Managing Booking Requests as a Host on Flatmates

When a Renter submits a booking request, you will receive an in-app notification, email, and SMS. Open the request from your Host dashboard to see the guest's profile, their verification status, previous stay reviews, and their introductory message.

Take time to review the guest's profile thoroughly. Look for a complete bio, employment information, and identity verification. Guests with the 'Identity Verified' badge have had their NIN or BVN confirmed - this significantly reduces the risk of fraudulent bookings.

You have 24 hours to respond to a booking request before it expires automatically. To accept, tap 'Accept booking' - the guest's payment is captured immediately and they receive a confirmation. To decline, tap 'Decline' and select a reason from the list.

You should only decline requests for legitimate reasons - room no longer available, dates don't work, or the guest does not meet your stated house rules. Discriminatory declines based on ethnicity, religion, gender, or state of origin are prohibited under our non-discrimination policy and Nigerian federal law.

Your response rate and acceptance rate are shown on your host profile. A response rate below 80% will suppress your listings in search results.

Use the in-app message thread to communicate with guests before accepting. You can ask about their occupation, length of stay intention, and lifestyle to ensure compatibility with existing flatmates. All messages are logged and monitored - do not ask for or share personal financial information in the chat.

After accepting a booking, send the guest check-in instructions at least 24 hours before their arrival. Include the property address, gate code or caretaker's contact number, parking information, and any house rules you want to highlight. Guests who receive thorough check-in instructions leave better reviews.

If you manage multiple properties or rooms, use the multi-calendar view in your Host dashboard to see all your listings' availability at a glance. Sync your availability across listings to prevent double bookings - any booking confirmed on one room automatically blocks those dates.

If you use a third-party property management system, contact our integrations team about API calendar sync. This is particularly useful for professional hosts managing estates in Chevron, Katampe, or other large residential schemes.