Airbnb Squatters: What To Do & How To Avoid

Imagine this - you’ve rented out your Airbnb to what seemed like reasonable tenants, and everything has gone okay so far. However, it’s now come to the end of their stay, you’ve turned up to get the place ready for the next tenants, but they’re still there?!

This is just one example of Airbnb squatters. Sometimes they may book a long-term stay, stop paying, but remain inside the property; other times, they simply don’t leave at the end of their booking. They can become stressful for you and destroy your reputation as a host. So how can you maintain a successful rating and stable cash flow when you have some guests who just won’t leave?

Luckily, there are some actions you can take to help get them out of the property faster and signs to look out for to prevent them from overstaying their welcome in the first place.

But first, let’s look at what an Airbnb squatter really is.

The definition of Airbnb squatters

According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, the definition of a squatter is ‘one that settles on property without right or titles or payment of rent’. And while this explains what an Airbnb squatter is in basic terms, they come with their own distinctions. 

Sometimes squatters will find an empty building and claim squatters rights, or they’ll move into a long-term rental and refuse to move out while withholding rent. However, a vacation rental like Airbnb is more of an opportunist move. This is especially because most Airbnb hosts never expect it to happen to them, so they don’t put any preventions in place. 

While squatters are more common in long-term Airbnb rentals, they can also take advantage of short-term vacation stays. They’ll stay in the property when their reservation has ended, refusing to pay rent or leave the premises. 

Signs to look out for

This can all seem scary, especially when you have a successful rental on Airbnb. You don’t want to put your property at risk. The good thing is, there are some telltale signs of a potential squatter, and it can help you weed them out:

A questionable guest profile 

If you have your suspicions about a potential guest, then the first thing you’re going to want to do is to check out their profile. It may not look like a lot at first, but there are actually a lot of red flags you can spot straight away.

For example, if you notice that many fields in their bio and throughout their profile are missing, this can signal some sketchy behavior. Most guests want to sell themselves, so leaving items blank is a sign to step away. Similarly, if you can’t make out their profile picture, whether it’s blurred or a stock photo, that’s another sign that you’ll want to give them a no. 

Lots of negative reviews 

Reviews make the world go around. Without them, we wouldn’t know which restaurant to avoid or which hotel has the best service. The same goes for Airbnb guests. Have a look at their reviews; if they are negative, it can be the make or break factor in whether you’d let them stay in your property. 

However, don’t stray away if there’s just one negative review and the rest appear relatively positive. Like in any industry, you can’t please everyone, so sometimes, a negative review can be a one-off. Look out for potential guests with a pattern of negative reviews, and read closely about why the other hosts had a bad experience with them. 
 

Hit and miss communication

Even if a potential guest has a new profile or not many reviews, that doesn’t always mean that they will end up as squatters. When you have a case like this and are unsure, it’s time to turn to communication. Sometimes guests can seem standoffish or a little bit shady, and this is a major red flag. 

It’s always good to get the ball rolling by asking a few standard questions. Ask the guest why they’re traveling to your location, what they plan to do while they’re there, and a little more about themselves in general. If their answers are vague or they answer ‘I don’t know’, then that may be the sign for you to end the chat there.

What are Airbnb squatter's rights?

Unfortunately, due to some laws in the US, many squatters are protected, even if they’ve been staying in an Airbnb. Depending on the state you’re hosting from, a guest who’s booked a long-term stay with you may be able to establish rights as a proper tenant, which could protect them. 

However, this will differ between states, so it’s always a good idea to look up your area's local rental laws and regulations. If you know what they are, it can help prepare you better if someone attempts to stay on your property for longer than anticipated without wanting to pay. 

The best actions to take 

If a guest isn’t planning on leaving anytime soon, you will want to have an action plan on how you can evict them. While Airbnb doesn’t mention squatters’ rights in its terms and conditions, there are still some steps you can take to get them out peacefully.

You’ll first want to provide the guest with a written notice asking them to move out. If they don’t respond to this, file a court eviction with the county, and this will take them to court, where a judge will make a ruling about the eviction. Usually, the guest will be given a time limit on when they have to vacate the premises, and if they don’t do it on time, law enforcement will forcefully remove them from the property. 

Steps to prevent squatters 

You know the signs to look out for and some ways of trying to get a squatter out of your Airbnb, but how do you prevent them from doing it in the first place? There are a couple of preventions you can put in place: 

Ask for a hefty security deposit 

A high-security deposit is a great deterrent for potential squatters. If a potential guest is planning on overstaying their welcome, they probably cannot afford to splash out much cash on a deposit they won’t get back. When people see your property is asking for a large amount of money, they won’t want to stay with you if they’re thinking about squatting. 

Don’t host long-term guests

Most squatters look for long-term rentals because it means they’ll have more rights when it comes to the end of their tenancy. If you’re currently offering stays for over 27 days and fear that someone might overstay their welcome, think about reducing your time, so your property is more of a vacation rental.

If you have a guest who stays for a short amount of time but they’ve ticked all your boxes and want to stay for longer, then you can have them as a repeat guest. On the other hand, if you have a new guest who wants to stay long-term even though you’ve explicitly stated it’s a short-term rental only, then that’s cause for alarm, and you should remain strict with your answer- 

Only accept requests from verified guests

Just like when you’re trying to spot squatters before they book with you, you can guarantee reliable tenants by their profile. If they have a verified profile, that means they can confirm their identity on Airbnb, and it shows that they can be trusted by more than one with no profile picture and no information.

When you exclusively accept verified guests, it saves you time on having to vet other guests by asking them questions about themselves and their trip. However, you do need to ensure that you are verified as a host first, so use this step once you’ve established yourself on the platform.
 

Make your guests sign a contract

Nothing is more binding than a contract, so ensure each guest signs a rental agreement before staying with you. It should clearly state all the rules you want them to abide by while staying with you and include a clause that will protect you if they stay past their booking date. 

The best way to avoid squatters in the contract is by highlighting the check-in and check-out dates that the guest has booked. If they try to stay longer and it’s not possible due to another booking, or you want to use the property yourself, you’ll have proof that they are not allowed to, and they’ll have to leave. 
 

Takeaways

Having a squatter on your property is not fun, but luckily it’s something that can be avoided. Unfortunately, many Airbnb hosts don’t know about the dangers of squatters, so by reading this information, you’re already one step ahead.

Ensure you keep in mind the precautions mentioned, and you should hopefully never have to deal with one of your own. Instead, you can go ahead and build your Airbnb empire with complete peace of mind.