How to Screen Guests for Mid-Term Rentals: A Smarter Approach

The Importance of Guest Screening in Mid-Term Rentals

When hosting 30-day+ stays, guest screening is critical to protect your property, reduce risk, and ensure a smooth rental experience. While platforms like Airbnb facilitate some level of vetting, their policies emphasize that landlords should require a lease for stays over 28-30 days (Airbnb’s policy on long-term stays).

To safeguard your investment, proper guest verification, lease agreements, and security measures should be in place before confirming a booking.

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Essential Steps for Screening Mid-Term Rental Guests

1. Require a Signed Rental Agreement

• Mid-term stays are not traditional Airbnb bookings—they function more like furnished month-to-month leases.
• A customized rental agreement helps outline expectations, responsibilities, and protects you legally.

2. Verify Guest ID

• Ask for a government-issued ID (driver’s license or passport).
• Ensure the name matches the booking information.
• Some tools allow for automated ID verification to speed up this process through a property management system.

3. Conduct a Background Check

• Check for eviction history, criminal records, and past rental behavior.
• Many platforms integrate tenant screening services to automate this step.

4. Collect a Security Deposit

• Even if booking through Airbnb or a direct website, a deposit adds a layer of financial security.
• Some hosts use credit card authorization holds instead of deposits to reduce friction.

Automating the Screening Process to Save Time

Guest screening can be time-consuming, but it doesn’t have to be. I use automated workflows to streamline guest verification and protect my properties.

One of my favorite tools is JURNY, which offers end-to-end automation for guest screening, lease signing, and ID verification. Here’s how I use automation to free up my time while ensuring secure bookings:

1. Automated Guest Screening & ID Verification

• JURNY automatically requests and verifies guest ID before final booking confirmation.
• This removes the need for manual back-and-forth messaging.
• Lag time is the killer of any booking!

2. Digital Lease Signing

• Guests receive a pre-filled lease agreement to sign electronically.
• This ensures compliance with local rental laws and sets expectations upfront.

3. Background Checks & Security Deposits

• The system automatically runs a light background check and flags potential issues.
• It collects deposits or pre-authorizations without requiring manual intervention.

4. Seamless Guest Communication & Workflow Automation

• JURNY sends automated messages about house rules, check-in instructions, and payment reminders.
• This reduces the need for constant guest management and allows me to focus on growing my business.

Final Thoughts: Work Smarter, Not Harder

Effective guest screening is non-negotiable for mid-term rental success. By implementing a rental agreement, ID verification, background checks, and deposits, you minimize risks and ensure quality tenants.

For hosts who want to save time and effort, using automation tools like JURNY makes guest screening efficient, secure, and hassle-free. Instead of manually vetting each inquiry, let technology handle the heavy lifting so you can focus on scaling your business and maximizing your revenue.

Are you looking to streamline your mid-term rental operations? Check out my 90 Day MTR Systems Accelerator course, where I share the exact tools and workflows I use to automate and optimize my rental business.

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