To book an Airbnb with no reviews yet

[incrediblehux]

I need accommodation for a wedding in the summer, for a group of us in a relatively large house. The only reasonable option I've found looks cheap for what it is, has no reviews and the 'professional' host is new to Airbnb this month.

I'm worried there will be an issue and I'll be left trying to find accommodation for lots of people at the last minute. I've gone down a rabbit hole and looked up the company and its directors on Companies House. They seem to have had a couple of other short-lived companies which feels like a red flag to me.

AIBU to book anyway? (Or, tell me your horror stories...)

Someone's always got to be the first, this could be you, is there any way of going to the location to have a kook round first, if you can even do that??

Yes, I was thinking that. I was also trying to work out what someone would get from listing a property, taking bookings and then cancelling them but I'm not sure. Hopefully I'm overthinking this.

Hmm, tricky. We did it once as the weather turned extremely stormy for what was going to be a camping holiday and it was the only place available where we were going at the last minute, as the owner had only just got it ready for occupation. It wasn't in an especially nice setting but it was a lovely house.

Is it a big city or rural setting? Because I think big cities are where you're most likely to come across those scams where the place doesn't really exist/belong to the person who made the listings and then they say there's a problem at the last minute but they have another place, and stick you in some total hole. I may be wrong about that though!

Thanks Echobelly.

It's a suburb of a big city. I'm really not sure now.

Someone has to be the first to book. If nobody booked with no reviews then nobody would ever book!

Between now and when you go they will probably get some reviews I would think.

Air BnB is very much on the side of guests, they have a guarantee which has been tightened up in the last few months.