Understanding and Addressing Bad Behaving Guests in the STR Industry

Bad-behaving guests are not outliers; they are often just regular travelers. However, their actions can cause significant disruptions to short-term rental (STR) properties, which is why understanding their behaviors is crucial for hosts and property managers. There are two main categories of bad behavior in a typical reservation, each requiring a distinct approach.

The first category involves planned or event-driven behaviors, such as over-partying or excessive celebrations. These guests often come with a specific intention—whether it’s to host a large event or simply indulge in reckless behavior. The second category consists of unplanned, spontaneous behaviors, which tend to emerge from random events or emotional outbursts. Both types of behavior can cause challenges, but the first category often exhibits more predictable patterns that can be identified in advance.

Guests in the first group typically share a few common characteristics that set them apart from others. For starters, they are usually less communicative. They tend to keep interactions with the host to a bare minimum, making it difficult to gauge their intentions or get a sense of their demeanor. In addition, these guests prefer to remain anonymous, often hiding in a group to avoid personal identification. They avoid face-to-face interactions with the host or staff, preferring to stay under the radar to minimize their footprint. In some cases, if they do book themselves, they may provide minimal or even false information.

Another red flag is when guests try to bypass the standard booking process, offering direct payment to the host outside of the platform’s secure payment system. Although the guest may present a convincing story to justify this request, it’s often an attempt to circumvent protections in place for both the host and the guest. This is a behavior that should always raise suspicion.

Unfortunately, traditional background checks often fail to reveal these subtle yet telling signs of bad behavior. While they may flag criminal activity or financial issues, they do little to identify guests who plan to engage in disruptive conduct, whether deliberate or spontaneous. This is where a new mindset is required—one that goes beyond background checks and embraces a more nuanced, behavioral approach.