Hi @Shane694
I can see why you ask, your living area couch can be changed to a sofa bed and the apartment seems comfortable for four. Here are some points I can think of:
More cleaning: Extra guests are extra work - changeovers do take longer.
Cost: I find costs are not much higher for 4 guests than for 2 (amenities, etc.), except for laundry, but the extra income will cover that. Increased cost is not a big drawback in my opinion.
Ratings: If the new double-sofa can be seen as small, uncomfortable or not private (because it's in the living area), perhaps you're increasing the risk of complaints. Also, you'll have 4 people using one bathroom, which could be slow and crowded.
Storage: You won't be able to make the sofa bed - you'll have to leave bedding for the guests to do it. Do you have space for a full set of bedding that they can easily access, including bulky pillows and blankets? Will there still be space left for their personal items and suitcases? Do you have a place to leave extra towels, and for them to hang their towels?
Rules: My building's occupancy rules state maximum 3 people in a one-bedroom unit, you'll have to check yours.
The above should be looked at against the increased income. I think this will depend very much on what's going on in your immediate area. Do some searches close by your apartment and see how many places can sleep 4 and what they cost. It could take some time to calculate the price increase, because you'll have to go back and change the number of guests and look at what the same places would charge for 2 people (some listings are priced for the unit as a whole, some use an extra guest fee). If 4-sleeper units are scarce in your area, it's possible that you could make good money, but I would first want to calculate how much more.
I don't know your market, but my feeling is that - if you decide to make a change at all - it's possible that a single sofa bed may make more sense than a double. You'll then likely open the apartment to couples travelling with one child, or as I often get, parents visiting an adult student and wanting to keep the option open for the student to sleep over. I'm not sure if this is a big market in your area?
If there's only one extra guest, you can consider increasing your price for the whole listing instead of charging extra for the additional guest (and having to worry about whether people are honest about the number of guests, or whether the person they're visiting actually stays over). However, if it's higher occupancy rates that you're chasing, perhaps leave the whole listing price the same and just increase your chances of getting booked every night.
Hope it helps a bit!
