A Month long reservation request in prime season (need advice)

[Tina627]

HI!

A month long reservation request wants to book my 2/1 home but in message said they would "have a few guest stay with them for maybe a few days, here and there since its a two bedroom"...that they are unsure of the exact days or details yet when I asked and told them there is an extra fee for more than 2 people on reservation. They basically want to pay the monthly flat rate it seems. 

So my home host max 4 people but above 2 people there is a $20 extra fee per night per person as its more wear, laundry etc.  Most people who have booked my place have been couples or a a couple with a kid.  

Details:

prime season for renting (Jan in beach side Fl town) 

no pets which is a bonus

in their 70's, also usually a bonus

4 positive reviews

they are getting a 25% monthly discount 

So how do experienced host feel about the extra cost per person after 2 people?   Is this a valid needed charge or is it confusing?   I could give less discount from the start to create a flat fee, perhaps that's easier?

Also should I give such large monthly discounts in season?  

Thank you kindly,

Tina (new superhost)

[Lenore22]

* During month long reservations, do you offer laundry service/change linens? (If so, you would end up laundering/changing more linens, but not really if you just turn it over at the end of the stay)

If you don't offer mid-stay cleanings, they will likely be doing the cleaning after their extra guests. Personally, for the sake of ease, I might just charge an additional $100 extra guest fee for the entirety of their stay or just let it slide.

If you offer weekly cleaning, maybe charge for the weekly clean since you will be cleaning more linens, etc.

Personally, I don't offer any discounts for length of stay, as I find that longer stays result in much more wear-and-tear and cleaning needed. In our market, I easily fill each weekend and have a few days open to turn over the house. This works for us in our market and our business goals, but that depends on your listing, situation, and goals.

[Anonymous]

@Tina627  I think @Lenore22  makes a great point that long-term stays are much harder on your home than short holidays. Short-stay tourists in season are out doing stuff all day, whereas monthly guests will use everything in your house constantly. Only offer discounts for the things you really want to encourage.

I would decline these guests because they're shifty weasels. But I'm also firm on the Extra Guest Fee. The total guest count should include every guest who will enter the property for any duration during the stay, whether it's for an hour or for a month, and anyone who isn't registered and paid is not allowed at all. That may sound harsh, but if you give an inch these cheapskates will take a mile.

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Tina627 we have had two month long stays recently. Both have been a dream with the apartments left spotless at the end.

With respect to extra guest fees we do not believe in them especially in high season. A better way to go might be to have two listings (a 1 bed and a 2 bed) with the 2nd room locked off if the 1 bed listing is booked. In high season you could make the 1 bed unavailable to maximise revenue from your place.

[Fred13]

The objective with any listing should be that is governed by simple enforceable rules; if the logistics allows it. The 'After X Amount of Guests' clause works very well if your set up allows you to enforce it without much effort, but not where people can come and go as they please. Who wants to run a hotel.

   The mention of this case of 'we may have friends stay at times' I would take that as meaning to best  set your price to them based on the fact that 4 will stay most of the time. In this way, if they don't they don't but you wouldn't be worrying about it. Forget locking areas, etc. way too much management.

   Also, I would drop the monthly discount, if you can, especially if supposedly you are giving them a discount plus the 'option' of up to 4 people, the later 2 for 'free'. Or if you already promised that then I would find a way to charge more, somewhere and somehow. It is only July, no sense giving the store away too soon. 

   The age thing, in their 70's, I could see in Florida it may be a plus, in my world it is frightening.

    The whole start of this booking is way too spooky and too many things could go wrong.  I would hit the reset button.  🙂

    Good luck.

[Kelly149]

@Tina627 when people want extra for nothing AND approach this from a "what do you care, it's all the same anyway" attitude THEN I consider what is the odds that I will likely receive another reservation for this time that does not have the same potential for angst and it's from this line of thought that I make a decision. 

In the scenario you've described, my likely answer would be "best of luck finding a suitable place for your trip!!" And that place wouldn't be mine, unless I'd first updated the pricing to reflect max capacity and a PITA upcharge.

[Huma0]

@Tina627 

I agree with @Kelly149 in this case. I also have a fee for extra guests. As I primarily host long term stays (and I do give a discount for that), I do get guests who sometimes want to have someone else there for part of their stay. I make it clear that they need to pay extra for that.

To date, it has only been a problem with one guest. She did not say it was a problem, but I could sense she wasn't happy about it. She ended up leaving me a 3* review, with the only reason being 'value'. 

Well, sorry, but you pay for what is advertised at the advertised rate. She was a discount hunter from the start and I never would have accepted her, but I still had instant book turned on at the time. 

I would definitely say no to these guests, especially if it is your high season and you feel like you are going to get other bookings anyway.

[Tina627]

Thank you for all your helpful input!  I let them already know my requirements and they withdrew their request to book. GOOD news, no shiftly weasels please. 

Also I decided to not give a monthly discount in HIGH season, I will consider opening it up for longer stays in off times.  I have hosted month long stays before with few issues but I do agree there is more wear and tear even if they are clean guest in general.  One couple had a dog and he damaged the new landscape a bit.  Dog pee turns green plants yellow in spots.  So true w/shorter stays, guest are out more. 

