[Day 2] How to Add Booking.com Without Adding Risky Guests

Thank you Emily.  Great Session.

Can you let us know if booking.com would take care of taxes as Airbnb and VRBO do for us.

Carole Gille-Shamsai

I missed this session, but would love to catch a recording if available. 

​@FloridaRentalRetreats I can speak firsthand to the fact that booking.com does NOT remit taxes for you, even when you’re on “Payments by Booking.com” (where they handle guest payments for you). They do calculate and collect the taxes from the guest and they pass those funds along to you with your payout. And then it’s up to you to settle up with your jurisdiction(s), on whatever schedule is required by law (often quarterly or even monthly). This will usually involve applying for licenses and/or tax accounts and then remitting the taxes yourself to the taxing authorities along with proper forms/reports.

And it’s also up to you to make sure booking.com is even collecting the correct taxes in the first place. They may set you up with some default tax rates based on the property address, but there’s a chance they will be wrong and you will have to spend a few hours of your time getting them to fix it (and they will not take your word for it… they make you provide “official documentation” proving the tax rates, but they don’t let you send them links to government web pages, on the grounds of “security”).

And even if you have multiple listings in the same city, they do not have a way of knowing that all your listings in the same city should use the same settings… you have to manage every single listing individually. I have 5 listings in the same city, and I had to pull teeth and spend hours of effort to get them all to match.

it’s also up to you to keep up with changes to the tax laws in your jurisdictions. Booking.com does not take responsibility for keeping you in compliance. My county recently raised their room tax rate from 5% to 6%, and booking.com knew nothing of it until I told them. And I had to make sure they fixed it across 5 different listings… it took a few tries. I’m pretty sure I’m now the only host in Ocean City MD that’s even charging the correct tax, because I know for certain that no other host has put themselves through the torture that I have, to make sure things are set up correctly.  

[Recap]

How to add Booking.com without adding risky guests

Emily Tusick

Why Booking.com is worth reconsidering

Booking.com reaches a massive global traveler audience, including international, family, and longer-stay guests. Historically, many hosts avoided it due to concerns around screening and protection. That gap has narrowed significantly as the platform has invested heavily in fraud prevention and host controls.

Today’s Booking.com experience is built to prioritize control, visibility, and security, allowing hosts to expand reach without increasing operational risk.

The three pillars of safer hosting on Booking.com

Insights
Hosts can review guest details, booking behavior, and verified information before confirming stays. Clear house rules and expectations are surfaced early, reducing mismatches.

Control
Request to Book enables pre-booking communication so hosts can confirm fit, clarify stay details, and avoid surprises. Faster notifications and reminders also reduce accidental declines.

Coverage
Every reservation includes up to $1M in liability protection, plus host property insurance (U.S.) covering guest-caused damage and lost income from covered cancellations.

Security is a shared responsibility

Booking.com has significantly strengthened fraud prevention through phishing detection, two-factor authentication, suspicious-pattern monitoring, and tighter controls over user access. Hosts are encouraged to keep all communication on-platform, enable 2FA, and avoid urgent off-platform requests.

The takeaway for hosts

Booking.com is no longer just a volume play. With stronger protections and better tools, it can be a controlled growth channel when paired with clear rules and disciplined processes.

Community Q&A highlights

Can hosts actually screen guests on Booking.com, or is it all instant bookings?
Yes, hosts can use Request to Book on many listings, which allows you to message guests before accepting. This is the moment to confirm the purpose of the stay, number of guests, arrival expectations, and agreement with house rules. Hosts who use this step intentionally report far fewer mismatches and fewer support issues later.

Is it safe to communicate with guests off-platform?
No. All communication should stay on Booking.com. If issues arise—fraud, disputes, or insurance claims—only on-platform messages are considered valid evidence. Moving conversations to WhatsApp, SMS, or email significantly weakens host protection.

What actually reduces fraud the most on Booking.com?
Using Payments by Booking.com, enabling two-factor authentication, and never sharing account access. Booking.com actively monitors suspicious booking patterns and phishing attempts, but hosts play a critical role by keeping accounts secure and avoiding urgent off-platform requests.

Does adding Booking.com increase chargebacks or non-payment risk?
No. Payments by Booking.com handles payment collection, fraud detection, and chargebacks directly. Hosts are paid regardless of whether a guest disputes a charge later, which removes a major historical risk concern.

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Replay link.

I’m unable to communicate with the booking.com guest until I accept their booking request - so how would I be able to ask questions first? Maybe I’m missing something.