4 Guests turned up for one guest/person room booking

[John5532]

Hi am pretty new to airbnb however have been doing well almost fully booked with nothing but 5 stars

Yesterday i had a problem where a guest booked the same day a single bed one person room (maximum) and brought 3 extra guests (4 person’s total)

When questioned they hesitated asked if it was ok if just two persons stayed the night and the others could just leave all their stuff in the room, to say the least i didn't believe them

I apologized to the guests, refused to give them the keys and turned them away.

They got defensive but backed down when i mentioned that I also have two other current airbnb guests in a 2nd room i have to protect. 

They asked about getting their money back I said that they would have to contact airbnb in that regard, the app will not allow me to cancel or refund a hosting in progress.

As they left i sent them a message also in chat explaining the situation

I immediately tried to cancel the booking, i had to call a helpline that was an 5min wait (LOL)....... well two 30min calls and a 3rd 45min wait they picked up

I described the situation and they said thank you for your inquiry someone will message and call back later, I got a message about the inquiry but heard nothing more in the past 24 hours.

My point is the app behaves as if a normal hosting has been completed I believe pay-out is completed and is even asking for a review.

I’m certain I made the correct decision, its not about the money but the safety of my other airbnb guests that takes priority.

However i do not know what the repercussions/actions taken will be against me  or the guest

It’s such a shame as I had multiple booking requests for the room that day so other potential guests missed out.

Guests thinking they are smart and stealthy bringing extra guests has been a CONSTANT problem that i have let slide, but this time it was too much for me especially with the other airbnb guests in the apartment.

Any advice please, airbnb support has been hot garbage, unresponsive and absolutely worthless.

[M199]

@John5532 

How many guests were listed on the booking request?  1 or 4?  If 1 and they brought 4, stand your ground.  You did right by the sound of it.

[John5532]

Only one guest was listed on the booking, house rules also state no unregistered guests.

There was no mention of additional guests in exchanged messages.

Am pretty flexible and have allowed honest guests extra guests without additional charge previously, some bring camping beds.

They majority are not so honest and think they get anyway without being noticed, however I often let it be if it's just one.

I seriously doubt it would have just been two persons this time.

[Anonymous]

@John5532   You did all the right things here - turning the unregistered guests away, referring them to Airbnb, and getting a paper trail of the situation in the message thread.  Your obligations there are done.

Frustratingly, the booking is still eligible for a review despite the guest not staying there. If the guest uses that opportunity to retaliate, just be prepared to post a professional public response.

You've now seen a great example of why most hosts don't offer same-day bookings. They're usually people who are either really haphazard with their planning or just got kicked out of somewhere else. But if you'd like to keep giving them a chance, just be sure Instant Book isn't activated and vet your requests with extra scrutiny to be sure they don't wind up being another huge waste of your time.

[Colleen253]

@John5532 Another potential issue with last minute bookings is the guest could become installed, or even stay and check out, before an issue with payment is detected. 

If this is a frequent issue for you, besides doing what Andrew suggested, you might add to your house rules that guests who defy your capacity/unregistered guest rule will have their stay terminated without refund. The idea behind that is more of a deterrent than anything.

[John5532]

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@Colleen253 wrote:

@John5532 Another potential issue with last minute bookings is the guest could become installed, or even stay and check out, before an issue with payment is detected. 

If this is a frequent issue for you, besides doing what Andrew suggested, you might add to your house rules that guests who defy your capacity/unregistered guest rule will have their stay terminated without refund. The idea behind that is more of a deterrent than anything.

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Thank you for your suggestion i will add that to my house rules, squatting guests are always a risk; I've had experience in such matters and lowering the risk is all you can do but its not completely avoidable.

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@Anonymous 

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 I will vet my same day bookings more carefully, however the above mentioned guest did have a positive review and my experience with same day bookings has been mostly positive, many have been people touring across countries and city's.  

I've declined a few bookings previously despite airbnb threats to lower my visibility. All which where correct decisions in my option, eg guests who ask too many questions/requirements  and some that have wanted to continue using free private gated parking after checkout; i am flexible in this regard but do you really want people who are too cheap to pay for parking in a city?