Extra guests

[Christine2539]

What do other hosts do when one guest has booked (for one person) and then they turn up with their wife, girlfriend etc.  Or, as has happened to me their children turned up to stay with them for a couple of days.  It's all extra linen, towels, hot water and breakfast (as I provided breakfast).  I don't want to upset my guests but sometimes I think they are doing this on purpose to avoid paying extra.  Any tips? 

[Alexandra316]

@Christine2539A couple of thoughts. I see that you have whole-home type listings, but you charge extra for more than 1 person. Do you get many single people renting from you? I would consider making your base charge for 2 rather than 1, unless you get a really high number of solo travelers staying with you. I bet that it would cut down on this situation. For me, a reservation for one person only is a red flag: I very seldom get bookings for one person only, and if I receive one, unless they've specifically said they're travelling alone in their initial message, I ask if they're actually going to be by themselves. People also make honest mistakes: some may be looking to save money, others may just not realize that they haven't included the right number of guests. 

If it's not in your rules already, I would specifically include it in your property rules. Say something like: Please ensure you book for the correct number of people in your group. It may or may not help, but it can't hurt.

If you are experiencing this problem a lot, maybe also add a note about it in your welcome or thanks for booking message. Maybe something like: "Airbnb requires that your booking is for the correct number of guests, so if there will be more than X people staying, please let me know so I can revise the reservation accordingly."

It is tough when people are actually on the doorstep and they haven't booked for the correct number of people, especially when Airbnb won't let you amend the reservation on the day. You can send a request for extra money, but I totally agree that's an awkward conversation.  

[Christine2539]

Thanks very much for your advice.  I very often do have just one guest during the week because we are near a pilot school and also people stay when they are working nearby or on a course.  It is hard and can be very awkward when guests do this but two extra 'big' kids using towels, bed linen and having my full English breakfast can soak up any profit I would make. 

I have put a note in my rules as you suggested. 

I don't mind if children under 2 who are sleeping in their parents bed and don't require food go free but I can't see where to put this on Airbnb. 

[Alexandra316]

@Christine2539children under the age of 2 fall into the Infants category as defined by Airbnb, so there is no charge for them. 

That makes sense regarding your single person bookings: I don't get many business stays. I don't think there is any shame in asking people to verify when they book though. 

[Laura2484]

This forum is riddled with posts @Christine2539  from hosts that experience this same issue and fortunately there are also lots of valuable feedback too.

As @Alexandra316  made a suggestion of adding to your House Rules, perhaps another suggestion ,in the guests initial inquiry ask them questions too. The standard being ' What brings them to your area & who will they be travelling with' .

There are some word savvy & credible hosts here on this forum that regularly post @Robin4 , @Sarah977 , @Anonymous and many others too . Using the tag 'extra guests' ' unregistered guests' you will be able to search  and read other host experiences & the feedback/suggestions that have been offered.  There is a wealth of knowledge here in the community and the world of hospitality and hosting is everchanging. 

All the best going forward Christine.