Not sure if this is a vent or a genuine question — probably both.
I've had a rough few months with guests. Broken items, trashed kitchens, showers left in a state I won't describe in detail. I'm quite sensitive to smells so some of what I've walked into has genuinely made me ill. Nothing catastrophic, but it adds up fast — emotionally and financially.
The thing that's really got to me is the claims process. I filed for £900 worth of damage in January. After weeks of back and forth, I got £140. That's not a safety net — that's a joke. And meanwhile I've lost the hosting income for the nights the property was out of action.
What I've started wondering is whether I'm just accepting too blindly. I look at the profile, check the reviews, and if nothing screams danger I accept. But I've learned that's not enough — some of the worst guests I've had looked perfectly fine on paper.
I know some hosts cross-reference guests against private Facebook groups and host circles before accepting. I've started doing that manually and it's already surfaced some names I recognised from local host chats.
Curious what methods people here are actually using before they hit accept. Is it purely instinct and reviews at this point, or does anyone have a more systematic approach? Would genuinely love to know what's working.