New host here, sooooo glad I found this forum; a few posts in and i’m more at ease already! I’ve been getting a lot of requests from unverified and often new users recently. Feeling like i’m turning down good $$ but after shampooing a beer-stained rug from a questionable guest with terrible communication (my first official guest 2 weeks ago), i’m a little hesitant. At the point now where I don’t accept requests from guest w/o reviews & ID verification, may even troll a guest’s social media before approval. Am I paranoid?
If I didn’t accept new-to_AirBNB guests I would have many guests at all! I do, however, require verification, and for Instant Booking, they must have a positive rating by other hosts. It is the best I can do with this platform.
My first time guests have all been wonderful. My guests who are heavy AirBNB users have actually been less so. Nothing damaging or anything; just not as joyful and delighted.
1 Like
Hi @hostphx, accepting only Airbnb verified ID guests is a good idea. But don’t stop there, do your own ID verification as well.
1 Like
Personally I only take fully verified guests. However the majority of my guests are new to BNB.
I don’t use instant book and chat to each guest before accepting a booking to ensure there is a good fit.
1 Like
Hey Faheem - how do you do your own ID verification? What do you ask for? What’s your process?
I know it’s frowned upon here but I also only accept guests with (good) reviews. So that’s no newbies. I know everyone has to start somewhere but they can do it somewhere else!
Yes I do decline a lot of requests but I’m straightforward about it on my listing - I ask people to check my ‘booking requirements’ and only to send a request if they meet them. No exceptions.
I know it seems like overkill to some but it works for us and I make no apologies for making full use of the review system in this way
1 Like
Foreigners always carry their passport, so I ask for that at check-in. For Indians I ask for an ID which contains both a photo and a valid address. And I also make photocopies of the ID(s).
Plus I do the obvious net search for people’s names. Normally people will include their full names in a booking request, but if they don’t I ask for it. It’s quite common for people now to have some net presence, even if only a Linkedin page. I personally don’t much care for Linkedin, but finding a Linkedin page for guests does make me feel better. Plus I ask guests who have put in a booking request to tell me something about themselves. Responses to that request vary widely. Some people offer 2 words, some a mini-biography.
Also, of course, look at the reviews hosts have left for the guest. And if you have the energy, look at the review the guest left for the host. Airbnb doesn’t make that easy, but it’s worth looking at.
All in all, nothing very fancy, but it makes me feel better.
YES, you should only accept ID verified guests. I have just had an experience that confirms this. I had a booking request from someone who wanted to book for her “employee.” I looked at the request and realized it was a female name with a male photo. I explained that for security reasons I needed her employee to be registered with AirBNB and to make the booking request himself, which he did. In less than 24 hours, AirBNB cancelled the reservation. I googled the guest’s name and discovered that he had been arrested several times on theft charges. I dodged a bullet on this one and am very grateful to AirBNB for their due diligence. Bottom line, make sure your guests are ID verified!!
1 Like