This forum is dedicated to connecting hosts with other hosts. Sign up to get the latest updates and news just for AirBnb hosts! Note that we are not affiliated with Airbnb - we are just passionate hosts!
Yesterday I got an inquiry from someone who booked for two. I pre-approved and THEN she said the second guest is her 12-year-old son (I have a no children setting as I have an unfenced pool), Said they just got off the bus and could we open our home to them? WTH??!! Then AirBnB says her payment was declined and they were holding my calendar for 24 hours to give the guest.a chance to sort out payment issues. Finally the 24 hour hold cleared without payment. I don’t think she intended to book - I think she was trolling for a free stay. I wonder how many other calendars she held up like this. I clicked on Report Profile but there was no category for Trolls.
Then today I got an inquiry from a minor who wanted to book an 8-day stay this summer with a friend, using her mother’s profile and credit card. Of course I declined as it was against TOS on two accounts.
I usually have straight up quality guests so this surprised me. Should I not be surprised? Is this the new norm for guests? I have IB and I allow guests without reviews, but if this keeps up, not sure it’s smart. Thoughts?
Wheee! I just checked in on the forum this evening and yours is the first posting I came upon.
“Thoughts?” you ask.
Frankly, judging by your handling the most recent (weak) attempts of potential guests to stay at your place, I think you are doing just fine with making the right decisions on your own. Others who do IB may have valuable and current input.
I periodically go through a period of questionable inquiries or even bookings. I worry but then it sorts itself out and returns to some semblance of normal. I don’t think that it’s crazy to think that as Airbnb gets more popular we won’t have to work a little harder sometimes. I can’t help but believe the overall quality of guest stay will decrease as bookings increase.
I do IB, love it and have no second thoughts about doing so.
@TuMo I don’t see how cancelling IB use is related to this. It seems you just hit a pair of bumps in the road. I have had my calendar held a couple of times and it’s beyond maddening. But usually I get a booking in spite of them blocking off the calendar. When I get these iffy inquiries I just block off my calendar anyway. I don’t need or want the trouble.
I would change the setting to IB only for guests with no thumbs down. These two guests would have been subject to the rules of IB if they had dared to do IB for 3rd party or breaking the rules on children and there would have been financial penalties for them. If they’d had to send a reservation request you could have approved or not and not blocked your calendar.
I have just had a genuine (re)booking where it would have been better in retrospect for me to block the calendar, but such a situation is very rare.
Just because guest numbers are expanding it doesn’t follow the quality of guests must inevitably go down. The quality of guest is only going down because Airbnbs policies have become more in favour of the difficult and rule breaking guest and less supportive of hosts.
The setting is for children under 12, no? So this second guest would be considered an adult by ABB standards. I don’t think you’d have to worry about a 12 year old around an unfenced pool.
I suspect she was looking for a free stay based on her wording. Otherwise it would have just been a straight transaction. And I wasn’t happy she blocked my calendar for 24 hours with her ask. I hope this doesn’t become a thing, where people without means “shop” AirBnB until they find a soft touch host.
I considered that. However, I hate to sift out the many great first time guests to block the few abusers.
I think I’d be happier if AirBnB had better mechanisms to support the host such as better “Report this profile” options. Or if their systems scanned for repeat patterns of abuse such as guests deliberately blocking calendars with bad payment cards or giving hosts the option to shorten the block time. etc.
Yep better support for hosts all round! How about the option to accept first timers on instant book but block those with a thumbs down. Actually I would like a much better heads up of guests with a thumbs down! You have to really look for that and a couple have slipped through my net and proved themselves to be a pain or a bad reviewer. Let’s face it it takes a lot for us to give someone a thumbs down in the first place. There are dodgy guests floating around who should be off the platform and Airbnb fails to act. Also stricter guest adherence to house rules outside of instant book.
The great first-time guests will send you an inquiry anyway. Requiring positive reviews only prevents instant booking by first-timers, but they very very frequently send an inquiry that leads to a booking.
I understand your point about Airbnb age definitions.
I don’t like Airbnb age definitions because they define infant as up to 2 yrs old. The moment a child becomes self-mobile they are toddlers and can get into very risky situations.
I appreciate the parents who tell you the child’s age so correct decisions can be made
This is exactly right. There is also a huge difference between a 3-4 year old and most 9-10 year olds. I have no children check marked and I offer no amenties for children at all. But I’ve said yes to parents who ask about kids that are 9 and up. I have a woman coming with her 13 year old next week and she messaged first although technically not needed with Airbnb’s arbitrary age cut offs.
Yesterday was 3 for 3, a third party booking request which appeared to be the grandmother, who lives in my town, who just joined and no reviews, requesting for 2 adults + infant for a week. My guest suite does not have a kitchen and I do not offer use of mine. Prepping and cleaning baby’s meals in the bathroom would be unsanitary for baby and hard on my plumbing so I declined. They really should be looking for an Airbnb with a kitchen or at least kitchen access.
I gave up and changed my listing to only allow guests with previous and positive reviews. Such a run of declines makes me nervous. I’m concerned Airbnb will, at some point, punish me for too many. Air’s automated platform does not allow for the nuances involved in declines.
I’m disappointed I’ve had tio do this but I don’t see any other way.
