I hope I’m writing this in the right place. I actually find it quite difficult to locate where I should ask a question.
I am a very new host and so far everything has been fine with very nice guests and good communication. However, I have had a lot of questions from a guest who is considering a particular date and I am concerned as to whether she is going to be trouble.
Firstly, she asked me for a photograph of the living room with the television in it. I supplied this but then she asked me for a photograph with the television ‘on’.
I took this to m a that she wanted to see it working, but I think it may have been poor grammar and she meant she wanted to see a photograph showing the television.
She has since gone on to ask me for a photograph of the road outside the house as she is a media creator and wants to make sure that it is a typical Cotswold Village.
I don’t have a photograph of the road and I can’t see how to attach one anyway unless I put it in the main listing. I have advised her to use the postcode to look at Street View but wonder why she hasn’t done this herself. Is this because she can’t see the address of the property until she books? I have sent her the postcode so she can do this but I’m beginning to wonder if she is going to be an absolute pain.
What do you all think?
‘Media creator’ without any further context is giving me chills. I instantly get ‘social media influencer’ vibes which may indicate some sort of difficulties. I’d definitely follow up on that info to learn more how it is relevant how the streets around your accommodation look like.
This is just my opinion while others may not be triggered about that.
You’re correct, as long as there is no booking she won’t see your exact address. Unless you used your exact mapping location for your listing, she won’t know your address.
Are you an in-home host? Some more details could help us as well.
We’ve been asked to take additional photos outside of the accommodation but we don’t see how this is relevant to a regular guest and refused. We have exterior shots of our property in our listings and the Airbnb map is giving an approximate location of the studios so the guest can easily explore our neighborhood via Google Maps or the like.
Usually when we have guests who ask a lot of questions they are straight forward, explaining why they are asking those. Then we have a better understanding and are able to address their concerns. Like, if you didn’t include a photo of the living room in your listing, it sounds plausible that a guest might ask for that since they have no clue how the shared space looks like. I’m not an in-home host so I cannot offer 1st hand experience on that though.
I’d be trying to get more info from the guest to get a better feeling whether this is a good match or not.
It’s a two bedroom old listed cottage that I own in the Cotswolds. it’s tiny but fairly high-end with a lot of expensive contents. Not sure if I’m allowed to provide a link on here.
It’s cleaned by a management company and we live more than 100 miles away so we can’t check it ourselves.
It’s not shared accommodation and there are five photos of the living room on the listing, but the telly wasn’t visible in them.
I think like you I’m just triggered by the idea of her being a media influencer.
I have visions of her rearranging the house for photographs and a ton of thick makeup on all the towels (which has happened before).
Also, is it reasonable for her to use photos of the Cottage for some kind of social media input without asking me?
On the other hand, it could be good advertising.
Should you always say no when the hairs on the back of your neck stand-up?
Dr Ruthie Nixon
I would. It’s not worth the stress unless this is your sole income and you completely rely on it, then I would definitely dive deeper and get more information and especially make sure that your house rules are covering all your interests and are agreed to by the guest explicitly via the chat. This won’t protect you 100% regardless but helps to document your efforts to make sure this is a good fit.
We don’t have much funiture that can be moved around, nor expensive inventory of any kind, so this doesn’t apply but in your case I would put this in my house rules to leave the furniture where they are (to prevent excessive scratch marks on the parket or vinyl floors if you have any).
Whether a guest can use your location for commercial images or not is up to you to define in your listing settings. If you set it to ‘No’ she cannot use these images in the scope of her for-profit social media venture but you may want to ask an attorney about that.
Since she has declared to be a media creator which is a broad term, just ask what kind of content she is producing. She could be a stock photographer taking travel photos of towns/streetlife which would not be an issue of any kind for me. I would just make sure that she’s not some social media wreck that films herself in your cottage claiming to have made 7 figures last year by using some [insert your Ponzi scheme here], claiming she bought that place.
P.S. Just to add, if she would plan to use your location for stock photos (both exterior and interior), she has to have a property release signed by you/owner.
Like @Hosterer I’m concerned about this ‘media creator’ thing. People can charge thousands for location work and her asking for an outside shot definitely implies that she’s either trying to get a location much cheaper than she should or she’ll ultimately ask you for a discount or a freebie because she’ll be promoting your cottage.
For location work, the person renting has to supply their own insurance and a cleanup crew at the very least and should be paying much more than the average STR rates.
You may also find that using the property for media work invalidates your own STR insurance and/or your business licence. (Chances are that your licence is for hospitality purposes only.)
Going forward, if she asks for any more photographs simply ask her why. You’re perfectly entitled to know.
Don’t worry too much about guests who ask many (reasonable) questions. I had a guest who asked what seemed like hundreds of questions before his stay. Pointless ones as far as I could see.
But he was a great guest and absolutely no trouble at all. In fact, he and his wife became repeat guests and have been coming back for several years.
But most hosts have a picky guest from time to time. Swings and roundabouts. 
It sounds like she is considering some sort of photo shoot. There are some older posts on the forum about people wanting to do photo shoots in an airbnb to save money. One with a lot of good information is this one Photo shoots on your property?
