Running an Airbnb in Canmore can be a wonderful way to boost your income. However, accepting unknown guests into your property can also be a big step to make. While there are horror stories of bad guests, you can minimize this risk by ensuring you have an effective Airbnb guest screening process in place.
Not only will a comprehensive screening process ensure you get the highest standard of guests possible, but it can also boost your occupancy rates and increase revenue. How do you effectively screen your guests, though? We thought we would take a closer look!
Does Airbnb not screen guests?
Before we look at some top tips for screening your Airbnb guests, it is first important to look at what the platform does to protect hosts. Hosts can set a requirement that only guests with a verified ID badge can book their property. Guests can secure their badge by providing Airbnb with a government-issued ID.
This is not a fool-proof system, though, as guests could get around this by making the booking through a third party.
Tips for screening your Airbnb guests
If you want to ensure that you are getting the very best calibre of guests possible, here are some top tips for screening:
1) Review their profile
When it comes to screening your Airbnb guest, the first thing that you should do is review their profile. This will allow you to check out their past stays and whether they have been verified.
An incomplete profile should not be an immediate red flag, though, as you can message them to ask them to fill out the missing information as required.
2) Ask them some questions
While you do not want to interrogate your guests, consider asking them a few questions to gather an insight into their stay. This could be asking them what they plan for their trip, what they liked about your listing, and whether they have stayed in an Airbnb before.
Just remember to keep your conversation light and friendly; you do not want to put potential customers off!
3) Check out their reviews
Just like guests will check out your reviews before getting in touch, make sure that you are checking theirs as well. This is an important part of the Airbnb guest screening process and will help you understand if they have a reputation for being a noisy guest or regularly breaking house rules.
4) Have detailed house rules
It is important that you make it clear to guests what is expected of them during their stay. Setting these rules will mean they have to accept to abide by them and will help them to understand what you consider to be reasonable behaviour.
5) Ask for a security deposit
Another great tip for screening Airbnb guests is to ask for a security deposit ahead of the stay. This is an effective way of increasing the likelihood of having a responsible and serious guest staying at your property.
A deposit will also give you peace of mind that you are protected against any damages and that the credit card being used is not fraudulent.
Need help with your Canmore Airbnb?
Are you looking for help with running your Airbnb in Canmore? Here at Canmore Co-Host, our experienced Superhosts and Prohosts know how important it is to screen your guests. That is why we are on hand to help you every step of the way, ensuring you can optimize your listing and boost your income.
Want to find out more about our services and how we can help you? Get in touch today!
