Know Who’s Walking Through the Door: Smarter Guest Screening for Safer Short-Term Rentals with Ela Mezhiborsky

Do you really know who’s behind the reservation—and what could happen when you don’t?

In this episode of the STR Sisterhood, I’m joined by Ela Mezhiborsky, a former short-term rental operator turned startup founder behind AutoHost and Checktiv, platforms focused on guest screening, identity verification, fraud prevention, and chargeback protection.

Ela’s journey into guest screening began while operating her own property management company. As the business grew, relying on gut instinct to determine whether someone was a “good guest” became harder—and simply refusing locals, one-night stays, or other higher-risk reservations meant potentially leaving significant revenue on the table.

Then the risks became much more serious.

From chargebacks and stolen credit cards to criminal activity occurring inside properties, Ela realized that guest screening wasn’t simply about protecting revenue. It was about protecting the property, the neighborhood, the guest experience—and knowing who you are actually allowing into the space.

In this episode, we talk about:Why blanket rules like “no locals” or “no one-night stays” can cause hosts to leave money on the tableWhat guest screening can reveal that human intuition and gut feeling often cannotHow identity verification can protect hosts from fraudulent bookings and chargebacksWhy screening should feel like part of the guest journey—not like having a bouncer at the doorThe difference between AutoHost and Checktiv and how screening can work for operators of different sizesHow reducing anonymity can actually encourage better guest behaviorBalancing safety and fraud prevention with privacy, fairness, and the heart of hospitality

The goal isn’t to treat every guest like a potential problem.

Most guests are wonderful.

But responsible hospitality also means creating systems that help you protect the people, property, and community entrusted to you—without relying on assumptions about who someone appears to be.

Because sometimes the simplest question is also one of the most important:

Do you actually know who’s walking through the door?

HIGHLIGHTS AND KEY POINTS:[00:44] A short introduction about our guest Ela Mezhiborsky, her background as a short-term rental operator turned startup founder, and her work with AutoHost and Checktiv