An Airbnb host always wants their potential guests to be polite, kind and respectful of their housing. Unfortunately, it’s difficult to ensure that when you open the door to a stranger.
However, you can screen guests before agreeing to let them stay and increase your chances of having a positive experience.
When trying to spot a troublemaker, keep the following information in mind.
Check Out Their Profile
Take the time to check the potential guest’s profile and ask yourself:
- Did they take the time to enter their full information?
- Does it contain their full name?
- Is their photo clear?
- Did they confirm their email and phone number?
- Is their profile well created and presented?
- Did they link their profile to their social media accounts?
These details are crucial as they give you a starting impression of the potential customer and whether they would get into any fraudulent activities or cause damage to your property.
If they have a clear photo and their full name in their profile then these details can be checked against their ID which you can set as a reservation requirement.
Guests who spend time creating their profiles with verified information are less likely to be deceptive or cause trouble, which can be a clearer indication of their character.
It’s even better if they’ve linked social media accounts to their Airbnb profile so you can investigate them further.
Look Up Their Reviews from Other Hosts
Reviews from other hosts are a good way to know what type of guest you can expect. Consider walking away if they have negative reviews.
It’s the same without reviews, but they can also be new to Airbnb, where it gets difficult to know. If you don’t know, you could contact the potential guest.
If they have any negative reviews, you could always contact them and ask them to clarify what happened in that particular situation. This would help you in deciding whether to accept their booking or not.
Overall, a guest who follows house rules and has good reviews would be delighted and willing to answer your questions and provide you with information.
Do They Have Any References?
Guests and hosts can collect testimonials from their family, friends and colleagues to enhance their profiles, just as you would when applying for a job.
Guests who take the time to collect references are most likely to be genuine, so you can read them and get peace of mind.
However, it’s imperative to keep in mind that a lack of references doesn’t necessarily mean trouble!
They Have Good Communication
Genuine guests are more likely able to communicate well and provide information and answer any questions that you have.
If the guest is unwilling or refuses to provide information, gives conflicting answers, or asks unusual questions, then your best bet is to walk away or cancel their reservation.
Be Aware of Potential Red Flags
There are certain things that trustworthy customers do not generally do.
One good example of a red flag is that some customers may want to communicate or pay from outside of the Airbnb interface or payment system.
Staying within the Airbnb interface and their terms and conditions will cover you for certain things.
If you then decided to communicate or accept payment using other methods, then you will have to bear the responsibility on your own and you will not be protected by Airbnb.
Furthermore, guests who have nothing to conceal, have no problem staying within the Airbnb portal, so you should be suspicious if they push you to do anything else.
Another red flag is the number of guests that will occupy your property. If your property is a two-bedroom house, then it wouldn’t make sense for a customer to book for 10 guests as that means they’re probably going to throw a party.
You should always be cautious of high guest bookings especially when they don’t make sense for a property of your size.
Final Views
No matter what you do, you can never guarantee whether a customer will cause any problems or not.
You can either face the risks of letting complete strangers into your home or you can put in the work to screen them so you can ensure that your guests are trustworthy and well-intentioned.
Be on the lookout for any of the risk factors we covered above. If there’s a red flag such as an abnormally high number of guests or someone refusing to tell you their intentions with your property, don’t take any chances.
Finally, you should trust your instincts. If you feel that something is off or problematic, simply decline the reservation as there will always be other guests.
You can also speak to one of our advisors today here at Keey, to help your Airbnb business flourish.