Read their profile and references
You should read the person's entire profile and read through their references. References can give you an idea of what others think about the person. Keep in mind the context of each reference, because some references are just from friends, whereas others may be from hosts or guests.
Ask for information
It is also very important to communicate thoroughly with the person before accepting their request. Be sure to ask for any information that is missing from their profile or request message. For example, if their profile is empty or missing a photo, it is okay to ask them to fill out their profile and/or upload a photo before accepting their request.
It is also good to ask the person what time they will arrive and what time they plan to leave, why they are coming, and who is coming with them. If anything is unclear in the request or their profile, ask for clarification.
Share relevant information
It is helpful to let them know what your schedule looks like and how available you will be to interact with them. Don't feel obligated to provide a bunch of details or private information, but you should let your guest(s) know about any important information relevant to their visit about you, your home, who lives with you (including pets!), and your schedule.
Use common sense
Keep communication on the Couchers.org platform as much as possible. Use common sense when reviewing requests and profiles and especially when providing personal information like your address, contact information, and schedule.
It's okay to decline
Keep in mind that you are never obligated to accept a request or provide a reason for why you cannot accept. If you decline a request, the person will not be able to message you again unless they visit your profile and send a separate message. If you accept a request but change your mind, you can reject a request up until the start date of the request by clicking the "reject" button at the bottom of the request. Try to communicate any changes as far in advance as possible.
Provide constructive feedback
Potential surfers often appreciate feedback: If their profile is too empty you might say something like this:
I'm not able to host you. You might have better luck if you fill out your profile some more and make your requests more personalized!
Or:
Hey! I might be able to host you, but I'd appreciate it if you could verify your profile first and add more information about yourself to your profile first. Let me know if you do that and would still like to be hosted, I can have another look!
You can also provide them with a link to our guide about how to write a good request!
How to deal with bad requests
Sometimes you might receive a request that is just bad: it's low effort or contains no information. If you receive such a request, you can simply decline it without even replying. If the request appears to be spam or violates our Community Guidelines, please report it by clicking the flag symbol and filling out the form.