Category: Autohost AI

Airbnb and other home-sharing platforms have revolutionized the travel industry in recent years. However, along with the convenience and profitability of hosting strangers in your home comes the risk of encountering what is commonly known as an “Airbnb squatter.”

These individuals exploit the system, overstaying their welcome and turning your dream of earning extra income into a nightmare. In some cases, the “guests” have managed to stay (or squat) in a property for almost two years while fighting the landlord in court.

And the good news is that you can reduce the risk of Airbnb squatters by cashing in on guest screening software like Autohost. It employs advanced algorithms to analyze data points and offer instant feedback about a tenant’s risk level. Based on the information, you can accept or decline a reservation to improve the guest experience.

In this article, we will delve into what an Airbnb squatter is, how to spot them, what to do if a guest refuses to leave, and the process of Airbnb eviction.

How do you describe an ‘Airbnb Squatter’?

An Airbnb squatter refers to a guest who prolongs their stay beyond the agreed-upon reservation period without your consent or approval. While most guests abide by the rules and respect the host’s property, some individuals take advantage of the lax monitoring or unclear expectations to extend their stay for days, weeks, or even months without compensating the host adequately.

These squatters can disrupt your hosting plans, cause financial strain, and make it challenging to host or property owners welcome other guests.

Beware Property Owners: The signs of an Airbnb Squatter:

Identifying potential Airbnb squatters early on can save you from the hassle of dealing with a prolonged stay.

Here are some signs for property owner to look out for:

Frequent Reservation Changes:

Squatters often modify their reservation dates multiple times, extending their stay incrementally without proper communication or justification. This behavior can be a red flag and should prompt closer attention.

Lack of Communication:

Squatters may become evasive or unresponsive when asked about their plans, making it difficult to anticipate their departure or make alternative arrangements. Regular and open communication is essential for a successful hosting experience.

Resistance to House Rules:

Guests who disregard or challenge your house rules, such as maximum stay limits or quiet hours, may indicate a potential squatter. Respect for your rules is a fundamental aspect of a harmonious guest-host relationship.

No Valid Reason for Extension:

If a guest cannot provide a valid reason for extending their stay, such as unexpected travel delays or emergencies, it raises suspicions. Squatters often struggle to justify their extended presence convincingly.

Unwillingness to Pay Fairly:

A guest who refuses to pay the appropriate fees for their extended stay or attempts to negotiate significantly lower rates may be trying to take advantage of you financially.

What to Do if Airbnb Guests Refuses to Leave?

If you suspect that a guest has turned into an Airbnb squatter and refuse to leave your vacation rental property, it is crucial to take action promptly. Here are the steps you can follow:

Communicate Clearly:

Start by discussing the situation with the guest. Politely remind them of the original reservation dates and inquire about their plans to vacate the rental property. Miscommunication or misunderstanding can sometimes lead to unintentional overstay.

Enforce Your House Rules:

If the guest remains uncooperative, firmly enforce your house rules and emphasize the maximum stay limit that was initially agreed upon. Refer back to your communication history to establish a clear timeline of the reservation and any changes made.

Contact Airbnb Support:

Reach out to Airbnb’s customer support team and provide them with a detailed account of the situation. Include all relevant information, such as your airbnb rental property, communication records, reservation details, and evidence of the guest’s refusal to comply with your requests.

Seek Legal Advice:

Consulting a legal professional experienced in landlord-tenant matters may be advisable depending on your jurisdiction and the tenant rights specific circumstances. They can provide guidance on the appropriate steps to take and the local eviction procedures to follow.

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Does airbnb protect against squatters?

Airbnb offers protection against squatters to its hosts through its Host Guarantee and Host Protection Insurance policies. The Host Guarantee provides protection for up to $1 million in damages to eligible property in the rare event of guest damage that is not resolved directly with the guest.

Host Protection Insurance is a liability insurance program that provides primary coverage for up to $1 million per occurrence in the event of a third-party claim of bodily injury or property damage related to an Airbnb stay.

