Post by High Priestess on May 27, 2016 2:37:48 GMT
Alexandra
Alexandra shared on Anecdotes Dec 2014
www.airbnb.com/groups/content/content-100164
Screening prospective guests
Happy Holidays Everyone!
I'm looking for some advice from tenured hosts on screening prospective guests.
I've been hosting since July of 2014 and for the most part have had a great experience. I have met some lovely people that I now consider friends and have visited with since in their hometowns. I have however also had a couple of experiences where guests have tried to extend their stay without paying, which were fortunately resolved pretty quickly.
I have also read some of the stories on the group postings regarding some very terrible experiences such as the trashing of homes.
I live alone and rent out room(s) in the home I also live in so in addition my personal safety is of great concern to me.
So for example, For my personal safety I do not accept parties consisting of only males.
Logic tells me to only except offers from guests with previous good reviews, but I have had several first timers that have been wonderful guests.
So, I'd like to here what screening tactics you employ to weed out guest that may do harm?
8 comments
Following
Like
Deborah
Deboraha year ago
Hi -- see these posts I did a while back for tips on these issues:
www.airbnb.com/groups/content/content-94737
(NOW AT globalhosting.freeforums.net/thread/455/red-flags-hosts)
and:
www.airbnb.com/groups/content/content-78645
(now at globalhosting.freeforums.net/thread/456/tips-new-hosts )
The key to screening guests is a finely developed intuitive sense, so you can be sensitive to every aspect of the guest presentation -- their communication, any concerns they express, and the purpose of their visit. Understanding the purpose of a guest visit is very helpful. Some guests just have more "solid" or legitimate sounding purposes for visiting than others do.
I'm a single woman, and I have single male guests all the time, actually more males than females, and have never had a serious problem with a guest in over 200 Airbnb guests. But my rooms are single occupancy only so I don't allow more than one person in each room. THis cuts down on noise and it eliminates situations where people want to party -- it also cuts down on guests who have any intention, conscious or unconscious, of "taking over" my house with their friends. Because they will NOT be able to have their friends over here. I think that you are safer from guests trashing the place when you are just renting out a room, as opposed to whole house/apartment. Because you are right there with the guest and they are not able to get away with bad behavior, because you will be right on them about it.
I have found that a set of relatively strict rules tends to head off problems, as the kind of people who tend more often to cause trouble will be put off by strict rules. They probably look for naive hosts or hosts who have few if any rules.
Reply Like 3 likes
Isabel
Isabela year ago
I am not a very tenured host but willing to give my two cents' worth.
I ask detailed questions about the guest, their group, and their travel plans. In my experience, the best guests have no problems answering these questions, are very forthright in their answers, and are quick to respond. This tells me they are not hiding anything from me.
I watch out for those attending weddings (as they usually will drink and come home either tipsy or at the worst, drunk beyond their wits), local residents who only want to rent out one night and will hint that they will be having a "small gathering" (which usually translates to "party"), guests who don't bother to select the correct number of people in their traveling group (then I later find out by asking questions that the number is actually more than what they inquired about), those that obviously want to skirt the Airbnb system and start off by saying "please contact me at phone number xxxxx" (this tells me they have a tendency not to follow rules or that rules don't apply to them). There are also tactics to weed out guests that will potentially be difficult/high maintenance...A different topic, but something you want to watch out for, as well.
Finally, I trust my instincts. Usually if I have a bad feeling about a guest, I decline. If they don't care enough to answer my questions, then I know they are probably bad news.
It is a good idea for you to not accept only male guests since you live alone. Age range of the group could also be one factor that you should consider. You are also right in saying that several first timers turn out to be wonderful guests, so the decision to host them should be made after they have answered your questions to your satisfaction.
There was a previous post in the forums about red flags to watch out for when it comes to guests... some of those, I've already mentioned above. If I find it, I'll post a link.
Reply Like 1 reply•1 like
Isabel
Isabela year ago
Oops! Didn't see Deborah's post before I clicked "Post Reply"...the first link she posted is what I was talking about... "Red Flags for Hosts." Definitely something you should read, Alexandra. Once again, great advice Deborah!