I am not sure how a host who is not on the property could ever really know when occupants have extra friends over, even if you state that only people listed on reservation are allowed in your house rules.  People must break this rule often in reality. I'm sure guest are wise to the idea of not mentioning an extra visitor(s), scammy but not all people are fully honest-part of the territory.  As long as there's no swingers event and no damage, I'm good!   

I plan on installing camera at front door, but there is also a back door, I guess I should put a camera there too.  I refuse to be a paranoid host though and have better things to do.  ( :  If anyone has a camera recommendation that would be great.  I manage remotely from NYC.  I have backup in area.  

Likely I will take out extra guest fee and add a bit more per night to cover 4 guest.  Mostly couples book my home but often use both beds and bedrooms.  Sometimes couples with a kid, rarely four people have booked.  

It seems there are many different circumstances to consider.  

Thank you kind people, wishing you good health love and abundance.

@Huma0 

@Mike-And-Jane0  

@Lenore22 

@Kelly149 

@Fred13 

[Lenore22]

Sounds good! We've been happy with ring cameras. Of course make sure they are disclosed and I would put one at each entrance to be safe. 

[Fred13]

@Tina627 Best thing you have going for you is - an open mind. You welcome learning.

The "After X amount of guests, each must pay Y" is an interesting phenomenon and comes with this caution. Do not make the extra fee so small that you are encouraging the initial guests to look for 'anyone' so they can save money. This works against you, for now you have the wear & tear of 4 plus you are dealing with add-ons that are usually not of the same mentality and will not be as good a guests as the originals. Remember the add-ons were dragged into the stay, they did not selected it on their own. 

   Make the amount you charge for 'those beyond 2' more than worth it to you. I charge about 1/4th for an extra couple, so in your case would translate to roughly $80 (300/4), which is 2x what you charging now.

   Good luck. 

[Robin4]

@Fred13 

That's a great thought of yours Fred, it had never crossed my mind that a small extra guest fee would be abused by guests wanting to bring 'freeloaders' who in turn would be of dubious quality.

So there you go, I learn something every day.

Much of my business is a couple with maybe 1 or 2 kids and I didn't want that extra guest fee to be seen as a negative to a good genuine family booking. I merely set it to cover my cost supplying another set of linens.

I haven't had it abused to this point so it has never crossed my mind, but I can fully understand how you would come across it with Bird Island if you didn't set your pricing very specifically and thanks for bringing it up Fred, you're one of the best reasons to be here on the CC!

Cheers.......Rob

[Robin4]

@Tina627 

Tina, do not offer upfront discounts, full stop!

I do not offer up front discounts and nobody has ever criticised me for that.

Now that is not to say I don't offer length of stay discounts, I do but, I state in my house rules that I will offer a discount in the form of a refund at the conclusion of the stay when I can properly assess what discount might be appropriate. And I can tell you Tina, this way of going about it has a great psychological advantage because you have actually given the guest something they were not expecting.....you have given them some of their money back at the end of they stay, and they will think you are a rock star!

The two problems with up front discounts Tina is,

1/......they are open to abuse, someone will book a 14 day stay for a 15% discount and cancel after 8 days and be refunded at the pro-rata rate they paid, and the host gets stiffed into providing an 8 night stay at a 15% discount! Even though the host gets one extra night it does not offset the loss!

2/......Guests who chase discounts are hagglers, you can't bet it won't end there, they will (as you found) want to bring a pet, an extra guest want other perks that you do not offer.

My advice to you is set your extra guest fee after the initial two. You state in your house rules that all guests must be registered through Airbnb or the booking become null and void. The guest doesn't get to argue with you because it is charged automatically on booking and if they try to be deceitful and un-declare their correct numbers, you have the right to cancel their booking.

Get rid of any reference to discounts in your listing pricing! A guest either likes your listing and wants to stay or......... they want to take advantage of you, and mate, I can assure you, as a host you don't want that option........okay!  

Cheers.......Rob

@Huma0  @Lenore22  @Kelly149  @Fred13 

[Huma0]

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@Robin4 wrote:

@Tina627 

Tina, do not offer upfront discounts, full stop!

I do not offer up front discounts and nobody has ever criticised me for that.

Now that is not to say I don't offer length of stay discounts, I do but, I state in my house rules that I will offer a discount in the form of a refund at the conclusion of the stay when I can properly assess what discount might be appropriate.

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Do you always give a discount after this assessment. If not, have you had guests complain about not receiving/question the amount? Have you ever had guests harass you it? 

I'm just asking because, when a long term guest cancels or leaves early for a genuine reason, I usually offer to refund them rebooked nights. Although I make it clear that there is no guarantee the nights will get rebooked, and most people seem to understand this, I have had one of two guests constantly bug me about it. I tell them for sure I will let them know if and when any nights get rebooked, and anyway they cans see the nights are still available on the calendar, but they keep pestering me regardless. I then end up regretting having mentioned it at all.