What do you do when a guest has more people than the reservation was approved for?

[Steve2924]

I have a space that I am listing for 2 people max (one room guesthouse).  I currently have a guest that is staying one night and brought 4 people (there was only two when they showed up, but apparently in the late evening/night, two more showed up).  They are checking out today, so what's done is done, but what (if anything) can/should be done in this situation?  I will leave a review noting that there was a misunderstanding on the rules and # of guests, but is that about all that I can do?

[Linda108]

Cute cottage!  In my city, violation of the maximum number of overnight guests can result in a heavy fine so the results are more onerous for the host.  I did notice what might be mixed messaging are your part, assuming the guest reads your description. LOL  Anyway, in your description you welcome children along with parents and you state more than two guests are okay "depending on circumstances".  Then in your rules, you are firm against more than 2 guests.  I think often guests come from the perspective that if they have a whole space, then they can use the space as they wish.  If the guest limit is important, perhaps your welcome message in response to the booking could include, "please confirm you understand that no more than two overnight guests".  Then any review of a guest that has more than two guests can read, "guest violated maximum guest rule after confirming understanding of the rule."

[Steve2924]

Good point.  My rules and limits have changed over time as I've figured out what works best for the space and I've clearly missed parts of the description.  I'll go review it all and ensure that it all aligns!

[Sarah977]

@Steve2924  I have nothing more to add to the good advice ypu've gotten here, except to say that sometimes guests really don't have nefarious intentions of sneaking more people in. 

I only host one guest at a time in my private room. My second booking, way back when I started hosting, was a young woman, who showed up alone, went out to town the first night, I went to bed at some point, and I never heard her come in. 

In the morning, I was shocked when she emerged from her room with a guy. My first thought was that she had just picked some guy up at the bar, but she very openly introduced me to "my friend X". It turned out they had planned to meet up in my town and that she simply didn't know that she couldn't have anyone else stay- she thought if she booked something, it was up to her who stayed with her. She was brand new to Airbnb and really wasn't trying to pull a fast one. I ended up letting him stay and charging them a bit more. 

But it was a learning experience for me to make sure that when guests book, it is clear to them that "For Solo Travelers" means exactly that.

[Cave0]

Airbnb Terms of Service are pretty clear:

"Except where expressly authorized, you may not allow any person to join a Host Service unless they are included as an additional guest during the booking process."

So there ought be no misunderstanding about how many people stay at the listing.

It is, of course, not always easy to manage situations where guests break the rules, however, my view is that if an "unauthorised" guest has an acident, the fact that they aren't on the reservation won't stop them suing you if they are so inclined.  I can't see Airbnb's host liabily insurance paying out for that.  Nor can I see Airbnb paying out under the host guarantee if the unauthorised guest damages something.  People are always nice when they're getting away with something, but when it goes wrong, then you have to consider where that leaves you as a host.

Then, of course, as @Linda108 mentioned, there's the legal implications of exceeding whatever licence conditions the local authorities might impose.  Certainly here we can lose our licence and that means that the future guests won't be getting their holiday because the current guest broke the law and the host did nothing about it.

Of course, we're all individual and react to and deal with these situations differently, but in my case, there's only one course of action, which is, to call Airbnb, explain that the Terms of Service have been broken and get Airbnb to call the guest and inform them that they no longer have a valid reservation and that they have to leave.

As much as I hate having to deal with this situation when it arises, in my experience this type of guest often goes on to create other problems with noise and disturbance in the neighbourhood and rarely do they have any consideration for the listing itself.  If they did, they'd have asked up front about the extra guests.

Like I said, it's horses for courses and each host has to do what is felt to be the right thing but in my experience there's only one course of action.

Interestingly I have had more than one guest who, after their unscheduled check-out, posted on social media that they'd been evicted again "not the fist time and surely not the last" to quote them.  Seems to me that it's as much about them seeing what they can get away with as it is anything else.

[Elaine701]

@Cave0 

Very astute. 

However, I have little faith in Airbnb "rules". At the end of the day, they will arbitrarily decide what is or isn't in their rulebook, and if the guest violated it or not. It's not something you can depend on. Regardless of what's written. 

So, unfortunately, you have to employ your own protection methods. Depending on how and what, your methods may or may not be sanctioned in the Airbnb "rulebook", but then again, those rules are at Airbnb's sole interpretation anyway, so if they choose to interpret anything you do as a "violation" on any given day, be prepared to be suspended or delisted. Or just follow their "rules" and hope for the best. 

If you're not already on other platforms, you probably should be. Just as a backup. 

[Elena87]

@Steve2924 

Stuck away in the help guides is what airbnb allows you do over additional undeclared guests.

https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/1515/when-guests-want-to-bring-more-people

In brief, you can ask for the extra payment that each additional guest is due or to tell the guest to cancel with refund related to the listings cancellation policy. The policy also unrealistically assumes the guest 'asks' beforehand.

Sounds great but of course there is a pitfall in that this entails the guest having to agreeably press buttons to do this. If you can't stomach confrontation, it's also problematic.

Most hosts are agitated over undeclared extra people. If its an ongoing headache at your place, its best to preempt by making clear the consequences in your house rules, in pre arrival confirmation messages, to know airbnb policies and to rehearse what you would do in possible future situations where it might reoccur.

[Betsy16]

Keep part of their security deposit.

[Linda108]

The host does not have a security deposit on this platform, @Betsy16 , unfortunately.