Tips for weeding out a "bad fit"

I will be arriving at 2:00 (check in is 4)
I will need a late checkout…

I tell these people either no, or sure early check in is available for a cash fee.

RR

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I forgot one.

People who think that their problem should be my problem.

“I know check-out is at 11:00 and you said I could check-out at 12:00 but that doesn’t help me because I need to take a nap between pre-lims and finals, so I will need to checkout closer to 3:00. Thanks!”

What? NO.

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Airbnb Community is a good space for those new to Airbnb @katrix

Have a look at Airbnb’s Help Centre too which covers the basics.

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So is this forum, you are in the right place @katrix

RR

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This forum is great I agree @RiverRock but Airbnb Community has a special forum with tutorials and guides for new hosts so is useful too.

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I also rent rooms in my home. All are long term. As a result I need to be extra sensitive to guests coming in. Everyone seems pretty happy. So when a prospective guest starts out by asking for extras, special consideration, and over and above, I wonder why. The price is right, so why am I doing this?

Some people want to feel “special”. I don’t make enough margin to cater to this. Nor quite frankly do I have the patience. So I pleasantly decline.

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I also encourage you to experiment with price. I have a room that shows very well. I was busy and temporarily tripled the price to get it out of my hair. It booked. For a month.

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currently awaiting a bad fit, coming later this week. Two ladies are having the two rooms, the one that booked said “I know you have a dog, I’m allergic to dog hair”. Okaaaay, dog is fairly allergy friendly, should be ok. “do you have a fridge and a hair dryer?” I mentioned that it might be good to re-vist the listing details, but that may always come across as me being moody.

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i find it slightly amusing that you own a hair dryer.

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the LEAST used item in my house

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I did something similar this summer.

Before her visit a Guest kept peppering me with questions. The questions didn’t sound like the person who booked & were repeats.

I was tired and feeling overwhelmed with new job, life & hosting. After responding to 2-3 questions with “as mentioned in the listing description…”, I was impatient and suggested she thoroughly review the listing description and pictures so she will know what to expect during her rental.”

The guest then sent a message about having a brain injury 4 years ago and it continues to affect her memory.

I felt about 2 inches tall. It never fails to bite me when I get tired & grouchy

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oh no! Bugger, bugger bugger.

I’ve been reluctant to decline requests…I’m ready to start being a bit more discerning. This is a great list for me - these are exactly the kinds of things I’m interested in looking out for in the future as a heads up that there’s something off. Thanks!

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This is a good tip! I’ll try working on the prices. There’s a few challenges where I live which is that it’s extremely competitive during the high season (May - October) and then there’s almost zero demand in the off season.

@katrix It’s okay to have some declines. Do you know where to find and keep track of your Acceptance Rate (under Opportunities -> Basic Req. -> Accepted Reservations)? It just has to stay at 88% or above and that’s not hard to do with a lot of bookings, which sounds like you have, as accepting others brings it back up.

Also, it is possible to get bad-fits to withdraw their requests as well. It’s a bit more work but I have had good luck with it.

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Thanks for the info, @JJD. I’d forgotten about those stats.

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Dear Katrix,
Sounds like you’re in a great spot for hosting, so don’t get discouraged. I am very lucky to have had wonderful guests 95% of the time. I do mostly Instant Book, but when I do get an inquiry, it’s usually a red flag that you have a picky guest. In response I try to answer their questions very specifically even if it’s going to discourage them from booking.
One time I had a guest ask if my condo was walking distance to shopping, restaurants and the beach. Assuming they were the kind of guests that like to walk, I answered very honestly that the shopping center was about 1/2 mile from the condo, and the beach about a mile if they used the walking trail to get there. She booked anyway, then left a tepid review saying the condo wasn’t close to anything!
Another time the guest inquired about the noise level, as she was a light sleeper. I responded that since I had never lived there I couldn’t give first hand experience, but it was a condo with other people above and on one side. I suggested she may want to look for another accommodation, which she did, and thanked me for my honesty.
Hope this helps.

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Set up three listings, the individual rooms as you have now and add one for both rooms. Make sure you link them so that if either of the single rooms is booked then the 2 room listing is blocked and if the 2 room listings by is booked then both the single room listings get blocked.

Also, in the single room listings be sure to include mention of a possible upgrade for even more space and privacy.

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re: brain injury- it usually impacts a person’s short term memory which is why they are coached to write everything down. i know this because my sister has a brain injury. don’t feel bad. you did the right thing suggesting that she review the listing and then email her questions. we live n learn…and so will she…

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