Watch Out For 6 Vacation Rental Booking Red Flags
A Guide to Red Flags in Vacation Rental Bookings
While owning a vacation rental can be a lucrative and fulfilling business, it also comes with plenty of risks as well, especially if you aren’t screening your guests. From parties that can cause devastating property damage to scammers using stolen credit cards to book their stays, there are a myriad of ways that problematic guests can cause damage to your short-term rental business.
Thankfully, there are a few ways to spot these red flag guests before they ever set foot on your property. Today, we’ll explore 6 vacation rental booking red flags to watch out for.
Red Flag #1: Details Don’t Match Up
Perhaps the earliest warning sign that short-term rental owners should be on the lookout for is if the booking details are nonsensical or just plain don’t match up. If someone is using a fake name, their email address looks like a bot created it, or the credit card details don’t match up to the booking details, all of these warning signs should be heeded.
While there may be an innocent explanation for these things (such as a relative or friend paying for a booking), many scammers use these tactics so they are not connected to their crimes. It’s better to be safe than sorry and reject bookings that sound suspicious or where the details just don’t match up.
Red Flag #2: Potential Guests Are Locals
Another red flag to be on the lookout for is if the guests are local to the area they’re staying in. It’s true that there’s many reasons that a local would book a vacation rental (like if their home is being renovated or they just want to have some privacy away from the kids for a weekend), but in some cases, these guests may be planning to throw a party or engage in criminal activity on your property. This is why it’s important to communicate with potential guests and ask them why they’re interested in your rental–if they have a believable answer and no other warning signs are present, you’re probably in the clear. However, if they don’t respond or become hostile when asked questions, it’s probably better to steer away from that guest.
Red Flag #3: If It Looks Like a Party and Sounds Like a Party, It’s Probably a Party
Parties are a real problem for vacation rental owners, but there are a few ways to spot one before it occurs. Be on the lookout for groups of unrelated adults booking together, especially if they are from the local area, or if a small group is renting a home with a much larger capacity than they need. While it could be something innocent, like a small birthday get together or celebration, it’s better to be safe on the safe side and reject all bookings that seem like they could turn into wild parties.
Red Flag #4: Last-Second Bookings, Same Day Stays
Another important warning sign to watch out for are last-second bookings or same-day bookings. Most people have their vacations and accommodations booked months in advance, so last-second and same-day bookings automatically become more suspicious to vacation rental owners, as they might be used as a party venue or somewhere to get up to criminal activities. Again, this is another good reason to communicate with your guests–if they have a legitimate reason for their last-minute reservation (such as an unplanned trip out of town or other rentals falling through), they’re probably safe, but if they can’t answer your questions, it’s better to let the reservation go.
Red Flag #5: Refuses to Answer Questions or Communicate
In our blog on guest screening, we recommended that you send over a questionnaire to potential guests to get a feel for them before accepting their bookings, and this leads us to yet another red flag: if a guest doesn’t respond to your questions or attempt to communicate with you whatsoever, it’s not a good sign. While it’s possible that there’s a language barrier or they’re just too busy to answer your questions, poor communication signals to hosts that the guest isn’t invested enough in your property to care for it properly, which could lead to a lot of potential problems.
Red Flag #6: Rule Exceptions and Discounts
Finally, the last red flag to be on the lookout for is if guests immediately ask for exceptions to the house rules or discounts on their nightly rate. Guests who are unable to (or unwilling to) follow the house rules tend to cause more trouble than their compliant, rule-following counterparts, while those who plead for extra discounts are typically not worth the hassle.
In either case, it adds no value to your business to accept these types of guests, as they are much more likely to cause problems and be stressful to deal with. Instead, turn your attention to your legitimate, rule-following guests who are more likely to add value to your short-term rental business.
Check Out All of Our Vacation Rental Homeowner Guides
Guests can come in all shapes and sizes, but it takes a discerning short-term rental owner to tell the difference between the bad apples and the good ones in the bunch. As long as you’re on the lookout for these red flags, you should have enough knowledge at your disposal to make the best decision for your business.
Eager to learn more ways to improve your vacation rental business? Check out some more of our guides, like our advice on attracting business travelers to your vacation rental and our tips on enhancing guest experience.