Properly vetting prospective guests is the best way to ensure a positive experience for everyone involved.

Step 1: Read the introductory email they sent with their request.
If they didn’t write one, you’ll want to ask them some questions (See Pre-Written Email Responses for sample text).

Step 2: Check the guest’s profile for basic verifications.
Do not approve requests unless they have the following:

• Profile Photo
• Verified ID
• Email Address Verified
• Phone Number Verified

Step 3: Read the guest’s profile details

• Reviews (are they good reviews?)
• Profile Bio (are they telling you a bit about themselves?)
• Facebook, LinkedIn and/or Google accounts are linked to their Airbnb account
• Are they new to Airbnb? If they are, it often explains why their profile may be incomplete. They just don’t know (yet) how important a complete profile is. You can teach them (see Pre-Written Email Responses for sample text).

Step 4: Inquiry or Reservation Request? Depending on which type it is, you have different options for responding. See Key Difference between Reservation Requests and Inquiries for help understanding the difference.

Step 5: Respond Promptly! Hosts with faster response times tend to get higher ratings and are ultimately more successful.