FAQ: What do I do after I receive a reservation request from a guest?

What do I do after I receive a reservation request from a guest?

When a potential guest sends you a reservation request, you'll receive an email notification and an alert on your Dashboard. Click on the link to view your reservation details and accept or decline the request. You can also get instant alerts about reservation requests straight to your mobile phone by text message notification.

You have up to 24 hours to officially respond to a guest’s reservation request in your Airbnb account by clicking on the green button to accept or the red button to decline the request before the request expires. Your Dashboard will show you the time you have remaining. Remember, you are never under any obligation to accept a request. If it doesn't feel right, it’s okay to decline the request. Declining a reservation request has no impact on your listing, but expired requests negatively affect your placement in the search results.

Here’s a guide on some common scenarios you may face after you receive a request:

1. The dates are available, and you feel comfortable with the potential guest. Woo-hoo! Go ahead and accept the booking. Your listing’s calendar is automatically updated to show the reservation.

2. The dates are available, but you want to know more about the traveler. Not a problem. Click "Other", and send a message to the guest. You still need to officially accept or decline the request within 24 hours so it doesn’t expire.

3. The dates are not available. Kindly decline the request so the guest knows to keep on looking. You can state the reason for declining (which will remain private), and you can also include a follow-up message to wish them luck. If you decline a request, you can choose to leave the dates available or blocked. You can always change this decision later by editing your calendar.

4. The details of the reservation request don’t look correct. You can deny the request, making sure to leave the dates marked as available. Using the nifty pricing tool, you can test why the rate is appearing at a certain price to your guests, then work out the details and have your guest send a new request or you can extend a Special Offer.

5. The request expired. Your guest can still book with you if you re-open your calendar dates and have them submit a new request, or you can extend a Special Offer.

Example reservation request: