@Kelly149, @Kurt40, @Jessica-and-Henry0
I generally take Kelly’s advice (and came across this dialogue as I’ve had issues with this in the past). Thank you Kelly! Great advice.
I mention it in my listing and am firm in any inquiries. I am often pretty accommodating and if a potential guest is specific about the request and inviting someone over (for example, “I’m here on business and my partner and I need a quiet space to do a conference call at XYZ time, can he/she come by for x hours so we don’t have to do it in a loud coffee shop?” Or, “I’m in town for a birthday party/reunion, can a friend come over to pre-game and split a 6 pack before we go to the bar? He/she will only be here for an hour before we split a cab to the place”)
I think it is too easy for people to take advantage with the way booking is set-up. For example, under “Additional Prices”, extra guests are per night and some potential guests take that literally. You are already putting yourself and your home at risk (as well as annoyance from neighbors) and to have guests bringing random people over is nuts. If your guest hasn’t discussed in advance, call Airbnb immediately – at least you have some recourse for a guest (if they have verifications, etc.) but I don’t think you have much protection for actions from a guest of a guest. If your listing states 1 guest, call Airbnb – that guest has already violated the listing and you should be able to have them leave or seek compensation (make sure $ is listed somewhere)
In my experience, if someone doesn’t explicitly state reasons, timing, etc. of having another person over, I tell them it is an additional fee, if approved by me, regardless of whether the person is here for 24 minutes or 24 hours. That usually prompts the person to be more specific about their request or find another accommodation. Sometimes I tell people there is a budget hotel 3 blocks away that can accommodate multiple guests (their rooms start at 5X my usual price and you may run into escorts there but whatever). It sucks but you have to be firm and set a clear boundary with guests who are either not respectful or being shady – We share our homes and this is not a hotel service.