Airbnb Instant Book: Pros, Cons, and How to Use It Wisely

Airbnb encourages hosts to activate instant booking to improve efficiency. Still, many short-term rental hosts hesitate to turn it on. Their main concern is the reduced control over guest screening. Without the chance to review a guest’s profile before confirming a reservation, there may be added risks to the business. So, should you enable it or not?

In this article, we’ll break down the pros and cons of Airbnb Instant Book and explore how to use it wisely to benefit your short-term rental business.

Instant booking can make your life easier, especially when paired with the right tools. Hostex automates over 70% of daily hosting tasks and helps you manage listings across all platforms, saving you time and effort. Best of all, plans start at just $4.9/month.

What is Airbnb Instant Book?

Airbnb instant book is a key feature that lets guests reserve a listing without waiting for host approval. Once enabled, any guest who meets your booking criteria can book your property immediately.

This feature applies to all available dates on your calendar. It removes the need for back-and-forth messages, making the process faster for everyone.

Guests love the simplicity of Instant Book, and many hosts find it helpful too. It can increase your booking rate and reduce your workload. In short, Airbnb instant book offers a smoother experience for both guests and hosts.

Pros of Airbnb Instant Book

Many Airbnb hosts praise the Airbnb instant book feature for its convenience and efficiency. It’s especially useful for busy hosts or those managing multiple properties.

1. Higher Airbnb Search Ranking

Airbnb gives higher visibility to listings that offer Instant Book. The reason is simple: listings with instant booking respond automatically, improving the response rate, one of the key ranking factors.

In addition, instant confirmation means guests don’t need to wait for approval. This makes the booking process smoother and more appealing. Airbnb strongly promotes this guest-friendly experience.

2. Saves Time and Reduces Stress

Once Airbnb instant book is activated, there’s no need to review and approve each request manually. You can spend less time checking your phone and more time focusing on your business.

And if you use a tool like Hostex, you can go even further. It automates over 70% of daily tasks, letting you focus on what matters most.

3. More Bookings

Guests value speed and flexibility. Many use filters to view only instant book listings. That means if your property doesn’t offer it, it might not appear in search results.

According to Airbnb, enabling Airbnb Instant Book can boost your bookings by up to 20%. It also helps you capture last-minute guests, who account for nearly 40% of all bookings.

4. More Guest Reviews

More bookings lead to more reviews. And the easier your booking process, the more likely guests are to leave positive feedback.

Good reviews build trust, increase your visibility, and attract even more guests.

5. Easier Path to Badges

Features like Superhost and the Guest Favorite badge require strong response and booking rates.

With Instant Book, you meet these requirements more easily and improve your chances of earning those titles.

Cons of Airbnb Instant Book

Airbnb instant book may not be the right fit for every host. While it brings convenience, it also comes with a few potential downsides, especially if the settings aren’t configured properly.

1. Fewer Chances to Communicate with Guests

With instant book, some guests may skip reading the full listing description. They see appealing photos and book right away, only to later realize the property doesn’t fully meet their needs. While this isn’t the host’s fault, it can still lead to poor guest experiences or even negative reviews.

Without an instant book, you have a chance to remind guests of the house rules or clarify property details before confirming the reservation.

2. Higher Cancellation Rates

If your listing lacks clear descriptions or doesn’t have a strict cancellation policy, guests may cancel more often.

They might find a cheaper place or realize your home doesn’t suit their needs, especially if they didn’t ask key questions before booking. With no prior communication, guests also feel less emotionally committed to the booking.

3. Less Control Over Guest Screening

Airbnb does verify guest identities. However, nightmares like wild parties, illegal activities, or squatting could happen.

Since Airbnb instant book removes the manual approval step, hosts can’t screen guests before the booking is confirmed. For some hosts, this loss of control is a concern.

That said, disabling instant book isn’t the right solution either. There are smarter ways to protect your property.

Tips to Make Airbnb Instant Book Work Better for You

Once you enable Airbnb instant book, a few smart strategies can help you get the most out of it, without losing control of your hosting experience.

1. Write Clear Descriptions and House Rules

A detailed listing description and accurate house rules are essential. Make sure guests know what to expect before they book.

This helps avoid misunderstandings, poor reviews, and last-minute cancellations.

Set clear rules such as no parties, no smoking, and no unregistered guests. These guidelines help establish mutual expectations between you and your guests.

2. Set Length of Stay Limits

Use minimum stay settings to block party-seeking guests. For example, a two-night minimum is often enough to prevent one-night party bookings.

Likewise, setting a maximum stay of 28 nights can protect you from long-term squatters who might try to exploit local rental laws.

3. Use Advanced Notice Settings

Same-day bookings can be hard to manage. You might need time to clean or prepare the space.

Airbnb lets you require advance notice for all bookings, such as 1 day or more, so you’re never caught off guard.

4. Require Extra Booking Conditions

To reduce risk, activate Airbnb’s guest requirements for instant booking.

You can allow only guests who:

• Have at least one prior stay with positive reviews
• Have completed Airbnb’s identity verification steps

This ensures you’re hosting guests who respect your home and understand the platform.

5. Take Extra Safety Precautions

Some hosts hesitate to use Airbnb instant book because they worry about risky guests.

To reduce potential losses, you can:

• Use guest screening tools
• Require a security deposit for damage protection
• Consider third-party insurance or damage coverage

6. Communicate Effectively and Promptly

Good guest communication is critical, especially when bookings happen instantly.

Hostex’s AI-driven automated replies can help you respond quickly to guest inquiries, even when you’re unavailable.

With Hostex Triggered Messages, you can automatically send a welcome message right after a booking. This ensures guests get all the check-in details and house rules immediately.

7. Keep Your Calendar Updated

Double bookings are a real threat with instant booking. Since reservations are auto-confirmed, your calendar must always be accurate.

A PMS like Hostex can sync all your listings across multiple platforms. It automatically updates your calendar, prevents booking conflicts, and saves hours of manual work.

Frequently Asked Questions About Airbnb Instant Book

1. Can I still cancel a booking made through Instant Book?

Yes, but Airbnb limits how often you can cancel without penalties. You can cancel if the guest makes you feel uncomfortable or breaks your house rules.

2. Will enabling Instant Book affect my Airbnb search ranking?

Yes. Airbnb tends to reward Instant Book listings with higher visibility in search results. This is because it improves response rate and guest experience.

3. Can I set different Instant Book rules for different listings?

Yes. Each listing can have its own Instant Book settings. This gives you flexibility across multiple properties.

4. Can I turn off Airbnb Instant Book?

Absolutely. You can enable or disable Instant Book at any time in your listing settings.

1. Go to the calendar in Hostex.
2. Click on the Property name.
3. Switch to the “Pricing & Rules” settings on the right side.
4. Locate and click on your Airbnb listing.
5. Disable the instant book and save the changes.