Spotting Problem Guests and Avoiding Vacation Rental Complaints

You work your you-know-what off to be certain your vacation property is in tip-top shape, yet one of your guests was rather nit-picky and found something to complain about. You exchange a few messages with this person and diplomatically handle it, saying sorry even though you know the person is out of line, but then the guest really gets under your skin by berating your rental with a nasty review. 

Of course this guest had the time and energy to write a negative assessment about your property, tarnishing its, until now, polished track record. 

As a host, responding to all reviews is an essential duty, but remember to hold back on saying what you truly feel.

Exercise restraint and take a deep breath in.

This is most likely not this guest’s first time chastising a top-tier rental property like yours.

Modern Innkeeper wants you to know there is a strategy that dodges problem guests like this, and avoiding vacation rental complaints that wrongfully damage your property’s reputation.

 

How To Spot Them

The best way to solve a problem is to prevent it from happening in the first place. Even though this is not always possible (hey, we live and we learn) putting forth the effort to do so can save you from dealing with a catastrophe later on down the road.

 

Do Your Homework

Problem guests do not discriminate whose life they decide to temporarily make a living hell. In this instance, this works in your favor because you can learn what you are about to get yourself into before it is too late.

 

Review Their Profiles

Vacation rental platforms give hosts an option to rate and/or review their guests. If you take a look at a particular guest’s profile and find unfavorable results, this is a HUGE indicator you should not confirm this person’s stay at your property.

 

Pay Attention to Booking Behavior

How smooth or unsmooth the booking process is more likely than not foreshadows how the entire experience will play out. If communicating is easy and you are both on the same page, the odds are the stay will go well. If you observe any of the following, it is likely you are dealing with a problem guest:

• Poor grammar

• Asking for unattainable accommodations

• Consistently getting details of your property wrong, such as calling your apartment a house

Noticing this before confirming the stay will save you from a massive headache. 

 

Communicate With Previous Hosts

If you are on the fence about what type of guest a person is, take the initiative to contact a host who previously hosted him or her to determine what you are about to take on. This additional perspective will ultimately make it easier to come to a decision.

 

Reinforce Expectations With Guests

Reading a harmful review that falsely accuses your rental of being inadequate is frustrating, especially if you were under the impression this guest had a grasp of what your rental had to offer. 

To avoid this from occurring, be crystal clear with your communication. 

Personally detail your rental’s amenities on whichever platform you use to correspond with guests. Of course, you also need to put this in writing in the rental agreement guests acknowledge prior to staying at your property. 

If you do this, you can confidently claim the guest was aware of what was in store.

 

Due Diligence Pays Off

If you have a full calendar, the chances of coming across a guest like the one described above increase. It just comes with the territory of being a host, but if you follow these steps, you can avoid disaster before it strikes.

Repetitive complaints from guests are an entirely different beast, but you can still deter them by following the advice listed here.