Guests Sneaking In Extra People

[Monica4]

I've been hosting for four years and I've "had it" with dishonest guests who sneak in extra people. I am so furious every time I walk in after guests leave and find evidence of extra people other than those that booked. 

I have a "welcome table" set up with maps, restaurant menus, guidebooks, flyers...etc and also a written house manual. At the very top of the manual I have the following statement:

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Please respect our rate schedule so that we can keep the base price low for the first two guests. Additional guests after the first two people, including children, are required to pay $25/night per person anywhere on the property, whether or not that person shares a bed, sleeps on top of a bed, on the couch or on the floor. Minimum booking nights apply.

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This has not stopped people getting snuck in. I want to add the words: Sneaking in Extra People is Theft and will be treated as such. Too harsh? I have also ordered a security camera which will be installed this week. I made note of that in my rules.

[Kj11]

If someone does that again, I will cancel as soon as I find out.

[Kj11]

We are brand new to this. This is my second guest in this room. I just found out he has had others up there for two days. I knew he had visitors, I didn’t know they spent the night until today. We live in the downstairs and it’s a big house. I don’t want to lose my other guest. She is fantastic. I have messaged the offending guest. He isn’t even home and his friends are up there.

[Ian-And-Anne-Marie0]

@Kj11 

Go up, ask who they are, then tell them to leave.

[David6]

Please walk up stairs and tell the ‘extras’ they need to leave immediately otherwise you will call the police. Give them 30 minutes. Be FIRM. Tell them to leave . You have frustrated another guest who wants to leave - resulting in likely bad review. You will not survive on the Airbnb platform as Airbnb will just delist you if guests complain about this kind of thing. Protect your business and take a firm stand. I know it’s tough to do. But you don’t need to be confrontational; just say ‘I’m really sorry but our insurance is invalidated and we breach fire code by over occupancy. I need to ask you to leave immediately.’  Smile, and give them 30 minutes! Then speak to guest and give him it straight. He can stay alone - or he leaves too. 

[Angela411]

I agree with what others have said. This is not a free-for-all. The reservation was for 1 person. Period. I would be nice about it and approach it like maybe they didn't understand the rules but make it clear that only one person is allowed and that the friends will have to leave immediately. Also, I would politely make it clear that if the friends stay another night, the legitimate guest will have to leave immediately. At the recommendation of Airbnb, I revised my listing to make the consequences clear for sneaking in extra people. I charge the FULL price for each and every unauthorized guest. You must include a deposit for this to work. No deposit is witheld by Airbnb, but if you include it, it authorizes them to charge the credit card for extra guests. I would also contact the boy's mother and let her know that there will be an extra charge for the extra people.

[Esteban136]

wow

[Alison345]

This happens so often, even if the additional guest charge is a paltry €10 per night which includes a set of towels and priceless peace of mind!  So irritating.  I have a double and two single beds so two people can just say that they don´t share a bed and sneak someone else in or sleep on the throws covering the unmade beds.    Would not consider a security camera but I need to think of something.  Some people are so cheap!   

[Jain32]

Lock all bedrooms not booked. 

[René137]

I had the same bad experience and the last time was a disaster. I have 3 listings for 3 different private rooms in the same location. So the guests share bathroom, living room, kitchen...

One day someone booked a room for the same day for 1 person, the other bedrooms were booked for a single and a family of 3. At some point, we realized the guest brought 4 friends, two were sleeping in the sofa, other two in the booked room and another one in someone else's bedroom. I called them and explained the situation, we don't have space for that many ppl in one room, that would disturb other guests and we have extra fees for extra guests($10). The person who reserved the room said he made a mistake and thought he was renting the whole house, which even if that was the case he never mentioned 5 ppl, not even when he checked in.

In short, during their stay they broke glasses, clogged twice the bedroom and left the common areas a mess. It's been 2 weeks since I claimed $50 through the resolution center (which we agreed) and so far not even that I received for the 2 nights they stayed. I was left with no review from them of course, another guest preferred not complete the review and the family gave 4 star.

[Jain32]

Call the police and have the illegal guests removed

[Stefan243]

I once opened a resolution center because of extra people that sneaked in. I charge 25€ after 1 person per night. 

The guest obviously didn't responded so I had to involve Airbnb. 

The case manager closed the case and said they can not cover me for this, even though I have evidence, because this doesn't meet the host insurance policy. 

Is that a thing ? 

[Jain32]

you need to supply proof pf extra guests. Always meet guests in person. Put in. Your listing:  no unregistered or undeclared guests will be allowed on the premises at anytime. Guests who attempt to check in with or after checkin bring undisclosed guests will be turned away at the door or immediately be removed from the property and will not receive nor be entitled to a refund of any kind. Sorry but because guests have tried to sneek in extra guests they have not paid for we are very strict about this. If you need to bring extra guests we will try to accomodate this but only if honestly declared ahead of checkin and additional fees paid upfront.  

[Jennifer2323]

Hi. I have guests aware of the additional guest fee and have agreed to it however stated his additional guests will be leaving before the others and doesn’t want to pay additional guest fees for those nights. How would you respond ?

[Jain32]

Say no. Pay or dont stay

[John1574]

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@Jennifer2323 

I've run into this often, and I always use the "Send or Receive Money"  feature on the left of the Inbox page.

That way they only pay for the days the extra guest stayed.  I used it this week in fact.