Alexandra
Alexandraa year ago
Thank you Deborah! I've read the posts. They are very helpful. I agree with the responder about the 20 year old guests. I had an incident with this age group as well. Is there a way to discern a guests age from their profile?
Reply Like 2 replies
Christina
Christinaa year ago
I have had very good guests below the age of 25, even guests in their late teens. I don't go by age but by gut and asking questions. I do accept male guests who will be staying in the private room and I have never had any issues. Like I said, I go by my instincts.
Anny
Annya year ago
I live alone and have mostly single guests, with many male requests. I don't ever do instant book, of course. I sometimes ask for age group, sometimes ask for their style of holiday... eg one young man said he just wanted to have a few drinks with his Dad one night and then a few drinks with his mates the next night = too many drinks for me! I also make it very clear that there can't be any overnight "friends". I'd suggest keep developing and sharpening instinct, and don't be afraid to ask. And don't ever accept someone that you have a funny feeling about - don't trade your peace of mind and good feeling about your home for a few dollars.
Alexandra
Alexandraa year ago
Isabel:
Thank you. Very helpful as well. Do you have an example or list of questions you ask prospective guests?
Reply Like 1 reply
Isabel
Isabela year ago
A few general questions I ask are: Please tell me more about yourself and the guests you are traveling with. Are you a group of friends, family, or colleagues? What is the age range of your group? Where are you traveling from and what do you plan to do here in (my city)? I have had some prospective guests who completely ignore these questions, and that is a big waving red flag. I also have had some of the best guests give me a super detailed account in their answer, and that tells me they have nothing to hide. I ask "where are you traveling from" if they haven't completed their profile indicating where they are from, or if they are from my country but have not indicated exactly which city they are from. In this case, I also ask them to kindly complete their profile and verifications, add a photo (if they don't already have one), as this helps build trust in the Airbnb community and for hosts who welcome guests into their own homes. There are other detailed questions I ask after they have answered my previous set, so it really depends on the situation (and what you allow in your home). For example, I allow children in my listing and I rent out an entire home, but I have to know how many and what their ages are so we can be ready for them. And of course, I stay away from people who don't think that children count as guests. For example, a guest indicated only "6 guests" in their inquiry and then after I ask my set of questions, they reveal they have 6 adults and 4 children. Most have selected "6 guests" deliberately because they don't want to pay for the 4 children (I charge for each person after 6 guests). In most cases, they turn out to be the types who think rules don't apply to them. Another possibility is if you serve breakfast or if you allow pets in your listing, you might want to know if they (or any other guest in their party) have any allergies. I also thank them for answering these questions and direct them to my own completed profile so they can know more about me as well. Lastly, I ask them to please read my House Rules completely to see whether our place is a good fit for them. As Deborah has pointed out, guests who read comprehensive and relatively strict House Rules, and then get turned off by them, will alert you that they are probably bad news. You will get a sense of how they react by what they say to you after you have asked them to read. Of course, different hosts have their own opinions about House Rules and how comprehensive or strict they should be; but like Deborah, I tend to have them on the stricter side precisely because it helps weed out guests that will potentially be difficult or troublesome. In my experience as a long-term landlord, our rental contracts have helped me tremendously in dealing with troublesome situations, and have me covered when issues or disputes arise. The same applies with short-term rentals and a good set of House Rules. By the way, you might want to join the "New Hosts Forum" or "Hosting 911" if you have further questions on hosting...This "Hosting Stories" forum is preferably for posting anecdotes / stories about our hosting experiences.
Alexandra
Alexandraa year ago
Isabel:
Thank you! This is very helpful. Your and Deborah's response should be part of a host starter kit! I have learned from experience that no matter how you format your page, most (~80%) don't read through your listing before posting an inquiry. Sorry for posting in the wrong group. I did read through the groups before posting and this one seemed the most appropriate. I will direct any further questions to one of the other groups.
Reply Like 3 replies
Isabel
Isabela year ago
You're welcome, Alexandra! I've found that many of the other hosts who are active on this group are as active on other groups as well. So you'll get a lot of useful feedback.
