What are the Common Questions You do to a new guest?
What sort of listing do you operate? Whole house/apt.? Shared room? Private room?
Where do you host?
Felix it will be the whole house and Im located in Spain.
Thanks
I think it’s important to know the relationship of the guests to each other. I don’t ask for documentation of a second guest but it might be something Airbnb should start doing. Mostly I get siblings, spouses, parents - all related to the guest booking. Or so they say!
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Is Spain one of the countries where you have to register non-resident guests with the local police? Maybe this is specific to certain regions or cities.
Questions to a guest? After they arrive and check in, I like to find out what they do for a living, whether or not have they been to my city/state before, where else they have traveled. I also ask what they like to eat so that I can guide them to appropriate local eateries. If they appear to have interesting ethnic backgrounds I may politely inquire about that.
I find it impolite to ask about relationships among guests. In America, it’s none of my business what guest relationships are – whether you two are married or not.
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Ken, I ask the relation of the adults and the group dynamics all of the time. The reason being is that I rent out a whole home, and it is important for me to know if this group is a set of grandparents, adult child with spouse, 2 children OR if this is a group of 6 bridesmaids. The reason this is very important is because often times if a single person books, then that person does not think to send the rest of the guests all of the important house notes/rules. When I find out it is all “friends” I do stress the importance of everyone reading the house notes so that the person booking does receive their damage deposit back.
If it is a family with grandparents then this may not be as important. But I still want the booking party to have everyone read the documents. However, I may word it differently.
It’s not good enough to just expect everyone will follow all the directions and have all members read. Sometimes it’s like dealing with little children and convincing them why it is important to read certain things. If the group that gets the tour doesn’t tell the guy showing up at midnight that he can’t leave wet beer bottles overnight on the kitchen counter…then I have permanently stained counters. In the guest’s mind they just didn’t think about it.
I also need to ask about sleeping arrangements to make sure all guests are comfortable before booking the place. There are two beds, and one air bed. But these are all on different floors. I have to be sure the person reserving understands the set up and has thought through the sleeping arrangements. One guy who wanted to book said “thanks…I didn’t think about if the young children slept in the living room, then all of us would have to be quiet very early…maybe we really do need a 3 bedroom place.” When my groups of 6 include teenagers then this is not an issue - the teenagers love to have their own space in the theater room and are happy to sleep on the couch and air bed down there.
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Our rental is a separate apartment (just above where I live and within eyesight).
I never ask guests any questions (when they book) at all other than to ask then if THEY have any questions about the apartment or local area.
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I have the same questions as the OP, but for a private room in an apartment. What are the questions you ask for vetting guests? Do those questions vary depending on the requested stay length?.
I don’t ask questions to “vett” guests, and would never consider doing so. Our space is a detached cabana at the end of a screened in pool cage. it sleeps two and only two people. How two consenting adults are related is not and never will be any of my business.
It’s a good thing my lady-partner and I have not encountered this in any of our dozens of Air visits around the world. The host would get my usual response to nosy questions from insurance companies, doctor’s offices, retailers, and other officious questioners: “Our relationship is none of your business. If you believe it is your business, then we will take our business elsewhere.”
I don’t think most hosts ask the relation of the guests if it is a private room (or onsite cabana) and the place only sleeps two. Now some hosts do deal with guests showing up with a couple of kids, and after that happens then they begin to “vet” so they don’t have to deal with over occupancy issues.
But if you booked my place for 6 guests and refused to tell me the group dynamic then obviously I would not rent to you. But I suppose you would have moved on to another place since you were even asked the question to begin with…
I am surprised you ask guests what they do for a living. I find that question to be very impolite and rude myself. Considering you said that a host asking the relation of the guests is “nosy.” I don’t think any host who particpates on this board is asking the question to be “nosy.” There are legitmate reasons behind that question.