However, while Airbnb provides these protections against squatters or other guest scams, it’s important to note that they are not a substitute for homeowners or renters insurance and do not cover personal liability, loss of income, or damage due to reasonable wear and tear. They also do not specifically cover the unique legal complications presented by squatters. Therefore, hosts should still be proactive in monitoring their properties and screening their guests to prevent such situations.

These policies emphasize the importance of having clear and well-documented house rules, open communication lines with your guests, and using the resolution center for any conflicts. It’s always advised to report to Airbnb immediately if you feel your property is at risk.

In essence, while Airbnb offers certain protections, dealing with squatters often involves legal procedures that are subject to local laws. Therefore, it’s important for hosts to be familiar with the regulations in their locality and consult legal advice if necessary.

The Airbnb Eviction Process for Airbnb Squatters

The process of Airbnb eviction varies depending on your location and local laws. In many cases, Airbnb defers local regulations and legal procedures when removing unwanted guests or unauthorized tenants from your own vacation rental property. It is essential to familiarize yourself with your local laws and regulations to ensure that you follow the correct procedures.

Check out our detailed guide about Airbnb evictions.

Here are some general steps you need before starting eviction proceedings:

Review the Terms and Conditions:

Familiarize yourself with Airbnb’s terms and conditions regarding guest behavior, rental contract cancellation policies, and dispute resolution. Understanding these guidelines can help you navigate the eviction process more effectively.

Provide Documentation:

Compile all relevant documentation, including communication records with property owners, reservation details, and evidence of the guest’s refusal to leave. This information will support your case during the eviction process and demonstrate your efforts to resolve the situation amicably.

Contact Local Authorities:

If the guest still refuses to leave despite your best efforts, you may need to involve local authorities to physically remove guests. Reach out to the appropriate law enforcement agency and explain the situation. They can guide you on the legal steps to take and provide assistance if necessary.

Consider Mediation:

In some cases, mediation can help resolve disputes without the need for legal action. Airbnb offers a resolution center where hosts and guests can seek mediation services to address conflicts and find mutually agreeable solutions.

Legal Action:

If all other attempts to resolve the situation fail, you may need to pursue legal action to evict the squatter. Consult with a lawyer specializing in landlord-tenant law to understand the legal requirements and initiate the eviction process in your jurisdiction.

30-day squatters rights:

“30-day squatters rights” is a term often used to describe the legal protections that can automatically apply to individuals who have occupied a property for a specified length of time, often 30 days. The laws surrounding this concept vary by region and can depend on a variety of factors. In some jurisdictions, once a person stays in a property for a continuous 30-day period, they may be considered a legal tenant, even if there’s no formal lease agreement in place. This can make eviction considerably more difficult, as formal eviction proceedings in accordance with local landlord-tenant laws may be required.

For property owners and hosts, it is essential to be aware of these legal considerations when allowing guests to stay for extended periods. If you’re renting out a property on a platform like Airbnb, ensure that stays don’t inadvertently exceed this 30-day threshold unless you’re prepared to potentially deal with the consequences. In the event of a dispute or an overstaying guest, professional legal advice should be sought. It’s crucial to remember that the interpretation and enforcement of these laws can vary widely, so it’s essential to understand your local laws and regulations thoroughly.

Airbnb squatters rights:

When it comes to Airbnb squatters’ rights, the legal landscape can be complex and varies significantly from place to place. While Airbnb operates as a platform for connecting hosts with guests for short-term rentals, the legalities surrounding tenancy and squatters’ rights are typically governed by local and state laws. As earlier mentioned, guests who stay in a property for a certain period – often 30 days or more – may acquire what are known as “tenant’s rights”. This can potentially make the eviction process more complex, as it may require formal eviction proceedings rather than a simple request to leave.

This underscores the need for hosts to familiarize themselves with the rental and tenant laws in their region. It is also crucial to have a clear understanding of Airbnb’s terms of service and to keep all communication and transactions within the platform for added protection. The platform’s rules stipulate that stays should be short-term, but the enforcement of this policy can be tricky once local tenancy laws come into play. If a guest oversteps their agreed-upon reservation and refuses to leave, it’s advised to seek legal counsel to navigate these complicated situations.

