STR - Guest Verification/Screening

[Shane Bishop]

Hi! We're new hosts to the STR community, but have managed MTRs for about 3 years. We have always screened our MTR guests, and so far, have required our STR guests to complete a verification through Truvi. So far, we've had a few guests flagged by Truvi for criminal background, but Truvi will not disclose the nature of the red flag. So we have two questions for the BP community!!

1) If a guest is flagged and we don't feel comfortable with the booking, can we submit the flagged report to Airbnb and cancel the booking without penalty? The screening is listed in our description as a requirement. 

2) Are other STR hosts requiring screenings and how do you handle it? Is there a better method than Truvi?

I personally have not ever had to fill out a guest verification as a guest, but as new hosts, we want to protect ourselves, our property, and our neighbors as much as possible. 

Thanks for the support!

[Denise Supplee]

Hi @Shane Bishop. Nice to meet you here on BP! I’d be careful here and separate house rules from platform policy and fair housing risk. Even if screening is listed in your description, Airbnb may not automatically allow penalty free cancellation unless it fits their rules, so I’d contact Airbnb support before canceling and document everything. For STRs, I’d focus on what you can control consistently,  (verified ID, strong house rules, minimum stay settings, security deposit/claims process, no-party language, exterior cameras disclosed properly, and clear cancellation standards applied the same way to everyone.) Screening can help, but if the vendor won’t disclose the reason, I’d want legal guidance before making adverse decisions based on a vague flag.