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Hosting on Airbnb is an incredible experience as it needs to deal with lots of people. You will be introduced to various types of guests who are prone to property damage, and creating complex situations. At this point, maintaining professionalism is the key to successfully handling bad guests. A calm, friendly, and respectful approach can ease various complex situations and encourage cooperation.
The STR Assistance team is proficient in handling all types of guests in their co-hosting journey. From onboarding new guests, handling complexities, reminder messages, calendar management, and guest reviews all are smoothly managed. Our short-term rental virtual assistants are skilled enough to manage all types of guests professionally and keep your calendar booked at maximum time.
This article includes strategies and tricks that you can follow to deal with bad Airbnb guests. It includes tips to identify bad guests at first glance, handling various types of problematic guests, and how to maintain professionalism. Let’s have a detailed look at these topics.
How To Identify Bad Airbnb Guests Before They Book
The first and most important thing to prevent having bad guests on Airbnb is identifying them in the first place. Recognizing bad guests before booking will save you time and money in handling and repairing your property.
Here we discussed important points to identify bad Airbnb guests before they book your property:
Incomplete Profiles
40% of Airbnb requests come from new people from different places. So, it’s important to inspect guest profiles before accepting reservation requests. You should look for the following information in a guest profile:
- A clear, non-blurry profile photo.
- Joined date in Airbnb.
- An organized about section with at least 100 words.
- Verified badge on Airbnb.
- Personal information including government ID, email, phone number, and others.
So, you must look for this essential information to identify the guest as good or bad. If you encounter these kinds of incomplete profiles, simply ask them to complete their profile for security purposes. Be professional while sending mail to the guest.
Negative Reviews
Reviews in Airbnb guest profiles are another potential source to identify guests’ behavior. If the requested guest has negative reviews from the hosts and owners, you should list them as bad guest requests. So, you should ensure that the reviews are positive and they’ve responded appropriately to the reviews.
Vague Communication
Another strategic approach to identifying bad Airbnb guest is evaluating their conversation and information-sharing patterns. If they use words or sentences that are not precise or clear and lead to confusion, identified as bad guests. They use these types of conversations to protect their underlying purpose and make the communication less clear.
You should avoid these kinds of guest requests who aren’t willing to share their purpose of availing quick-rental residences. Use specific and concrete terms to make the conversation clear and meaningful. Also, keep your value proposition and policy concerns specific to the guests.
Unusual Requests
Many guest requests are dropped on the Airbnb quick rental portal. However, there are lots of requests that come with crazy questions and unusual requests.
For example, guests can force the host to book residences that are not available on the calendar. Another could be that guests are asking for a larger cooking pot, space heater, access to the owner’s personal antique collection, etc. You should evaluate their requests and identify which ones can be sorted and which ones are unusual.
Guests Asking to Bypass Platform Rules or Payment Policies
When a guest on Airbnb asks to communicate outside of the platform, it is a red flag for the hosts or homeowners. These requests could be potential scams to avoid platform fees, Airbnb’s protection systems, or do fraudulent activities, etc.
You should remember the following things:
- Never accept requests for communication outside of the Airbnb platform.
- Don't accept any payment request outside of the Airbnb payment method.
- Report the guest if you suspect any fraudulent activities.
Common Types of Bad Airbnb Guests and How to Handle Them
Bad Airbnb guests can be recognized by their behavior while staying with the residents. Even though you had been so careful while accepting the reservation requests, there could be some bad guests who damage the residents or violate the Airbnb regulations. Here are various types of bad Airbnb guests and handling strategies:
Noisy Guests
There could be a possibility of having guests with noisy behavior. Your neighbors would feel disturbed and can report under Airbnb’s Community Disturbance Policy. So, you can take the following steps to avoid potential noise issues and keep your neighbors happy:
- Be honest and communicate with your neighbors that you’re gonna turn your home into an Airbnb property.
- Follow the community guidelines and ensure your guests are quiet and respectful to neighbors and surroundings.
- Give your neighbors the ability to communicate with you instantly, if they face any issues due to Airbnb guests.
- Install noise-monitoring devices such as Alertify or Minut to track whether your guests get too noisy.
- Set clear house rules to follow by guests after reserving the property.
- Make a clear statement about the Airbnb Noise Complaint Fine to the guest and suggest they keep the resident calm and quiet enough.
House Rule Breakers
There are plenty of guests who tend to break the rules. If your guests are constantly breaking the rules, you can contact Airbnb to terminate their booking. While setting up an Airbnb account, both guests and hosts agree to basic rules of conduct from each side.
Airbnb helps travelers to get affordable accommodations and provides a handful of money to homeowners. However, you can undertake the following steps to prevent the rule-breaking in the first place:
- Develop clear house rules and mention them in the description of residential listings on Airbnb.
- Take confirmation from the guests about concerns about house rules before confirming their booking.
- Verbally review the guest’s responses at the initial arrival at home. Also, put a hard copy of house rules within the house manual in their guestroom.
- Request a security deposit to protect the property, equipment, and other belongings of your house.
- If they violate a rule, softly remind them about the violation and give them a chance to apologize.
- If necessary, report the violation to Airbnb by imposing an additional fee for your compensation for the damage.
- You can call the police by dialing 911 if any immediate unforeseen issues happen.
Messy or Dirty Guests
If you have guests with messy behavior while staying in the house, should be handled professionally. To ensure the cleanliness of your residence, you should directly communicate with your guests about the expectations. You can give them a welcome guide which also includes cleanliness concerns such as places for disposal of trash, dish cleaning, tidying up common areas, etc.
Ask your guests if they need extra trash bags or other cleaning supplies to maintain the expected cleanliness of the residence. If the guest doesn’t comply with the cleanliness regulations, you can report on the Airbnb support system. You should take pictures of the messiness of the guest for evidence.
However, to secure your position you can charge fees for cleaning purposes. If the guest leaves the house densely dirty which requires a cleaning service to fix, then you can utilize the extra cash to pay that expense.
Unresponsive or Ghosting Guests
If you’re encountered with unresponsive guests, it could be trouble for you. The guests can cancel the booking at the last minute which could leave your calendar empty for that reservation date. You should follow key steps to get support at emergency cancellation time:
- You’ll get paid if guests cancel reservations after an allowed time frame, which is generally 72 hours.
- You can choose any cancellation policies (flexible, moderate, or strict) based on your business nature.
- Keep everything documented from guest communication to check-ins and staying behavior.
- Contact with guests to understand their responses on their arrival and staying.
- You can report a no-show on Airbnb to ensure compliance with policies and get paid for the business loss.
- Reopen your residential calendar to update availability for guests.
If your guests cancel their reservation at the last moment, you can reopen the property vacancy on Airbnb. Read 19 ways to get more bookings on Airbnb to keep your rental calendar full.
Aggressive or Threatening Guests
There could be any occurrence due to having aggressive or threatening guests on Airbnb. Your guests could break your house rules and yell at you by using offensive language. They can also be rude enough to enter your personal space without permission. Aggressive guests can also threaten you to damage property and harm you or other family members and neighbors.
You can prevent aggressive guests by following these things:
- Screen your reservation requests carefully at first glance to identify potential issues regarding the guests.
- Clearly state your house rules including, noise restrictions, guest count, and other necessary details.
- Communicate with your guests concerned to understand their needs and interests.
- If violence occurs, report the incident to the Airbnb support system in detail with evidence.
- Immediately contact local authorities if you feel physically threatened.
- Prevent this bad Airbnb guest from booking your residence in the future by blocking their account.
Using Security Measures
The most commonly discussed concerns for Airbnb guests is the safety concerns. There are around 150 million users and 5.5 million hosts thriving on Airbnb. You should offer a clean and comfortable residence along with effective security measures to protect the home and guests from potential issues.
Here are some important steps to improve hospitality and security:
- Install smart locks with unique codes to reduce the risk of unauthorized access to the property. However, change the code between stays to ensure that previous guests couldn’t re-enter the space.
- Offer a secure Wi-Fi network with specific access only to the guest. Keep it secure enough to protect your data and the guests.
- Install smart and centralized security systems such as smoke detectors, motion sensors, and carbon monoxide alarms. This will keep your guests alert if any danger gonna happen.
- Install security cameras outside and in the common places of the residence. This will keep you informed about any unforeseen events.
- Provide guests with a detailed guide including local contact numbers, emergency contacts, instructions for security devices, and emergency exit plans. This will save your business and your guests from dangerous things.
Handling Damage Claims
Damage can occur intentionally or unfortunately by the guests while staying in the residence. However, they should pay claims to repair the damages. You could apply the following steps to avail damage claims successfully:
- Inspect the damage level thoroughly and take photos, videos, and close-ups of affected areas as evidence.
- Document damages and determine the estimated costs of repair. Talk with the guests about the potential damage and explain the costs and required types of equipment.
- Try to clearly communicate with the guest and reach a mutually agreeable solution before getting into any official claim process.