By being vigilant and proactive, you can reduce the likelihood of encountering Airbnb squatters and minimize the impact if such a situation does arise. However, prevention is always better than cure. One effective way to mitigate the risk of unwanted long-term guests is to utilize AI-based guest screening solutions.

AI Guest Screening for Airbnb Host:

AI-based guest screening solutions utilize advanced algorithms to analyze various data points and provide insights into potential guests. These solutions can help you identify red flags and make informed decisions when accepting or declining reservations. By screening guests before confirming bookings, you can minimize the risk of encountering squatters and other problematic individuals.

These AI-powered tools consider factors such as guest ratings and reviews, previous booking and vacation rental history, and social media profiles to assess the suitability of potential guests. They can provide you with valuable information to make informed hosting decisions and ensure a positive experience for you and your guests.

In conclusion, while the rise of home-sharing platforms like Airbnb has provided numerous opportunities for hosts, the risk of encountering Airbnb squatters is unfortunate. You can protect yourself from this nightmare scenario by staying vigilant, spotting the signs of potential squatters, and taking immediate action when necessary. Remember to communicate clearly, enforce your house rules, seek assistance from Airbnb support, and consult legal professionals if needed. Additionally, consider utilizing AI-based guest screening solutions to proactively minimize the risk of encountering unwanted long-term guests. Taking these precautions can create a safe and positive hosting experience for yourself and your future guests.

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Here are some highlights of the many recent features we released:

Predictions with NoiseAware

Customers who connect their NoiseAware account with Autohost benefit from more intelligent predictions for parties and noise complaints. Alerts from NoiseAware are sent to our Automatic Incident Reporting system, where they will be cataloged and correlated with other fingerprints. The Autohost Screening AI will use this data to identify past offenders making new bookings with your company.

Autohost will also send email alerts with full reservation context when noise alerts are triggered in real-time. Learn more about how to connect your Autohost account with NoiseAware here.

Apaleo Integration

We are excited to announce that we have partnered with Apaleo, one of Europe’s largest property management systems. This advanced integration supports two-way sync between the two platforms to minimize switching between the two tools. Contact us today if you are interested to hear more.

Here are some highlights of the many recent features we released:

Automatic Incident Reports

Autohost monitors and analyzes transactions on payment platforms such as Stripe to automatically create incident reports. We monitor for events such as stolen cards, card stuffing, borrowed cards, fake identity cards, and more. This information is used by our Fraud Detection system to recognize new bad actors in near real-time.

Improved Chargeback Protection

Customers who are using our Payment Verification and Fraud Detection features benefit from enhanced capabilities to predict payment disputes. Autohost analyzes and learns from your past chargebacks to build a fraud graph that is used by our machine learning models. This information is further enriched with data from your CMS or PMS, resulting in highly accurate predictions. Make sure you pay attention to the Fraud Detection recommendations in your risk report.

 

Repeat Guests

You can customize which Guest Portal screens will be shown to guests that have been verified in the past.

When a guest enters the Guest Portal we quickly run a search to find previous confirmed reservations. We scan all of them to check that none have been declined and override the screens as configured on the dashboard.

Check out the documentation to learn how to use this feature.

 

Rent Responsibly is an advocacy group promoting safe and fair policies for short-term rentals and property managers. They have recently released a case study on how one of our customers was able to catch a fraud ring within weeks after connecting to Autohost.

“I felt pretty vindicated,” he said “Anytime we onboard software, there is always a short period of time where we’re feeling it out, making sure that it is effective and worth the money, and this is one of the few instances where we onboarded something and almost immediately saw a return.

“In that specific instance where we caught consecutive fraudulent bookings, the savings of lost revenue right there equaled probably three, four months of software costs, so it paid for itself immediately.”