Leigh Ann
Leigh Anna year ago
I will chime in here, too. I know many times people keep reminding the group the main purpose OF this group, but to be honest, this is the BEST group I've found so far. The people in the group are active and full of greta advice. So that is why many of us (myself included) continue to come here for stories AND advice
Isabel
Isabela year ago
Sorry if I offended anyone, I'm not telling anyone what to do (I'm not a moderator). I just thought it wouldn't hurt to give a relatively new host a suggestion to consider joining other groups where they can also ask their questions.
Dusty
Dustya year ago
I am also a DogVacay host (i.e., I board other people's dogs in my home) My listing title is "K9 Karma Casa is now open to humans." I think this does a good job of filtering people who will be a good fit here. If you are traveling with dogs or just love dogs, my place is probably the one for you in this town. I only allow 2 people and I say it not well suited to children due to dogs. I am a single, older woman living alone and I don't think any man with ill intent would pick my listing. I realize this isn't helpful for most people, but you never know. Use airbnb to finance your dog adoption.
Reply Like 1 reply•1 like
Jana
Janaa year ago
Dusty, as a fellow dog-owner host, I love your listing and your reviews!!! What a great concept
Dusty
Dustya year ago
Jana, thanks for your kind remarks. If fate should bring you to the desert southwest, look for me. You will be at home here.
Reply Like
kat
kata year ago
While verifications helps a little, I think AirBnB could help this out enormously by a) allowing hosts to see the full names of guests who are inquiring and b) allow them to speak to the guests before they decide whether or not to approve them. They used to have a link that allowed hosts to call the prospective via a link in their message but that courtesy has been deleted. It seems to me CRUCIAL that a host be able to speak to a guest on the phone BEFORE they approve them, in order to get the necessary information to make an informed choice about whether or not to rent to the guest. What if you found out your guest was a shoplifter, a convicted felon or had an arrest record? How can you protect yourself if you don't know the full name (at the very least) about the person?
Every booking I've had has been from a first-timer without reviews, so there needs to be other ways for a host to know more about those who inquire.
Once the host approves the guest, canceling on them has consequences for the host -- an automatic posting will say that you've cancelled without an explanation; your search algorithms get dinged. If an unsavory character leaves a negative review, no response you make is going to give you your clean slate back.
Alexandra shared on Anecdotes Dec 2014
www.airbnb.com/groups/content/content-100164
Screening prospective guests
Happy Holidays Everyone!
I'm looking for some advice from tenured hosts on screening prospective guests.
I've been hosting since July of 2014 and for the most part have had a great experience. I have met some lovely people that I now consider friends and have visited with since in their hometowns. I have however also had a couple of experiences where guests have tried to extend their stay without paying, which were fortunately resolved pretty quickly.
I have also read some of the stories on the group postings regarding some very terrible experiences such as the trashing of homes.
I live alone and rent out room(s) in the home I also live in so in addition my personal safety is of great concern to me.
So for example, For my personal safety I do not accept parties consisting of only males.
Logic tells me to only except offers from guests with previous good reviews, but I have had several first timers that have been wonderful guests.
So, I'd like to here what screening tactics you employ to weed out guest that may do harm?
8 comments
Following
Like
Deborah
Deboraha year ago
Hi -- see these posts I did a while back for tips on these issues:
www.airbnb.com/groups/content/content-94737
(NOW AT globalhosting.freeforums.net/thread/455/red-flags-hosts)
and:
www.airbnb.com/groups/content/content-78645
(now at globalhosting.freeforums.net/thread/456/tips-new-hosts )
The key to screening guests is a finely developed intuitive sense, so you can be sensitive to every aspect of the guest presentation -- their communication, any concerns they express, and the purpose of their visit. Understanding the purpose of a guest visit is very helpful. Some guests just have more "solid" or legitimate sounding purposes for visiting than others do.
I'm a single woman, and I have single male guests all the time, actually more males than females, and have never had a serious problem with a guest in over 200 Airbnb guests. But my rooms are single occupancy only so I don't allow more than one person in each room. THis cuts down on noise and it eliminates situations where people want to party -- it also cuts down on guests who have any intention, conscious or unconscious, of "taking over" my house with their friends. Because they will NOT be able to have their friends over here. I think that you are safer from guests trashing the place when you are just renting out a room, as opposed to whole house/apartment. Because you are right there with the guest and they are not able to get away with bad behavior, because you will be right on them about it.
