Can I lock a room?

[Sander150]

Hi,

I am renting out an apartment with two bedrooms that can fit three guests in total. One of the bed rooms has a larger bed that fits two people, and the other one a smaller bed that fit one person. I have set a fee for extra guests (more than one) per night. 

My question: If there is only one guest, or two guests planning to sleep in the same bed that is booking my listing, is it okay to lock the other bed room?

I have had multiple guests showing up for reservations for one person,  and not seeming to be aware that the price is different depending on the number of guests..

[Shelley159]

Hi @Sander150 

I understand your frustration - you're trying to match the use of the space with the booking, but I think you'll risk making guests unhappy if you lock a room that is shown in the listing. Guests can specifically search for listings with 2 bedrooms. When they book such a place, they expect that both bedrooms will be available.

The way I understand it, you price your listing per guest, and some guests book for just one person and end up being more. This can sometimes be innocent: they do a quick search with the default setting of one guest and end up booking before adjusting the number of guests. Whenever I see a booking for 1 guest, I ask whether this is correct (even though I charge per unit, I still need to set things up for the correct number of persons). You can consider also asking this question at the time of booking and doing a "change reservation" request if they say they will be more (which will then adjust your price). Some hosts use external cameras to monitor the number of guests, although this still leaves you with the problem of having to judge whether visitors stayed overnight, and having to decide what to do about it. Alternatively, you can change to a per-unit charge (which has the disadvantage that your place may be expensive for single guests).

In any listing with more than one bed, a host may sometimes wish they could "protect" the unnecessary bed(s) from being used by a small group. However, it's probably best to avoid locking a room that guests may expect to use.

[Joan2709 · Accepted solution]

@Sander150 

I agree with @Shelley159 . If your listing shows 2 bedrooms, then whether there is one guest or three guests, they expect to see (and have access to the entire place). Additionally, since you have an extra guest fee, Hosts have found guests will simply state one guest and then show up with 3 to avoid the extra guest fees.

Listing Multiple Rooms

https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/289

Some Hosts create 3 different listings for one property and offer different prices (no addl guest fees) based on the number of bedrooms. Be sure to only show photos of what is available to the guests if you do this and clearly state that for the "Child" listings, only the specific bedroom is available during the stay. You'll need to properly link the calendars to prevent double bookings. Keep in mind that only reservations will block the other listings. If you want to use the property yourself, you'll have to manually block dates on all 3 listings:

Parent (both bedrooms)

Child A - Bedroom one

Child B - Bedroom two

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Sander150 I am 100% in agreement that @Joan2709 's solution is the way to go. Only things I would add are

1) Make sure locking one room doesn't alter any fire evacuation routes and

2) Recognise that with linked calendars blocking one doesn't block the others - Only bookings do this. This is actually a great feature as you could block the smaller listings in high seasons to force guests to rent both rooms.

3) Switch on pro tools from your account to get the multi calendar which makes looking after three listings a breeze.

[Elisa]

Hi @Sander150 😊

Thank you for asking this question here!

Have you made a decision regarding this situation?
Our Hosts shared great advice with you! Did you get a chance to review it?

Warm regards 🌻

[Oksana127]

Hi there,

It's great that you're thinking ahead about how to manage your listing and set clear expectations for your guests. Here's what I would recommend:

It's generally okay to lock the second bedroom if only one or two guests book your space and plan to share the same bed, but make sure to communicate this clearly in your listing and during the booking process to avoid any misunderstandings. You can mention that the price is based on the number of guests and that only the necessary rooms will be available depending on the booking.

Also, it’s helpful to make sure your listing's description and pricing structure clearly explain how the number of guests impacts the availability of rooms. Maybe add a note like: "For bookings with fewer than 3 guests, the second bedroom will remain locked unless specifically requested in advance."

This way, guests are fully informed and less likely to be surprised. If someone books for one person but is confused about the pricing for additional guests, you can always clarify through Airbnb messaging prior to their arrival.

Best of luck with your hosting!

[Helen3]

If this is happening to you regularly I would suggest you check on booking to confirm the number of guests booked are correct @Sander150