READ THE CASE STUDY

Here are some highlights of the many recent features we released:

Airbnb Deposits

We are thrilled to now offer more control and simpler resolution to any Airbnb-related damage or violation claims. With recent updates to Airbnb’s Off-Platform policy, and by overwhelming demand, you can now have the flexibility to charge Security Deposits to Airbnb reservations. Visit our Knowledge Base article on Abiding by Airbnb’s Off-Platform policy for more information, as well as the Security Deposit Screen settings to customize your setup.

Risky Reservations Report

At Autohost we automate the detection of risks and help teams focus where their attention is needed. With this product update, customers can expect to receive email reports when we detect risky transactions that have yet to be reviewed and acted upon.

As a short-term rental host or property manager, you want to provide an excellent, modern experience to your guests while also keeping your property and business safe and secure, with reliable hotel background checks.

You want to outperform the stay they’d get with a faceless, old-fashioned hotel, give them easy and high-tech access, and remove the boring admin that causes lines at the front desk and forces them to hang around in the lobby instead of going straight to their room.

But how can you do that and also ensure safety and security on your property? Hotels often keep guests waiting because they’re checking IDs and credit card details on arrival, after all.

And, while hotels do run guest screening, they’re often less-than-comprehensive, fail to check important financial or criminal history, are ineffective against fraud, and provide a terrible guest experience on arrival.

So what’s the answer? Is it possible for the hotel industry to combine the security of a background check with a modern, streamlined contact less check in system, and good guest experience?

Yes. In fact, it’s actually recommended to go beyond the surface-level checks of hotels and use technology to improve your guest screening and give them a great experience from the start.

In this post, we explain:

• What level of background checks hotels perform
• Why hospitality background checks (just like Airbnb ID verification) are often not good enough
• How you can actually do better than hotels and perform comprehensive, effective checks
• And how to do all of this while still offering guests a streamlined, modern, easy, five-star stay

We’ve also explained how specially-designed software can help automate and improve your background checks if you decide you need more to ensure the safety of your business.

Want to perform in-depth verifications on your bookings?
Autohost performs advanced guest vetting processes to minimize risk
Request a demo

Background Checks for Hospitality

A hotel background check usually means that hotel employees check the photo ID and credit card details of each guest. Traditional hotels usually do this on guests’ arrival, which keeps guests waiting in the lobby rather than letting them go straight to their room.

More tech-forward, digitally-connected hotels are likely to do background checks in advance. They use modern technology to detect more complex, easy-to-miss issues, as well as to connect their checks to smart locks to streamline and secure the check-in experience.

Background checks are intended to help prevent fraud, improve security, reduce risk of damage and avoid crime. Some hotels also need to collect ID details of their guests to comply with local laws or regulations.

Do hotels run background checks on guests?

Yes, most reputable hotels do run surface-level checks on guests, using a photo ID or credit card to verify their identity. But this type of ID verification is nowhere near as thorough as a traditional background check.

In contrast to tech-first Airbnb background checks, most hotels are unlikely to have software that goes as far as checking financial history or sex offender records. Or linking digital check-in to a successful background check.

Do hotels check for warrants?

While hotels are legally required to check the identity of their guests, it is less common for them to perform comprehensive background checks. An important type of check that hotels should conduct is for outstanding warrants.

Hotels may be alerted to guests with warrants if they have implemented advanced security technology, such as license plate scanners or facial recognition software. However, the extent of the background check will depend on the hotel’s policies and the security measures they have in place. While some hotels may take extra steps to ensure the safety and security of their guests, there is no industry-wide standard for background checks.

Hotels or property managers who want to ensure the safety of their properties and guests may want to consider using a dedicated verification platform like Autohost to perform comprehensive checks that go beyond what hotels typically offer.

Understanding hotel policies on guest background checks relates to AI background check advances.

Where do hotels’ background checks fall short?

Traditional hotel background checks fall short in several key areas; from damaging the guest experience by keeping people waiting around to risking major security issues and possibly even serious crime.

They damage the guest experience

When guests arrive after a long journey, the last thing they want to do is hang around in the lobby waiting for the front desk to check their details. Manual or on-arrival background checks don’t give a great first impression.