- Be reasonable with the guests while charging claims. Do not try to overestimate the damage and make exaggerated claims.
- If the guests don’t agree to manually settle the repair claim, you should report the damage claim to Airbnb’s Resolution Center.
- You can avail of Airbnb’s Host Damage Protection to cover certain damages based on circumstances.
- You should request a security deposit from the guest before arrival to cover potential damages.
Reviewing Guests Honestly
Guests review is an important aspect of the Airbnb platform to aware other hosts about that person. While reviewing a guest, give specific feedback about their stay. You should highlight both of their positive and negative experiences. Truly describe their behavior, cleanliness, communication, vibe, and personality. A well-written guest review on Airbnb will help future hosts to make informed decisions about themselves.
How to Set Clear Expectations to Avoid Issues?
To ensure a peaceful Airbnb rental service you have to determine how you want your guests to behave. To avoid unnecessary issues you have to set clear expectations and provide regular feedback to address any potential adjustments required.
Detailed House Rules
To avoid issues on Airbnb, you should clarify the rules for your residential. You should state the maximum number of guests allowed on the property along with other restrictions. Prohibit any gatherings, or events without prior approval from the host is another concern to keep the house safe.
You can also put detailed instructions on quiet hours, indoor smoking policy, trash disposal, cleaning expectations, pets, and appliance usage. These will keep your residence safe without disappointing the neighborhood.
Check-in and Check-out Instructions
Offer your guests check-in instructions which enhances your professionalism towards the arrived person. Explain to them how to access the property, what the code of the lockbox and smart lock, or key pick-up from a specific location, etc. Provide them with emergency contact information for any questions or issues upon arrival.
Clearly state your guests about the check-out time from your residence. Also, instruct them where to leave the keys. You can state the cleanliness expectations and damage clearance process before leaving the house.
Welcome Book
You can warmly greet your newly arrived Airbnb guests by offering a welcome book. An Airbnb welcome book is designed to provide important information and concerns to have a peaceful stay and avoid potential issues.
This welcome book includes a personalized welcome to the guests along with contact information for any queries. The book also comes with necessary house rules including noise levels, guest count, cleanliness, neighborhood guide, appliance instructions, etc. It also comes with Wi-Fi access and emergency contact information. You can also include local security contact info and surrounding area details. This will leave the guests with the necessary information without buzzing you.
How to Communicate with Bad Airbnb Guests?
While you are communicating with problematic Airbnb guests, you have to be proactive and act professionally. At first glance, directly state the rules of your house in a friendly tone. Don’t forget to keep a documented or recorded version of all communication with the guest. You should remind your guest about the house rules and expected behavior on your property.
You should act professionally while communicating with bad guests. For example, the neighbors of the Airbnb residence complained to you about excessive noise. In response to this, you should send your guests a reminder about the regulations:
Hi (Guests' Name), I hope you are doing well staying at (Property Name)! I am writing you to remind the rules regarding noise levels. The neighbors of your residence had reported excessive noise. I understand that you're having quality time with your friends and families. However, it's important to consider the well-being of neighbors. So, it would be a pleasure if you keep the noise to a respectful level, especially during quiet hours (10 PM to 7 AM). Thank you for your knowledgeable understanding. Please let me know if any issues occur or if there's anything I can do to make your stay more comfortable. Best regards, (Host Name)
Conclusion
Dealing with bad-mannered and problematic Airbnb guests is more like managing a crying baby. Most of these people tend to scene-create with neighbors or locals. Also, they are prone to breaking rules, making noise, and leaving home dirty. So they should be managed professionally along with the help of Airbnb Support System and local police.
However, dealing with bad guests on Airbnb improves your negotiation skills. Also, you will know what charges to impose before the arrival of guests to protect your residence from damages. Dealing with new guests requires lots of time and effort. Also, you need to manage a calendar to offer guests a convenient way of renting the home. Managing these short-term Airbnb rentals could feel frustrating and consume your valuable time. Here comes STR Assitance into play! We have a dedicated Airbnb Virtual Assistant team with supporting skills. You can fully relax by handing over the residential management tasks to us.
From Bookings to Cleanings and Guest Communication, We Manage It All for Seamless Operations.
We are a dedicated team of virtual assistants specializing in managing and optimizing short-term rental properties. With a passion for simplifying the lives of property owners, our team brings years of expertise in guest communication, pricing optimization, cleaning coordination, and overall property management across multiple rental platforms like Airbnb, Vrbo, and Booking.com.
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