I have found that a set of relatively strict rules tends to head off problems, as the kind of people who tend more often to cause trouble will be put off by strict rules. They probably look for naive hosts or hosts who have few if any rules.
Reply Like 3 likes
Isabel
Isabela year ago
I am not a very tenured host but willing to give my two cents' worth.
I ask detailed questions about the guest, their group, and their travel plans. In my experience, the best guests have no problems answering these questions, are very forthright in their answers, and are quick to respond. This tells me they are not hiding anything from me.
I watch out for those attending weddings (as they usually will drink and come home either tipsy or at the worst, drunk beyond their wits), local residents who only want to rent out one night and will hint that they will be having a "small gathering" (which usually translates to "party"), guests who don't bother to select the correct number of people in their traveling group (then I later find out by asking questions that the number is actually more than what they inquired about), those that obviously want to skirt the Airbnb system and start off by saying "please contact me at phone number xxxxx" (this tells me they have a tendency not to follow rules or that rules don't apply to them). There are also tactics to weed out guests that will potentially be difficult/high maintenance...A different topic, but something you want to watch out for, as well.
Finally, I trust my instincts. Usually if I have a bad feeling about a guest, I decline. If they don't care enough to answer my questions, then I know they are probably bad news.
It is a good idea for you to not accept only male guests since you live alone. Age range of the group could also be one factor that you should consider. You are also right in saying that several first timers turn out to be wonderful guests, so the decision to host them should be made after they have answered your questions to your satisfaction.
There was a previous post in the forums about red flags to watch out for when it comes to guests... some of those, I've already mentioned above. If I find it, I'll post a link.
Reply Like 1 reply•1 like
Isabel
Isabela year ago
Oops! Didn't see Deborah's post before I clicked "Post Reply"...the first link she posted is what I was talking about... "Red Flags for Hosts." Definitely something you should read, Alexandra. Once again, great advice Deborah!
Alexandra
Alexandraa year ago
Thank you Deborah! I've read the posts. They are very helpful. I agree with the responder about the 20 year old guests. I had an incident with this age group as well. Is there a way to discern a guests age from their profile?
Reply Like 2 replies
Christina
Christinaa year ago
I have had very good guests below the age of 25, even guests in their late teens. I don't go by age but by gut and asking questions. I do accept male guests who will be staying in the private room and I have never had any issues. Like I said, I go by my instincts.
Anny
Annya year ago
I live alone and have mostly single guests, with many male requests. I don't ever do instant book, of course. I sometimes ask for age group, sometimes ask for their style of holiday... eg one young man said he just wanted to have a few drinks with his Dad one night and then a few drinks with his mates the next night = too many drinks for me! I also make it very clear that there can't be any overnight "friends". I'd suggest keep developing and sharpening instinct, and don't be afraid to ask. And don't ever accept someone that you have a funny feeling about - don't trade your peace of mind and good feeling about your home for a few dollars.
Alexandra
Alexandraa year ago
Isabel:
Thank you. Very helpful as well. Do you have an example or list of questions you ask prospective guests?
