Would you take the risk or the penalties?

Since we have instant booking on, we’ve wanted to cancel a few bookings from guests with only bad reviews from previous hosts. If a guest has only one bad review out of many, we’ve kept them, but if a guest has only bad reviews with very negative comments, we do not feel comfortable risking our homes.

However, this time Airbnb told us we have to keep the guest (who destroyed the previous hosts property) or get penalties - as we have reached the limit of allowed cancellations.

We really don’t feel comfortable hosting this guest - as there were stealing, threats and severe damages involved - according to three previous hosts. But still, Airbnb forces us to welcome this guest.

What would you do? Take the penalties (cancellation fee, bad review + loss of superhost) or keep the guest?

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I would call back and point them to the terms of service and insist they cancel without penalty.

RR

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I personally would cancel even if penalties applied. Why is this guest still allowed to book on Airbnb? He should be banned by the platform. Penalties will be a small fee compared to possible damages. I just realized that for instant bookings host can requests only guests with reviews but obviously that doesn’t mean good reviews : (

Every host is different. So much depends on:

  • The host’s insurance company
  • The deductible
  • Whether the host is on site
  • How bad the reviews are
  • Whether the host is prepared to question the guest about the reviews
  • How much the host has added to the nightly fee to cover damages
  • The items that can be damaged in the property and their value

Probably many more. There’s no one size fits all answer and even a survey of a hundred hosts here isn’t covering every scenario.

So true, after responding earlier I gave it some thought and likely I would not have even checked the reviews, and the booking would go through. My office is on the property, I am nearby and I have cameras. I would not hesitate to evict a guest, but I have never even come close to doing that. If I had seen a bad review with a confirmed reservation I might just message the guest, btw I saw you got drunk and pissed in the jacuzzi at a previous stay, don’t even think you will get away with that here… But I have not even had the opportunity to do that because I rarely read the reviews the second they book and the jacuzzi pee’rs haven’t tried to book with me so far
I just say yes, take all comers and so far no major issues.

RR

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I’ve done that since the 1980s, also with no major issues :slight_smile:

Like you, I run my own business my way. And I rarely look at reviews - if I do, it’s because I’ve finished the turnover cleaning a bit early and I’m killing time until the guests arrive.

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I thought you get unlimited cancels if you are uncomfortable. I would call back and talk to someone else.

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Actually you can. See this article :

I think turning on “Recommendation from other hosts” in your listing will solve your problem, but you also won’t get a guest with only one bad review, which you seem to want to allow.

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@Brian_R170
What is the definition of “only positive reviews”?

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How were they able to book with you if they had negative review @O_Apartments

Guests with negative reviews haven’t been able to IB with me but have to send a request which I can then of course decline without penalty. How were they able to IB with you?

I agree with others call back and quote their host cancellation T&C to them and insist they cancel.

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That’s my understanding also, when someone hits the “would you host again” button IB privileges are rescinded.

JF

I think the reviewing hosts also need to give them three stars or less for the guest not to be able to IB @JohnF

With the three awful guest reviews @O_Apartments mentioned it seems unlikely that at least one of the hosts wouldn’t have given three stars or less :blush:

If a guest has less-than-stellar reviews and they would need to request to book rather than instant book. I have the setting on for mine and I’ve encountered no issues

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Unfortunately, this is another thing Airbnb isn’t totally transparent about. I’m sure it’s a combination of the stars given by hosts and the “would you host this guest again” button. I believe this is another thing that Airbnb doesn’t explicitly define because they want the ability to change it without notifying all of their users. Regardless, I think it still effectively does what you want for Instant Booking. All others can submit reservation requests and you can make a case-by-case decision.

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Never knew that.

Whole issue not a problem for us, pulse and a credit card all we need, and with being on BDC we have to accept all comers!

JF

We took the risk…

I wish the idiot Airbnb case manager now could come and help us clean and repair

I’m so angry ! :face_with_symbols_over_mouth:





How long were those people there to leave that mess? How many people?

RR

@RiverRock
There were 3 people, 1 night.

DId they have bad reviews? No reviews? Curious if there was any way to know. I would likely not have even checked reviews, I should start but so far it has never been an issue. My worst guests were over xmas last year when I was away and the housekeeper reported on the mess, not near what I see in your pics the worst part was they snuck in 3 extra people then lied.

RR

I would rather cancel anyways. Usually if you call in, airbnb is pretty good understanding your concern and try to contact the client to cancel. my listings are in Philadelphia and I had lots of issues the first month not rejecting “local” guests. They just need a place to party-bunch of people( one person booked then 10 of them check in) , loud music, smoking, laughing after midnight…I’ll get into details how much trouble i had …to the extent that i almost thinking to take down my listings…It was so frustrating. Then i learned i can say in my listing that no local guests, and set up IB only for guests have positive reviews(recommend by other hosts), and if i still have concern, i just call airbnb and tell them i NEED to cancel this booking because i don’t feel comfortable hosting him/her. IMO-- Don’t be afraid canceling, otherwise you’ll regret.