Need help in preserving my host "score"

1

I have been listing on AirBnB my place for a month. So far, I have had only three bookings through AirBnB because I had some carry-over guests from the previous owner.
Currently, my second set of AriBnB guests is in the property, and the third one will be checking-in on Saturday.

Last evening another guest inquired for a longer term stay and asked to come see the property - to which we agreed. He came in two hours later with his wife, they liked the place and will be booking it for 3 months. Since the lengthy stay, we have decided to arrange a short-term rental outside of AirBnB. AirBnB is sending me reminders to answer to this guest’s inquiry (he selected 4 months on AirBnB). Meanwhile, today I received an IB for a weekend at the end of the month, which I had to cancel because today the long-term rental was confirmed. AirBnB said that since it was my first cancellation their host’s penalty was waived, but I am not sure if it might still appear on my record and impact my host “score”.

I was stupid not to deactivate the IB but I came home late last night and had class early this morning, plus I still don’t have a signed contract in hand for the long-term guest. How should I reply to the long-term guest’s inquiry on AirBnB in order to avoid further compromising my host “score”?

2

It’s an enquiry. All you need to do is reply (with whatever you feel is a suitable reply).

If I were you I would get this sorted quickly as it really is risky holding your calendar open when the dates may not be available. Your next cancellation will have charges attached to it.

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3

I have closed my calendar forever now. The only options I have is “decline” or “send special offer”. I think that by declining a guest I get a negative score, am I correct?

But I can’t send a special offer, either.

4

No. Decline is not punished.

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6

Thanks for your helpful and kind and friendly words.

Nobody would have paid AirBnB’s fee on a several month booking. It would have come out around $1000 in AirBnB’s fee for the guest. Besides, I feel more protected by signing a rental contract regulated by local laws than with a booking through AirBnB. From what I am reading on this forum it looks like AirBnB policy is ‘partners in profits, but your problems are just yours’.

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7

Well I think you’re wrong … I had a three month guest who booked via Airbnb and paid the service fee. By the way the service fee can’t have been £1000 for three months unless you’re really saying a three month booking at your place = £10,000 /£12,000. the fee is around 10% of the booking ( it usually varies between 6 and 12%).

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9

I adjust my offer and way of dealing according to the country of provenience of the guest - maybe for travelers from the US it is pretty standard to pay thousands of USD in rent per month, but here it is not - besides, in this country most people don’t have credit cards that allow them to spend thousands of USD in a single transaction. In this case, being the guest a local and new of AirBnB, I knew he wasn’t going to pay 6400 USD for 4 months, which was my potential earning as shown on AirBnB and should have looked like 7000 USD or more on his side.

Now, there is a min. net income I want to get from this property and I simply worked out the best way to achieve it.
I could have asked him to pay 7000 USD through AirBnB and scare him away or I could have asked him to pay less than that using a perfectly legitimate channel (a local real estate agency) and have little more chances to close the deal.

AirBnB is not a sect and they’d dump you in a second with no regrets, so why should I be morally concerned about dumping AirBnB when it doesn’t work for me?

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11

I had a guest asked to stay with me for a month via airbnb, got the feeling things were not right with her, especially with money. She was separating from the husband and all their assets/money could not be touched without agreement. I let her stay for a week via airbnb booking, then we worked out something , I charged her less my airbnb price . Mine is a private room so not charging much, sometimes people can’t afford the big payout which I totally understand. She is now a friend and we meet for coffee with my children.

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12

If I was a new host and used IB, I don’t think I’d risk taking guests away from the platform. It’s too tricky to keep the calendar updated.

I also think that taking long term guests is asking for trouble. Of course, it depends on the location and its laws but here anyone who stays for more than 27 days can claim that they are tenants and thus claim rights to the property.

13

I think she is in Costa Rica, I think this is the place that came with carryover bookings when she bought it.

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14

We just had this EXACT situation for to 90 day bookings, one stay was $15000 and the other $21000 and, yes the fees for the guests are a HUGE deterrent. We, like @PennyM decided to go for a short term lease to protect outselves and of course pocket more money. Both instances we booked the first month on the platform and the remaining months off platform.

15

And would Airbnb know to adjust for taxes if they collect in that area? In my area, guests don’t pay lodging tax on longer stays.

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16

Yup, no taxes on 30+ day stays, in my area

17

you wont be able to preserve your score - airbnb is like a platform where you sell yourself your way of life and where you live how you life and guests pay to step into your life - and its up to them not you what they think of you- secondly I have been a host and super host for 6 years and one room is rented out long term via airbnb most stay between 3-5 months and airbnb take the money monthly from thier account to pay me - I use airbnb as there is insurance for breakages - contracted - and far more simple than having tenants that might break the terms of the contact - so win win - you need to tell those long term guests to book via airbnb for thier and your protection - if they are reliable honest people they will see the merit of booking and having protection - they could be terrors that go from short stay home to home as they dont want a contract pay deposit - have you considered that you are putting your home and belongs at risk - they could become sitting tenants after 4 months and it will cost you thousands to go to court to get them out!!! sort yourself out