I got a request an hour ago for a last min booking for tonight. Request for me means no reviews, bad reviews, and/or no ID. Her message seemed nice enough. Looked at her profile. No id. Joined a year ago. From my tiny state. Says she is also a host. Don’t hosts HAVE to have ID for payout etc? I asked some followup questions but no response as of yet… do I leave it, decline, or call air??
Just tell her you will need to verify her ID at check in and accept. What is it you are worried about?
RR
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the last last minute booking request I had from someone local are the couple that destroyed my Suite. Maybe just gun shy
If you are uncomfortable… just block the night and decline the request
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I don’t understand. Why would you call Airbnb? I suppose she could be a co-host? As far as I know they don’t need to upload ID.
Hosts need verified ID in the US. Not sure about other countries. Seems a little fishy that they would have
I made my wife a co-host for my listing and she was required to upload her ID.
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If the guest really wants to book, you’d think they’d answer quickly. You still have 24 hours to accept or decline, right? Won’t that expire after checkout time tomorrow? Seems like there should be an exception to the 24-hour rule for same-day requests, or maybe there is and I’ve just never received one because I require 2-day advance notice.
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This is not true, even though Airbnb states it. I was a host for A couple years before I actually stayed as a guest at a place that required me to have my ID verified. If it wasn’t that I really wanted to stay at that particular place or I wouldn’t have bothered.
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I don’t like hosting hosts. Quite often they come in thinking they know how to run your show and how you should do things because thats how they do things. If I find out someone is a host, I’m very assertive about what my expectations and rules are and how I run my Airbnb. Normally I’m polite with Airbnb guests but with a host, there’s no funny business.
As a host, I travel quite frequently and when I do, I always read the Airbnb listing description, rules etc completely and let my host know that I’m respectful, considerate and will follow all their rules. I don’t mind staying at places hosted by new hosts because I don’t need much and I’m easy going. I also don’t complain if things aren’t perfect and I intentionally don’t say anything bad in my review as long as its within reason and I’ve never had anything bad to say.
Airbnb isn’t just about hosting for me, its about traveling too. Just like all guests, I want to travel and stay at nice places. So I make sure to be a good guest.
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Exactly! 
That’s what it is about for me too.
I don’t mind other hosts though. I haven’t had bad ones. Only great experiences with fellow hosts
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If the guest is looking for somewhere to stay last minute, you’d think they would respond. I suspect they were doing the last minute panic thing, and ended up somewhere else.
Never heard back from this chic so… Definitely weirded me out. A “host” with no reviews and no id? Must be a cohost because I would think you’d have to verify identity for payouts/ tax purposes (in the US anyways.) Too many red flags.
Curiously, our experience is the complete inverse. We’ve had several hosts stay with us and, other than a couple from Barcelona who were quite difficult to communicate with, they have all been excellent guests and left five stars across the board. The feedback was always constructive and on one occasion extremely helpful.
Two of them are planning to return this year, so it’s a couple of direct bookings which is always nice.
Maybe we’ve just been lucky?
JF
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I have no problem with hosting hosts. Ive had a couple actually. One of my red flags though was simply our location. I am in RI which is very small. Where her message said she spent the day was actually closer to her registered location than to me. From my place to her registered place is not even an hour but she was closer to “home” than me. Just felt wrong. Again- no issue hosting hosts… my main question here was about a host not having verified ID or reviews at all.
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In Spain you must verify ID, and it used to be that way in the U.K., no idea about the U.S.
I suppose if they are registered as a host, but either haven’t activated their listing or simply haven’t had any bookings then conceivably they could have zero reviews.
JF
Unless someone has BAD reviews I accept them. I have instant book because I am in the business of putting heads in beds not vetting guests.
Rarely guests are perfect, good enough is good enough.
NEXT!
RR
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I require anyone I host to have a government ID. Explain that is your requirement. If the add it they can rent, and if they don’t they cannot. Don’t feel guilty for turning people away. This is business, and this is your property end of story. Follow your gut. If it is wrong every once in awhile no big deal.
I actually have taken people who do not have their ID uploaded. Again my main question was about it saying she was a host without her having an ID as I’m pretty sure that’s a requirement here in the US four payout purposes and avoiding fraud and identity theft. Not only did she never respond my gut just told me something wasn’t quite right. Since she never got back it’s a moot point anyways
If I needed a same day lodging I would never bother with a host I had to request. I’m IB for most places anyway but same day…that’s crazy. She probably just found another place.
As for hosting hosts, I’ve had good luck with them. One told me I needed to raise my prices. I did and have not suffered any loss of bookings or damage to my star ratings. So I owe her!
I only Ib for those with good reviews & id.
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