Guest how reserved, had another Guest added to reservation and did not show up.

[Alex13840]

Guest A reserved the space, then had antoher person added to the reservation as Guest B.  Then Guest B arrived with someone else and Guest A did not stay.  Who is responsible for letting me know as Host and do I have to approve Guest B or does it happen automatically?

[Joan2709]

@Alex13840 

This is a 3rd party booking and is against Airbnb policies. Guest A is the primary booker and is required to be on property during the stay. If you accept Guest B (and addl unknown guest) you loose all Airbnb protections and have no way to know their history/reviews. Additionally, Guest A (original booker) can leave a review, even though they didn't stay at the property.

We do not allow third party bookings and we have that in our addl House Rules and we add that to our message after a guest books. Up to you, but I would contact Airbnb and have them cancel the booking. They will try and talk you into allowing the stay to continue, even though it is against their policies. Be SURE they cancel the booking and not you, otherwise you will be penalized for it.

3rd Party Bookings

https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/427

[Alex13840]

Thank you so much Joan. Guest B stayed and Guest A did not but left a really bad review for communications.  My question is who allowed Guest B to be under the reservation as I certainly never approved Guest B. 

Thanks again!

[Joan2709 · Accepted solution]

@Alex13840 

There is no way for Airbnb or Hosts to know if a guest is booking a 3rd party stay unless they tell you, or you require a photo ID upon arrival. You must disclose on the listing if you require a photo ID upon arrival. Airbnb has some limiations for Hosts regarding requesting a copy of the ID vs showing a photo ID upon arrival. Hosts usually add that a valid photo ID that matches the primary guest must be presented upon arrival, but don't ask for an actual copy of the ID (Driver's License, Passport) as that adds some legal issues regarding use of the information. Some countries DO require Hosts to keep a copy of the guest's ID.

Some people try to do 3rd party bookings because a friend or family member has been banned by Airbnb or have negative reviews. Others simply don't understand 3rd party bookings are a violation of Airbnb policies. Also, if the booker is a business booking stays for employees, they are required to setup an Airbnb for Work account. Otherwise, those are considered 3rd party bookings as well.

If they tell you before arrival, I would advise the guest that 3rd party bookings are not permitted and the stay will be cancelled by Airbnb. The guest can then have the other party create their own profile and rebook the stay under their name if they like. 

If you find out the original booker is not staying after arrival, you would have to decide how to handle that and most likely it will result in a negative review if you confront the original booking guest about it. Your best bet is to add wording to your addl House Rules that 3rd party bookings are NOT permitted and add wording to your message after check-in to that effect as well. Here is what we use in our after booking message:

"To ensure a comfortable and safe stay for everyone, please remember to add all guests (including children/infants) and pets to your reservation. Kindly note that unregistered guests and unapproved visitors are not allowed. Additionally, third-party bookings (booking a reservation for others, but not being present yourself for the entire stay), is contrary to Airbnb policies and is not permitted. Primary renter must be on property for entire stay. Thank you for your understanding. We look forward to hosting you!"

[Alex13840]

Wow. This is great. Thank you so much Joan for the wording and the explanation.  All the best