Reply Like 1 reply
Isabel
Isabela year ago
A few general questions I ask are: Please tell me more about yourself and the guests you are traveling with. Are you a group of friends, family, or colleagues? What is the age range of your group? Where are you traveling from and what do you plan to do here in (my city)? I have had some prospective guests who completely ignore these questions, and that is a big waving red flag. I also have had some of the best guests give me a super detailed account in their answer, and that tells me they have nothing to hide. I ask "where are you traveling from" if they haven't completed their profile indicating where they are from, or if they are from my country but have not indicated exactly which city they are from. In this case, I also ask them to kindly complete their profile and verifications, add a photo (if they don't already have one), as this helps build trust in the Airbnb community and for hosts who welcome guests into their own homes. There are other detailed questions I ask after they have answered my previous set, so it really depends on the situation (and what you allow in your home). For example, I allow children in my listing and I rent out an entire home, but I have to know how many and what their ages are so we can be ready for them. And of course, I stay away from people who don't think that children count as guests. For example, a guest indicated only "6 guests" in their inquiry and then after I ask my set of questions, they reveal they have 6 adults and 4 children. Most have selected "6 guests" deliberately because they don't want to pay for the 4 children (I charge for each person after 6 guests). In most cases, they turn out to be the types who think rules don't apply to them. Another possibility is if you serve breakfast or if you allow pets in your listing, you might want to know if they (or any other guest in their party) have any allergies. I also thank them for answering these questions and direct them to my own completed profile so they can know more about me as well. Lastly, I ask them to please read my House Rules completely to see whether our place is a good fit for them. As Deborah has pointed out, guests who read comprehensive and relatively strict House Rules, and then get turned off by them, will alert you that they are probably bad news. You will get a sense of how they react by what they say to you after you have asked them to read. Of course, different hosts have their own opinions about House Rules and how comprehensive or strict they should be; but like Deborah, I tend to have them on the stricter side precisely because it helps weed out guests that will potentially be difficult or troublesome. In my experience as a long-term landlord, our rental contracts have helped me tremendously in dealing with troublesome situations, and have me covered when issues or disputes arise. The same applies with short-term rentals and a good set of House Rules. By the way, you might want to join the "New Hosts Forum" or "Hosting 911" if you have further questions on hosting...This "Hosting Stories" forum is preferably for posting anecdotes / stories about our hosting experiences.
Alexandra
Alexandraa year ago
Isabel:
Thank you! This is very helpful. Your and Deborah's response should be part of a host starter kit! I have learned from experience that no matter how you format your page, most (~80%) don't read through your listing before posting an inquiry. Sorry for posting in the wrong group. I did read through the groups before posting and this one seemed the most appropriate. I will direct any further questions to one of the other groups.
Reply Like 3 replies
Isabel
Isabela year ago
You're welcome, Alexandra! I've found that many of the other hosts who are active on this group are as active on other groups as well. So you'll get a lot of useful feedback.
Leigh Ann
Leigh Anna year ago
I will chime in here, too. I know many times people keep reminding the group the main purpose OF this group, but to be honest, this is the BEST group I've found so far. The people in the group are active and full of greta advice. So that is why many of us (myself included) continue to come here for stories AND advice
Isabel
Isabela year ago
Sorry if I offended anyone, I'm not telling anyone what to do (I'm not a moderator). I just thought it wouldn't hurt to give a relatively new host a suggestion to consider joining other groups where they can also ask their questions.
Dusty
Dustya year ago
I am also a DogVacay host (i.e., I board other people's dogs in my home) My listing title is "K9 Karma Casa is now open to humans." I think this does a good job of filtering people who will be a good fit here. If you are traveling with dogs or just love dogs, my place is probably the one for you in this town. I only allow 2 people and I say it not well suited to children due to dogs. I am a single, older woman living alone and I don't think any man with ill intent would pick my listing. I realize this isn't helpful for most people, but you never know. Use airbnb to finance your dog adoption.
Reply Like 1 reply•1 like
Jana
Janaa year ago
Dusty, as a fellow dog-owner host, I love your listing and your reviews!!! What a great concept
Dusty
Dustya year ago
Jana, thanks for your kind remarks. If fate should bring you to the desert southwest, look for me. You will be at home here.
Reply Like
kat
kata year ago
While verifications helps a little, I think AirBnB could help this out enormously by a) allowing hosts to see the full names of guests who are inquiring and b) allow them to speak to the guests before they decide whether or not to approve them. They used to have a link that allowed hosts to call the prospective via a link in their message but that courtesy has been deleted. It seems to me CRUCIAL that a host be able to speak to a guest on the phone BEFORE they approve them, in order to get the necessary information to make an informed choice about whether or not to rent to the guest. What if you found out your guest was a shoplifter, a convicted felon or had an arrest record? How can you protect yourself if you don't know the full name (at the very least) about the person?
Every booking I've had has been from a first-timer without reviews, so there needs to be other ways for a host to know more about those who inquire.
Once the host approves the guest, canceling on them has consequences for the host -- an automatic posting will say that you've cancelled without an explanation; your search algorithms get dinged. If an unsavory character leaves a negative review, no response you make is going to give you your clean slate back.