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I keep getting inquiries for people asking questions… Although the answers are in my listing 
Isn’t there just a contact host option? I feel bad people don’t reply nor do they have their profiles set up with valid ID so do I decline after I reply so my calendar doesn’t get blocked… there has to be a better way??
What do you do? I’d love to hear your replies 
Yes. But not super easy to spot. Here it is on the website. I don’t know where it is on the app
You don’t decline you just answer their question and let it sit there.
I just saw from another post that I don’t have to decline… although at the same time they wrote me and if they can’t reply within 24 hours seems kind of rude.
I got that just this morning. I am very clear about our amenity limitations, what service is available, and where they will have to go and how long it will take to get there in order to get other services. Got a question just this morning about it. Was not annoyed at all. I’d rather they ask than get here and find out by surprise that they can’t communicate with the outside world.
LOL she asked me if there was a bed I wanted to reply… didn’t you see it in the photo it says Queen bed!
Looks like a bed
It reminds me of the punchline to a joke.
Little boy dressed up like a pirate for Halloween. “Trick or treat!”
Lady answers the door and says, “Well aren’t you adorable. What are you dressed as?”
Little boy thinks this is pretty obvious but answers politely, “I’m a pirate!”
Lady says, “A pirate. How adorable. Where are your buccaneers?”
Little boy says, “Where are your buccaneyes?”
LMAO 
too funny!
Sometimes people are just cutting and pasting the same questions to a bunch of hosts and no, they aren’t reading the listings. I honestly think low priced new hosts get this the most. You are dodging bullets at this point.
@Betty_A your price seems too low for what’s offered. Many people believe low prices attract poorer quality guests. I don’t believe that because I haven’t experienced that but I think I have a somewhat unique market.
To the inquiries that are sketchy, I remind them we live next door (tho based on some of the stories in this forum guests sneak in people even when the guest has a room in a shared house & also have parties), but it is a first “weeding” of the folks who think no one is around. I also remind them of the house rules to refer to, and if it doesn’t answer their questions, to ask me. I think there is actually a link you can send the house rules, but I don’t recall if that’s for confirmed guests or inquiries. Maybe someone here knows, as there have been updates.
But here is our blurb:
We are happy to greet you and your guests as we live on the same driveway. Let us know if you have any questions before booking. Most questions can be addressed in House Rules, any others, just ask!
Sometimes I get an annoying inquiry and I just chill and wait to see what happens. At 1:30 last night an inquiry came in and woke me. I’m was set to only IB people with recommendations (I turned that back off this morning.) I rolled over and went back to sleep because the stay isn’t until Wed. I woke again at 3:30 so I went ahead and approved the request. The guy is listed as being local and the only info he gave was “looking for a place to stay Wed.” But it was a request not an inquiry so I approved and it booked in instantly. I look at his profile and it has no info about him, it doesn’t even have a last name. That’s annoying but I don’t really care that much. I don’t send check in info until the day of check in and because he didn’t really tell me anything about his stay I didn’t write him a message, I only accepted his request to book. Early this afternoon he cancelled and I’m going to be getting my payout because I’m on moderate cancel policy. Well, unless he makes a request later for refund.
I’m glad I spent zero time wondering about him.
Thank you for making me proper laugh out loud after the shittiest day! 
@Betty_A Guests can ask all kinds of daft questions. It doesn’t always mean they’ll be bad guests and, personally, I take it as part of the hosting job.
I live in a sophisticated European city that attracts millions of tourists every year. So competition is strong…! If I can get an edge by being proactive in answering questions that are already detailed in the listing, I’ll do it. Like KCC says, guests often cut and paste the same questions to multiple hosts.
Some of the silliest questions I’ve had are:
Do you have hot water?
Does the city have a centre?
Rooms are pretty low in my area I’ve seen them for $25 $45 all on my street. I’m inching mine up as I go I was told by a friend to start low until I got some reviews then increase the price. I bumped up to $37 and $47 on weekends.
Also he told me to have a deposit to keep out the riff raft 
I’ll go higher personally I think mine looks better than 90% of my competition. I’ll be ready by high season!
That’s great! I changed my cancellation policy to strict about a week ago.
Strict wouldn’t matter here because no one books far enough in advance. I get about 40% of my bookings within 24 hours of the stay, another 40% within the week, 20% more than a week out.
I had someone ask if there was a toilet in my property. Stupid questions make me crazy!
Haha thank you! At least until I get my listing and room 100% dialed in 
I just haven’t been home when the room was empty besides to clean it. I still have pictures and mirrors to hang also… but I have a guy in there…
And I’m in Phoenix lol but I’m taking notes for when he leaves in a couple weeks.
Inquiry questions…remember that they can not see your House Manual. They only see the descriptions, amenities and some restrictions.
That’s exactly where it says Queen bed in the description and front pic is a pic of the bed … not the house manual. They just don’t read.
But they do see the House Rules and bed sizes pre booking