They’re not done in advance

When the guest isn’t checked until arrival, this opens the hotel up to issues. If problems are found, the guest is there already, leading to possible confrontation between guests and staff.

This presents a security threat, risks upsetting genuine customers, and could cause reputational damage.

They’re not comprehensive

Much hotel background screening fails to verify details such as financial history or criminal background checks, and won’t pick up on the risk of credit card chargebacks or other problems.

This opens the hotel up to issues like financial loss, reputational damage, and even legal action.

They’re not linked to secure check-in

Not using modern technology to link background checks to smart locks or online check-in leaves room for significant problems. Not only do guests need to wait to check in, but anyone using a false ID may be granted access. AI based guest screening solutions like Autohost can be integrated into your Hotel key management system.

They don’t catch fake IDs or other signs of crime

Simply checking an ID or credit card may pass initial checks, but offers no real confidence in whether the guest is possibly posing as someone else, has a history of crime, or using a fake ID. This opens the hotel up to a serious risk of crime, fraud, and security problems.

For hotels that are required to submit guest IDs to local authorities and police, it can also put the hotel at risk of becoming an unintentional accomplice or being on the hook for negligence in failing to properly vet guests and validate their identity.

How can hosts tackle the limitations of hotels’ background checks?

Short-term rental hosts can improve considerably on background checks by harnessing technology that’s designed for this purpose, such as Autohost.ai. 

Authost.ai uses AI technology to perform an in-depth, robust, and scalable background screening process that goes far beyond the limitations of hotels’ traditional checks.

This means that:

The checks are completed before arrival

This not only ensures security ahead of time but also massively improves the guest experience. No more waiting on arrival; guests can just go straight in, creating a seamless, strong first impression immediately.

It appeals to tech-savvy, Millennial guests

The so-called “Uber Generation” (Millennials and younger) are used to doing everything on their phones, from ordering groceries to booking flights to streaming music and TV.

They expect to have their stay details on their phone too and will expect and welcome this tech-first, easy approach.

Checks are completed after booking request

Not only does this streamline the entire booking process, it also means that if the guest fails the thorough background checks, they can cancel. However, if your guest passes the background check, their booking request will be confirmed. This removes the risk to your property and avoids problems before they start.

It’s automated and scalable

In contrast to manual front desk checks at hotel chains, using connected technology is automatic, and doesn’t rely on having front desk staff present or requiring them to perform background checks while the guests wait.

This means your property can operate without a front desk, requires less on-site staff, and is scalable as your business grows.

It’s comprehensive and secure

Autohost not only verifies ID but also checks financial history and criminal records, to detect possible risks of fraud and chargebacks, and even serious crime.

It requires digital verification and online check-in

This will deter guests who are looking to slip through security checks and means that problematic guests are likely to cancel and remove the risk to your property.

It’s linked to secure check-in and syncs with bookings

Guests book and sync with your reservation system. Guests are analyzed for risk and are only sent the check-in details once they pass verification.

This creates a paper trail to the reservation and increases guest accountability, reducing the risk of fraud, damage, or disrespectful guests.

Want to perform in-depth verifications on your bookings?
Autohost performs advanced guest vetting processes to minimize risk
Request a demo

Do hotels run background checks on guests? The need-to-know

Of course, hotels run some level of check on guests, but they’re more to verify the guest’s identity and are often limited. Hotel ID checks keep guests waiting, cause obstacles to checking in, and generally put off Millennial travelers, who expect to do everything on their phones. 

They’re also manual, requiring hotel employees to be at a front desk, and are far from comprehensive. Without the extra screening that dedicated platforms such as Autohost.ai provide, there is more risk of brand reputation loss, fraud, chargebacks, violence, drug use, and even sex trafficking.

By harnessing the power of hyper-connected technology, modern hotels can connect their business to online check-in and secure smart locks, and perform robust security checks, creating a remote, easy workflow that increases security without compromising on the positive guest experience.

