Is this a true booking?

[Patty52]

Hello,  

I recently received a request for an 80 day stay by a guest who just opened their account in April 2017. This seems a bit suspicious so I was hoping for some insight/suggestions here. 

Thanks! 

[Robin4]

@Patty52

Can't tell anything from your post Patty but there is a bit of homework you should do before making a judgement.

Contact the potential guest through the message stream and ask exactly why they wish to stay with you for that amount of time.

You will need to see something like a new consierable employement offer or some really solid reason they are going to be in your area...80 days is a long time. It may be that the guest has joined ABB specifically because something in their status requires them to do what is being asked, and remember, we all had to start from somewhere...we were all a 'cleanskin' at some stage!

You will unfortunately not be able to ask them for any verification details because ABB hide those until a booking is in place, but what verifications do they list with their profile with ABB? Is it possible to find the guest on Facebook, Linkedin and see what their history is like.

Two main things which would stop me from accepting a booking of that duration......

1/. Personalities very rarely just click in a close environment like that, and what may start out as a really comfortable arrangement soon deteriorates into a stand-off situation as each feels the other is being a bit unfair. We will tolerate a week or maybe two of a stranger but after that it does get hard and we have seen many posts here to suggest that it doesn't end well!

2/. Guests have different and considerably less 'rights' that tennants do, and once a guest has been with you for 30 days they are not classified as a guest anymore, they are legally clasified as a tennant. You can have a guest removed at any time during an accommodation, you can't with a tennant, they have rights....so be really careful about that.

Patty the income sounds great and there is a possibility it may go ok. We have hosted for 10 weeks each year overseas students for the International Education Service and that has been really rewarding, but they are students, and are under our care and are much easier to handle than a guest who may just turn out to be a losse cannon!

Personally Patty, I would not do it, plenty of other bookings will come along to offest the loss of this one, just too big a riask I would think!!

Cheers....Rob

[Clare0]

Good job, @Robin4!  Long term stays are not appropriate for new hosts, in my opinion. While long term stays are done on Airbnb, it is not the best vehicle for it.  

[Clare0]

Hi @Patty52 Since you are a new host, I would strongly advise that you decline this request.  While the request may be legitimate, new hosts generally are not prepared for the complexities of renting long term unless they have previous experience with long term rentals. 

I don't know what the laws are where you live, but in many states a guest can establish tenancy rights after 30 days.  What does that mean? If the guest is unable to pay, you are stuck getting rid of the guest by eviction which can be a costly and time consuming process.  

Keep in mind that Airbnb only collects the payments but cannot guarantee that the guest will be able to pay after the first month.  While Airbnb will do what they can to help, ultimately it's up to you to deal with the situation. 

Here's a help article that will be useful: 

https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/805/what-are-some-things-i-should-consider-before-hosting-long-t...

I'm in California where tenancy rights favor the tenant and as a result I limit my stays to 3 weeks.  I suggest you do the same. 

If you decide to rent long term (more than 30 nights) I would advise you consult with a property manager to get a proper rental contract which has non-payment and damage provisions.  You can still require a contract on Airbnb, but only if you disclose the terms in the listing and / or discuss them with the guest prior to booking. 

https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/465/can-hosts-ask-guests-to-sign-a-contract

Save yourself the headache for now and just do short term rents (less than 30 nights) until you have hosted a few folks and get a feel for how it works.  I know the prospect of a long term stay is really attractive, but for now, go at renting on Airbnb in bite size chunks.

Let me know if you have questions!!

[Annette33]

@Patty52,  very nice listing you got, I think you'll do very well.
Wholeheartedly agreeing with what @Robin4 and @Clare0 have advised, I'd like to add a few points:
1.) you say you got that request "recently". How long ago was that? You are aware that you should answer a request with either decline or approve within 24 hours, right?
2.) I think your listing is "too cheap" : a self contained  space such as yours for max 4 people at $45 a night? many hosts here believe that the lower the price, the more problems you might potentially encounter with your guests.Consider raising your price.
3.) I limit my rentals from 2-4 nights per stay, works out perfectly: one night is too much work, also considering the goodies I supply. Longer than 4 days, one needs to work out linen change, cleaning, and all sorts of other issues could arise.  Especially  at the beginning of your hosting career you might not want to go there. Anybody who'd want to stay longer can always ask, and you make exceptions as you see fit.
Good luck!

[Patty52]

Wow, I cannot thank you all enough for your insight on this matter.  Althoug it is of course tempting to have a long term guest I'll take all of your suggestions and hold off.  

Just to add some extra background info.  I have been in communication with the guest since she messaged me (yesterday).  She explained that she will be completing an internship in the area for a semester which comes out to the nearly 80 nights.  She offered a security deposit to ensure all the dates she needed.  The unit is a private apratment so we wouldn't have to worry about sharing any space for such a long duration. 

All that being said, I have edited my listing to a more appropriate price for the area.  Being new to hosting, I figured I would start pricing on the lower end to attract guest.  Also, I'll take the recommendation and only do short term rentals for now.  

Thank you all again for your insigh and suggestions.  It is really appreciated! 

[City-Limits-Ranch0]

A couple of possibilities - you could ask her to reserve one night now so that  you get her full name and phone number so that you can call her and talk to her and get her personal information from her. You could offer a full refund for the one day reservation if you decide not host her at all. 

You can  check her references at the business where her internship is taking place.  She could message you the name of her intern supervisor and the name of the company and you could look up the number and call them.