential Partiers

There may be some guests who try to discreetly see if your listing will be suitable for a party. They may ask questions such as:

1. Would it be okay for a couple of extra guests to visit?
2. Is it okay to play loud music?
3. Is there a stereo system in the Airbnb?
4. Are there recording systems on site?

These questions should be major red flags that the guest is planning a potentially disruptive gathering. Be particularly wary if the guest has only requested a one-night stay or if they live in the same town as the listing. 

Rude Responses

If a guest’s booking request is rude or demanding or if the guest responds negatively to any questions you have about their upcoming stay then it is likely they will not be pleasant to host. As a host, you have the right to select who you welcome into your Airbnb and if a potential guest is not being respectful then you should politely decline their request. 

As above, most guests on the Airbnb platform are respectful towards their hosts and the majority of Airbnb stays go seamlessly but by looking out for these warning signals you should be able to avoid the 1% of guests who use Airbnb for the wrong reasons.