Frequently asked questions about hotel background checks for guests

Are hotels allowed to give out ID information?

Hotels are not allowed to give out ID information for any reason, whether for marketing or to sell data. Hotels can only use guest data for identity checks that are required to ensure security.

Why do hotels ask for ID?

Hotels ask for ID because they have a legal requirement to check the guest’s identity and keep IDs on file. Generally, hotels don’t use these documents to carry out in-depth, robust background checks using automated software like Autohost.

How long does the background check take in a hotel?

Background checks in hotels are usually done on arrival when the guest is checking in. However, because they are done manually, they often take a while and can keep the guests waiting around in the lobby, or in line, while the front desk staff carry out the screening. This creates a poor first impression, and will not appeal to Millennial guests who prefer to do everything quickly and on-demand, on their phones.

Can hotels do background checks by law?

By law, hotels can ask for a legal photo ID or a credit card and keep this data for security purposes. However, their checks are often not comprehensive enough to ensure real security. On the other hand, a dedicated verification software like Autohost focuses on comprehensive risk mitigation using all the necessary matching data points.

PROTECT YOUR BUSINESS TODAY

Here are some highlights of the many recent features we released:

Chargeback Data Science

Our mission is to be the best platform for automated Know Your Customer (KYC). Our data science teams are constantly experimenting and improving our capabilities to detect risks for the companies we protect. To this end we are working to expand our use of Graph-based Neural Networks (GNN), Graph-to-Vector algorithms, Louvain Community Detection, and Degree Centrality queries. These cutting-edge techniques allow us to significantly reduce your fraud and chargeback rates.

Reseller and OEM Admin

Autohost resellers, OEM, and channel partners have their own administrative dashboard to create, update and disable user accounts. This allows your company to connect and manage your customer accounts quickly without delay. Contact us today to inquire about becoming a partner if you need a state-of-the-art risk screening and automation platform. Contact us here if you want to talk to our sales team about partnerships.

 

 

Cloudbeds Integration

We are excited to announce that we are now partnered with Cloudbeds, one of the largest property management systems in the world. This advanced integration supports two-way sync between the two platforms to minimize switching between the two tools. Contact us today if you are interested to hear more.

Here are some highlights of the many recent features we released:

Activity Log

Introducing the Activity Log! This new feature promotes digital transparency and gives our team the ability to troubleshoot issues quickly. As a PM, the Activity Log gives you direct visibility into a guest’s journey through the Guest Portal. Using this log will give you the ability to support guests during the screening process so that you can deliver a pleasant pre-check-in experience. Give it a try, and let us know what you think.

Operto Integration Improvements

We updated our Operto integration to improve the User Experience (UX) for guests. This update will help ensure guests never get stuck. When they get to the last Guest Portal page on Autohost, they will see a loading animation while we are analyzing the verification status. If it comes back as verified (or approved), the user will be redirected immediately to the Operto app, even when they revisit the Autohost link at a later date. Reservations that are marked for review will be shown a message telling them to expect further instructions to arrive via email soon.

Connect your account today to start using the ultimate Digital Check-In Experience.

 

 

API Speed Boost

Guest Portal load times and image uploads are faster than ever! Internet traffic of users will now be routed, in priority, directly to the Autohost datacenter by the utility providers, where supported.

To achieve this, we partnered with Amazon Web Services to use their new Global Accelerator Anycast Network. Global Accelerator terminates TCP connections from users at AWS edge locations and, almost concurrently, establishes a new TCP connection with Autohost’s endpoints. This gives clients faster response times (lower latency) and increased throughput.

 

Halloween is almost here and while most people are picking out costumes and stocking up on candy, property managers in the vacation rental industry are crossing their fingers and praying they don’t get hit by a Halloween party…or worse.

Unfortunately, nightmarish incidents aren’t restricted to Halloween. For property managers, they happen 365 days a year. As security experts in the vacation rental industry, we’ve heard every horror story imaginable. In the spirit of Halloween, we’d like to share a few of our scarier stories and explain how they could have been prevented.

