Red Flags for Airbnb Hosts to Look Out For In Guests

Is it Possible to Get Scammed on Airbnb?

Airbnb scams do happen. The caveat of letting in strangers to your property is that there’s not always a guarantee that they are who they say they are. Airbnb host scams can also happen – where a listing is made with random property photos to lure in unsuspecting guests. However, there are more accounts of guests scamming Airbnb hosts than visa versa. 

Common Airbnb Scams by Guests

Worried about being scammed by potential guests? Guests may attempt to trick hosts into unnecessary refunds or free stays. Being aware of potential warning signs that the guest profile you are interacting with is fraudulent will save you money and time. 

Airbnb scams by guests that every host should be aware of: 

• Guests who ask for discounts 
• Threaten to leave a bad review if not refunded 
• Mention someone else will pay for their stay 
• Want to take the conversation to a private app 
• Make an overpayment and then request a refund 

How to Know if an Airbnb Guest Profile is Legit 

Most of the time when an Airbnb host receives a booking request, it is coming from a guest who is genuinely interested in staying at the property. Unfortunately, there are incidences where hosts receive booking requests that are meant to scam the host. Airbnb scams can take many different forms, especially as the Airbnb industry grows. The following are red flags to spot in potential Airbnb guests.

Offer a Fake Name

The first potential red flag that you can spot in a fraudulent account is a profile that seems to have a fake name. A fake name could be something that is meant to be a joke name. Joke names can be anything from ‘John Doe’ to ‘Barack Obama’. 

Typically names such as this are coming from an unreliable source. Of course, you should look into these types of profiles further to discover whether they are fake. It may be just an individual with an unfortunate name. You can check whether this person’s name is real by seeing whether or not their personal information has been verified by providing an ID such as a driver’s license or passport.

Provide an Odd Email Address

Before accepting a booking, check a customer’s email address. If the guest’s email has a different full name or it appears to be jumbled letters in their email address, this is a red flag that the profile is not who they say they are. If the guest has an email that seems questionable have them verify their email before they proceed with renting your property.

Have Questionable Language Skills

Red flags for grammar and language can be found in the message that the guest sends to you or in the guest’s profile. Some guest inquiries come as short broken sentences that do not seem to make much sense. These messages are scams that are sent to multiple hosts. 

However, be mindful of guest profiles that are out of the country. If a person’s first language is not English, it is reasonable for their messages to seem like broken English. 

They Do Not Want to Use Secure Payments

One of the number one red flags of a potential Airbnb scam is if the guest refuses to use a secure payment method. Protect yourself from Airbnb guest scams like this by ensuring that guests are aware of your preferred payment method up-front. 

As a host, you can decide what you wish to have as a preferred payment method on your Airbnb listing. These methods typically include credit cards, debit cards, and PayPal. Anything beyond these methods can be unreliable. Do not agree to accept cash, checks, or wired transfers from guests.

Last Minute Bookings

Typically guests plan out their stays weeks to months in advance. Therefore, it is wise to watch out for last-minute bookings. Last-minute bookings are not always a red flag, but guests should provide an explanation as to why they are requesting to book the Airbnb last minute.

Avoid Vacation Rental Guest Scams

Screen Airbnb guests to avoid any risk of being scammed. As an Airbnb host, you are allowed to ask for an ID or passport to verify your potential guest’s identity. Establish a standardized guest screening flow for your vacation rental business to avoid guest fraud. 

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