Any potential pr does not seem worth it. It is doubtful the location and airbnb listing would even be mentioned in any credits (if they even do credits on socila media postings.)
This doesn’t sound like a picky guest to me, it sounds like someone who isn’t giving you the whole story of why she wants to book and is planning on using it for a photo shoot. It’s one thing to be some nervous nellie who asks a lot of questions, but she is asking weird questions, which is different. She is also acting very entitled, continuing to expect you to take all these photos.
Yes, you should always say no when the hairs on the back of your neck stand up. It’s just a booking- not some life-altering decision.
Also you should be aware that scammers target new hosts.
I once had a guest stating that he/she’s a youtuber and was asking a lot of obvious questions about the property. I answered all but it yielded no booking. I’ve received plenty of inquiries over years of hosting and I can sense when someone is trying to either get a discount or trying to book outside of the Airbnb/Vrib platforms.
Just say “The images in my listing are an accurate representation of the Cotswold Cottage I am renting. We don’t see how additional photos will be relevant to booking the cottage/suite in the home. If you would like to book for the dates in question, please do so as soon as possible. Thank you.” And if you ask if she’s planning a shoot of some sort, send her a boilerplate contract at $1,000 a day including her needing insurance, setup, cleaning, and replacing any items. That should take care of her.
If she persists, because she is a media influencer (gosh they’re entitled), tell her that your cottage may not be the best fit and to find someplace else in the Cotswolds.
Then move on and away. She’ll be a PITA.
Absolutely. As a former in-home host, I always told them “No, not suitable for your needs.”
I have taken all your advice and declined the media influencer, but since then I’ve also declined a group of three 25 year old women because I’m worried they’ll drink heavily and party and possibly damage stuff
The beds are a double and a single pull out bed and ideally the house is suited to a couple with one child, so I also feel that’s not suitable.
They also have no reviews.
Now I’m worried I’m being too fussy and also that Air BnB won’t accept my decline reasons.
I’d love some more advice.
This should be in your description, or even house rules.
Specificity is a good thing in the hospitality bui=siness…
Is there some reason why you were worried about this, something the guest said, or just because it’s 3 25 year old women? Did you ask why they were coming to your area?
There’s really no reason to simply assume or worry that 3 25 year old friends are going to drink heavily and trash your house. 35 year olds are perfectly capable of that, as well. Or 45 year olds. There’s 25 year olds that don’t drink at all.
On an inquiry like this, I might take some precautions, like try to feel out what their plans are, and make sure to provide make-up wipes or black makeup washcloths, and ask them to please use them, but most of the young women I know don’t even wear makeup.
I agree with @muddy that there’s absolutely no reason to think that three 25 year old women would drink and damage stuff!
Yes, hosts who don’t use instant book should use their discretion when deciding whether to accept guests, but 25 years olds drinking seems like a far stretch.
Add to your house rules that your property may not be used for any commercial purposes, and that they may not post photos of your property online without your permission. Then if you get “influencer” vibes, you ask them why they need pictures and remind them of the house rule.
Four or five times a year I get an email from a “social influencer” that wants to exchange promoting our property for a free stay. I always tell them they can book like anyone else, and if I get a (confirmed) booking from them, I’ll pay them a little. I never ever hear from them again.
I get together with 2 old friends once a year. 2 of us grew up together, & if need be, are not opposed to sharing a bed. If the listing only has 2 beds, & meets all of our needs, we’ll book it. Let the hosts think what they may! We’re semi old, & price conscious.
That being said, I’ll admit we all like our wine! None of us have ever gotten bad reviews, & leave the place in pristine condition. Sooo, let’s not be judgey as to who may be the “party animals!” If our hosts were to see us dancing in the moonlight in our mumus, God only knows what they’d think! Fun is not only for the younger generations! 
In all fairness I have to say that where I grew up (Germany, rural area) most young adults were drinking and the majority heavily as well - for my understanding (as in ‘not allowed to drive’ and worse). For a host to assume that three 25 year old women could drink heavily isn’t a far stretch from my experience. I definitely would ask for more details about the nature of their stay.
The only host experience we had with three women of that age was very pleasant as they were vendors in a cosplay event near-by, so strictly business, looking for a place to crash after being out 14 hours a day.
It is in the description. Thanks.
That’s a very good idea. I will do that thank you.
Can I also put no hens or stags?
Ok thank you. There is a pretty heavy drinking culture in England, but maybe I’m jumping to conclusions too fast.
I don’t think anyone is suggesting that 25 year olds can’t be heavy drinkers, just that so can people of any age.
My youngest daughter liked to drink when she was in her late teens and early 20s. She didn’t drink during the week, when she was going to school and working, but there was regular binge drinking with her friends on the weekends.
My middle daughter drank a bit, but she and her friends were mostly pot smokers.
The oldest never drank or smoked pot at all when she was young, is 50 years old and still doesn’t. She might occasionally have one light cocktail on a weekend summer evening before dinner. Her husband of 25 years said he’s seen her tipsy exactly once, when she came home from a friend’s bachelorette.