AirBnB host wants a call before my stay

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hey millennial, you can survive a 5 minute phone call with a stranger. Don’t pretend it’s about wanting a “record.” We know you are terrified to speak on the phone. It will be okay.

No its a way to make sure they arent black.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I can't handle people who think the worst of everything - maybe there are a couple quirks about the house that are easier to explain in person rather than in writing - like how to use the alarm system or AC or something. CALM DOWN OP. The level of anxiety that some people have over living their lives...I just don't know how you survive.

Hosts should create a book- thats what every AirBnB I have rented does.

[Anonymous]

Super weird. He could be profiling. Or he could think he’s providing really excellent service by calling people who book. No way to know.

[Anonymous]

Is it maybe to avoid putting security codes on writing?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sounds like he’s screening by voice to make sure you’re not Black.



Signed, a Black Person.

Ugh. This wouldn't have occurred to me. Thanks for this bit of enlightenment.

--White Person

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is it maybe to avoid putting security codes on writing?

This doesn’t make sense to me. Just because the host won’t text or email the code, doesn’t mean the guest would abide by that. Seems like a silly and false sense of security, if that’s the story. Also, those codes should be changed after every guest. The call thing is weird so just stick to the app.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Airbnb host here -- I would never call a guest except in an emergency situation where I wanted to give them the opportunity to make other arrangements because of some situation at the property.

Since this is a relatively new host and apparently a very nice property, I'm guessing the host is nervous and just wants to make sure you're not planning to host some rave.

I would write back through the app and state your preference for keeping communication on the record. Assure the host somehow that you are just coming for a wedding and will respect the property. Ask if there is anything else he wanted to tell you and, if so, please send it through the system.

+1 And I agree with another poster who suggested calling Airbnb to notify them of your hosts attempts to speak by phone. This request portends drama and I’d be concerned about staying if the host won’t keep communications on the record.

[Anonymous]

My gut would say cancel

[Anonymous]

OP, give us a follow up after the call and after the stay!

[Anonymous]

I’d probably just do it. Weird, but as long as you’ve gone through the platform for everything else, you’re probably protected.

[Anonymous]

New poster. Haven’t read all of the replies.

We rented an Airbnb in a small town last year for a weekend getaway.

The owner was older (generation gap) and lived in that same small town—everyone knows everyone and is super friendly.

After we booked he asked for a phone call. Seemed odd but I figured it was no big deal. We chatted and it was no big deal. He was just super friendly and outgoing and preferred to inform us of a couple of pieces of information by phone.

If the reviews are good and there are no other red flags, I’d chalk this up to any number of random factors and just have the call and not freak out about it.

I mean, you took the time to post on dcum, so, you’re not so impossibly pressed for time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sounds like he’s screening by voice to make sure you’re not Black.



Signed, a Black Person.

This was my first thought.

OP here. I definitely thought about this. I am white. I also would not want to rent from anyone who would do this. But if that were the case, would he book us THEN try to figure that out? I mean, if we’ve already booked? I guess he could cancel. It’s bad enough having to go thru this second guessing of strangeness. But what a worry it must be for Black People to get a request like this and additionally worry they will be screened for race. I know how common this is. I just feel like this is a warning sign that the host will be a nightmare one way or another. I was telling myself I was overthinking but I can see I would not be the only one. I wish Airbnb would make it much more clear that a host should not call you (if that’s actually the case. The guidance is a bit vague here).

He seems like he will be a nightmare and could possibly have cameras around the home as well. I would avoid.

There’s a thread that people do still use cameras on properties here on DCUM. He seems like he would be the type already.

[Anonymous]

If you want to maintain a record, then if the host tries to push for a phone call, ask them if they consent to a recorded call so that you can maintain your record of communication in case you need to contact airBnB for any issues. Most cell phones will allow you to turn on voice recording of calls, so you can do this on your cell. Make sure that when you start the call, you start with "Hello. Just a reminder that this call is being recorded. Just verifying that you consent to have this call recorded." If the answer is not "yes", then hang up and reply via the app that you are disappointed that the host wants to have an undocumented call with you and that you will be reporting them to airBnB.

I have rented on airBnB about the same number of times and I have never been asked for a voice call before hand. For me, it's less likely that a voice call would be used for racial profiling as i have a very distinctive Chinese surname (think like Chen or Wang) that pretty much lets the host know my race.

In my experience, we both exchange cell phone numbers before check-in and the host usually says to contact them if there are any problems. If there are problems (rarely), we start by communicating via the app, but if there are extended problems (like one time the automatic door lock was not working correctly), I ended up calling the host. Fortunately, in that case, the host lived about 5 minutes away and he hopped into his car and was there in 10 minutes to help us sort out the issue. But most of the time, I've never spoken to the host outside of the app.

[Anonymous]

Just stay in a hotel. Why do people complain about VRBO/Airbnb when there is another option. I vastly prefer hotels.

[Anonymous]

OP, it strikes me that asking for a phone call is not a big deal. The several messages in a row after that is a bit odd. Still, what are you so afraid of? Just go ahead and call and see what the owner has to say.

For someone who claims to be insanely busy, you sure do seem to spending a huge amount of time worrying about this.