A red flag to me is a single guest booking last minute and has just recently registered on airbnb without any reviews.
I usually check their Facebook profile prior to accepting the booking.
Problem is their surname is not revealed until you tap on their photo within the calendar.
How can I get surname from a booking enquiry?
1 Like
I live near a big city and probably half my bookings, or more, are from people who are new and booking say a few days in advance. They’ve all turned out to be great. Give them a go and see how it works out for your area. If one or two bad guests then definitely put on the filters. Otherwise you might be rejecting some good folks. Sometimes newbies put in 1 guest when they mean 2 or more. Then again some of my best repeat guests (off ABB now) are single guests. Don’t judge.
1 Like
I find single guests are by far the easiest! They normally have a clear purpose for their visit, they’re not just hanging out at the listing. A lot quieter, no sex etc. A couple or group is bigger than the sum of its parts, and they can be more entitled than someone on their own.
4 Likes
I get these all the time and 99% aren’t a problem. The only two guests I’ve cancelled (penalty free with instant book) had prior reviews. The only 2 guests I’ve given thumbs down to had prior reviews.
Sometimes I don’t have time to check because I get lots of last minute bookings but once they book I check their reviews and I check the reviews they left for other hosts if they have them. If they have no reviews I look at their profile to see what they have said about themselves. If nothing I will sometimes google their name. Sometimes I find something like a linked in profile, sometimes I don’t .
1 Like
I’ve never bothered because I’m a rotten judge of character anyway. I’ll take new guests, people with no photograph, people who have no details in their profile … and if my memory is working properly I have only give a thumbs down to two guests, ever.
Ask them their surname maybe?
I had 3 last minute bookings yesterday, 2 from singles and both fine.
If there is a pattern to spot bad guests I have yet to come across it.
1 Like
I got a request earlier this year from a doctor in Nigeria. She and her husband, also a doctor, had a plausible reason to visit. Doctors with unusual last names are usually an easy search, and they claimed to be in Canada. But for the life of me I could find nothing at all on them anywhere. I turned it down.
Better than a Nigerian Prince who is leaving you millions of $
that prince owes me bigtime 
Well the end result is that the guest occupied the home with 7 friends that smoked dope, allowed dog against rules, trashed the kitchen and outside area. The workshop was broken into and $8000 value of tools and fishing equiptment stolen. Campervan broken into and trashed. Now there were 4 reviews on this person in past 2 weeks that were not visable yet each previous host had reported this person. Several weeks later there are now 7 very negative reviews with similar behaviour and all 7 hosts had reported this person.
This person has now created a new portfolio and continues with same behaviour genetating another 4 negative reviews and being reported again on each occasion. Police have charged one of her Facebook friends for the burglary on my property. My question is how is it that Airbnb have not acted following all the reporting. Is it making money a priority over duty of care to hosts ?
SEVEN NEGATIVE reviews and they were still allowed to use the platform! What do you have to do to get kicked off?
Four negative reviews would have been enough to prevent me from letting them stay at my place.
That’s a good question. I also wonder what one has to do to get hosts to quit letting them on the property. Eventually everyone will learn that Airbnb is just a booking and payment platform. It’s not an insurance company or security company. Hosts are on their own when it comes to protecting their property. Airbnb is barely a step above putting your listing on Craigslist.
Yet a host can be kicked off for looking sideways…
Supply of hosts exceeds supply of guests.
Once again heading to the hotel experience and having to take all comers
1 Like
The 4 negative reviews were not visable at time of taking booking as she had not reviewed any hosts within the past 2 weeks.
1 Like
Ah, I see. Seems that she knew the system. Nevertheless I have seen guests with multiple poor reviews that still find accomodations on Airbnb. I cancelled on one in May who had 16 reviews, about 6 problematic reviews and she still stayed in another 6-8 airbnbs after I cancelled on her. So there are certainly hosts who aren’t reading reviews or don’t care, they just want the money.