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I’m an Airbnb Super Host with eight years hosting experience in Denver. Airbnb hosts, please let me know your thoughts on below.
Has anyone noticed a pattern lately in same day booking requests that lead to hosting problematic guests? I have had consistently bad luck with guests who book same day after my 11:00 am cutoff. They consistently want to check in early and leave late, they abuse laundry privileges, and leave my place dirty and damaged. I stopped accepting them but Airbnb then blocks those dates.
Like many, I have had great luck with low vacancy until the last five months or so. Airbnb’s Smart Pricing lowers my nightly price as the date approaches which makes sense but I’m wondering if that leads to adverse selection of guests who look for properties they can afford with vacancies they can exploit to get off of the streets for a few days. Each seemed to have nowhere else to go. I’m all for addressing homelessness. I just don’t want that solution to be hosting those affected in my home.
I’ve never had a problem with one-nighters. In fact, because of the cleaning fee, they are the most profitable guests.
I would suggest that you might want to increase your nightly prices if you don’t have bookings for dates that are approaching. People who are looking for accommodation in your area might find that all other rentals are booked and therefore choose you as one of the few alternatives.
Then, if you still haven’t received a booking the day before the vacant date, use your contacts/ social media, etc. to advertise your place at a discounted price. It’s a good idea to leave any discounting until the last minute.
Thanks for your thoughts They seem to be looking for a washer/dryer and all of their belongings appear to be in their car. It seems systematic as if someone is coaching them.
Why not change your settings to require one or two days advance notice? I don’t understand why you are staying open to same-day bookings if they are problematic. Unless I lived somewhere that same day bookings were my bread and butter, like near an airport, where many people might have unexpected layovers, rescheduled flights, etc. and need a place last minute, no way I’d take same day bookings. While there are legit reasons someone might need a last-minute booking, mostly I think it’s bad planners, a Tinder hook-up, whatever, and you also run the risk of not getting paid.
I stopped accepting same day bookings. One of my concerns is that if their payment is fraudulent, it might take a day to catch up and then you don’t get paid. I read this on a forum
Also, I too have found these types of guest more problematic. In fact, lately even day before booking are also becoming less desirable.
I too have experience a very slow start to my season and due to the over-abundance of hosts and my results not show up in the metro area unless I lower my rates I think I’m starting to get the less desirable guests.
Previously (except for Covid) the next four months would be nearly booked and right now I have about 6 short bookings.
I am concerned about these last minute bookings too.
That’s probably it. I have never had issues until now because I was always booked. It’s also a recent development that it is not a given that I will get my usual five star review. Things like: The bed is too soft or The bed is too firm. I have decided to go long term at the end of the year unless things improve.
I have never not been paid by Airbnb but I have wondered if Airbnb got stiffed. I only allow same day booking until 11:00 am. The problematic ones always come later in the day or eve, I get an Inquiry to Book. If I decline, they block my dates. One of the guests even knew that my dates would be blocked as if they had been coached.
Yep. I use it sometimes but constantly have to watch what it does. Lowering prices as the date gets nearer made sense until it didn’t due the problems described.
You’ve been hosting for 8 years and don’t know that all that is required on an Inquiry is to respond? You don’t have to either pre-approve or decline an Inquiry, all you have to do is message back within 24 hrs. It’s only a Request that you have to either Accept or Decline.
Turn off smart pricing/ override it with higher prices day before or same day.
I haven’t had this issue often but I don’t have an entire home with laundry facilities. Also some people have laundry but only for longer stays. Perhaps you can lock your laundry room/closet for overnight stays. Another thing I tend to do is remove extras if guests pay a lower price. For example, remove the razor, toothbrush and snacks for someone who paid less. Many of my same day bookings are people who arrive late and leave early the next day because they are on a road trip.
I had a guy a few months ago who booked, then asked for early check in and then just showed up at 8 am or so. I was gone and the code wasn’t activated so he couldn’t get in. He ended up walking away (checked on my security camera) and I got paid anyway. So I’ve found same day bookings to be profitable.
Every listing is different so it’s hard to know the variables for your listing.
It’s not rocket science. When I lived “on the road,” camping in my car, I’d rent a hotel room and go do laundry every few days. That was long before the days of Airbnb but I’d certainly look for a place with laundry facilities if I were doing that now. Also when someone is on the road they often don’t know how far they are going to drive until later that day.
It’s fairly well known that last-minute one-night bookings can be problematic. It’s not guaranteed, and it seems to affect some locations much more than others. You really should just set your advance notice to 1 day if you are having problems with it. I honestly don’t think the “before 11am” cutoff has anything to do with it and you’ve just been lucky. The problems I’m talking about are things like property damage from smoking and parties (including small parties of 2-4 people) and even illegal activities such as prostitution, drugs, etc.
If Airbnb gets stiffed, you won’t get paid. You’ll get a notification saying, Sorry, we were unable to collect payment for this booking and telling you to tell the guest they have to leave. They won’t pay you out of their own coffers.
It’s not my first rodeo, Muddy. I did exactly as you suggest the last two times. I got nastygrams from Airbnb telling me my dates would remain blocked and they were blocked until I got support to retract the inquiry and unblock them.
I’d require minimum 1 day prior and set minimum 2 nights. And give up on dumb “Smart Pricing.”
if you’re trying to undercut local competition by pricing low, you’ll get all the dregs that don’t want to pay more. Your competitors will have higher quality guests and less property damage, while you serve “the others.”
I agree. With a glut of competition, it will be a race to the bottom. I’m giving it to the end of the year and then will rearrange including long term exclusively.