Gunshots and mayhem

About a month before partnering with Autohost, one of our clients received a call in the middle of the night. It was the police asking about a property at the end of a cul-de-sac in a nearby residential neighborhood. They told the client it was an emergency and they needed to get there ASAP.

The client arrived on scene to find 50 police cars outside the home with neighbors peeking through window slats. An officer told the client that they were filing a police report after a 200-person party had broken out at the property, ending in broken windows, excessive noise, fistfights in neighbors yards and gunshots.

While the client’s property was, shockingly, in one piece, their reputation among neighbors was shattered.

Horror stories from vacation rentals underscore the need for a thorough guest screening questionnaire.

How it could have been prevented

Parties are the bane of property managers’ existence, and they tend to be more common around holidays and major events like Halloween. While they can be difficult to predict, there are red flags you can watch for in the guest’s booking details.

The first detail to check is where the guest is from. If the guest is local, there’s a much higher chance that they’re booking your property for a party. Next, compare the size of your property to the number of guests—do they match? If you have a couple booking a four bedroom house, something’s up.

To make sure you know exactly who will be entering your property, ask for a guest list that includes each guest’s name and contact information. And don’t be afraid to ask the guest about their purpose of stay. It’s within your rights to know the guest’s intentions at your property.

Finally, have the guest sign a legally-binding rental agreement acknowledging your house rules—including one about no parties. You can also ask the guest for a security deposit. This should help deter any bad behavior.

Horror stories can be used as case studies for why the ultimate tenant screening checklist is necessary.

TIPS ON HOW TO PREVENT HALLOWEEN PARTIES

Mistaken identity

Before partnering with Autohost, one of our clients used to manually screen guests themselves. This involved Googling the guest and combing through their social media accounts. Despite the extra precaution, a gang managed to slip past their security and take their property hostage.

The gang members used a stolen ID with no criminal record to book the property. For a week, the gang members used the property to traffick drugs and automatic weapons. Not only did this mean our client wasn’t getting paid for those extra nights but it was endangering building staff.

Finally, with the help of a police escort, our clients were able to change the locks on the unit’s door while the gang members were out.

How it could have been prevented

By using a valid government-issued ID with no criminal record or other red flags, the gang members made this reservation extremely difficult to catch. That’s why it’s important to analyze and compare all data points in the reservation. Even if the ID checks out, there could be other suspicious activity. For example, in fraudulent bookings, disposable phone numbers and prepaid credit cards are common. In the reservation discussed above, there was likely another sign of fraud or foul play that was overlooked.

Crime pays

One of our clients came to us because they were tired of dealing with chargebacks. A New Year’s Eve incident finally sent them over the edge. The client accepted a last-minute booking on New Year’s Eve. Since it was a holiday and last-minute, rates were higher than normal. Our client thought they’d be making some easy money. Everything seemed to check out with the guest. They arrived on time, didn’t cause problems, and left without any issues.

It wasn’t until a few days later that the bank hit our client with a chargeback. Turns out the credit card used to pay for the stay had been stolen. While our client did file a dispute, there was nothing they could do. They had to refund the revenue they’d earned from the booking and lost two nights they could have rented the property to someone else.

How it could have been prevented

If someone uses a stolen card to book your property, you won’t win that chargeback. That’s why you need to catch the stolen card before the guest gains access to your property. The best way to do this is to cross reference the credit card with other details from the booking. Does the card match the name on the guest’s ID and the name given in the booking? If it doesn’t, it may be a stolen card.

Only accept registered credit cards, never prepaid cards. These cards aren’t associated with anyone and can be used to mask the guest’s identity.

If you’re hit with a chargeback, it’s extremely difficult to recover lost revenue and impossible if the card was stolen or if you don’t have proper documentation to plead your case.

The best way to keep your money in the bank is to verify guests ahead of time and avoid chargebacks altogether.

Hosting doesn’t have to be scary. To de-risk your reservations and prevent incidents, you need to screen your guests. Stay safe and have a happy Halloween!

GET STARTED SCREENING YOUR GUESTS