How to deal with extra guests?

[Deborah0]

A host (call him Mark) recently described a problem, that seems to me to be an exceptionally common problem which hosts bring to the host communities to ask about.   Mark said that the guest booked 4 people, but that 6 people actually arrived.  He thought at first that only 4 guests would stay, as this had been the arrangement and what they paid for (and he doesn't allow more than 4 to stay at his home -- which is an entire house listing).  However, the next day when he went by the house to see the guests off and check them out, he saw all 6 people inside, and as they left, he saw that they were all carrying luggage, so it was clear they had all stayed there. 

Do you have any advice for Mark?

[Andrew1492]

It's called "honesty," something apparently unimportant to you. If your opinion is your practice, Airbnb hosts would do better without the likes of you.

[Omasan0]

 Why didnt you just lock the rooms not in use and lock up any extra towels?

[Michele39]

@Omasan0I don't understand how that would work. I should choose the bedrooms for the guest?  They are booking the entire space, they should be allowed to choose which bedroom to use. And I always give 2 towels per person.

[Omasan0]

@Michele39 I think I replied to someone who said he could tell the beds had been slept in and the towels used. Meaning they weren’t supposed to sleep there. In response to not wanting to pick the rooms, it’s a bit tricky BUT if you have made all the beds available to them, assuming the people are less, how can you stop them from sleeping in different beds on different nights? Also if you offer 2 towels each there’s no real difference to the laundry if it’s the allocated 4 people or an extra person snuck in. So there won’t be an real savings in terms of laundry electricity or cleaning per say... just the annoying realisation you have been cheated.

[Michele39]

@Omasan0

The price difference is based on averages.

We can't stop someone from sleeping in all the beds, but normally guests don't do this. Maybe someone snores or is sick, and the other one wants to sleep separately from them, and that is fine. But usually they don't go and jump on all three beds just to mess with me.

Two towels per person is what I provide, and sometimes they use them, but sometimes they don't. The water usage for two people showering with two towels each is different than four people showering with one towel each, and plus there is the mess and demands on the heating/cooling system of 4 people vs 2.

For example, when there are 4 people there is a much higher likelihood that one of them will have different temperature requirements, so I might have the situation of the A/C blasting while one person puts on the space heater near their bed.

With a larger number of people, there is also a higher likelihood that someone will ruin the sheets or comforter with some kind of mess: nosebleeds, or greasy makeup, or some kind of god-knows-what on the sheets (this has happened three times, always with groups of 4 or more).

My price for 2 people is based on the average amount of mess, cleanup, and water usage for 2 people. My price for 4 people is based on the average for 4 people. You can't pick out different individual things and talk about the price for this and that. I have had a party of 2 use up several rolls of toilet paper, while another group uses hardly any. Some guests eat all the snacks and some eat none. I just go off averages for groups of 2 and 4. For some reason, groups larger than 2 are much messier and use up more stuff... on average.

So you might ask, why should MY group pay more just because some other group was messy? There's no way for a host to know ahead of time who is going to be messy and who isn't, so we just have to go off averages.

[Veronica416]

I now have multiple listings for 1 apartment. I lock up the 2nd bedroom and bathroom. Make it a 1/1 for 2 guests and 2 additional in sofa bed. I charge additional guest after 1 to cover the sofa if guests sleep separately. They can’t complain about the 2nd bedroom locked because it is listed that way. 

[Robyn-s-Nest0]

I do the exact same thing. We have a 3 bedroom place (like hosting families or groups...) but sometimes 1 or 2 people want to book.  They get 1 bedroom, I lock the other 2 bedrooms along with towels and anything else I dont want to get messed with.  I am considering making another listing for 2 bedrooms and locking just 1 bedroom as well.

[Veronica416]

I used to do that, Airbnb told me I’m not allowed since in the description I include multiple bedrooms etc. 

[Rey18]

Holy crap! Are you Stephen King???

[Jasmine159]

ok thats really weird

[Rhonda45]

I agree with you.  I can’t actually prove there are more guests than booked.  I suppose in the review part where Airbnb asks if you will host them again respond with a no.

[Je0]

What if they dont accept though which is the problem im having right now.

[Monica4]

@Je0Message your guests to tell them that you are aware of the extra guests and expect $$$ payment. Then go the Airbnb resolution center and make the claim there.

[Hana3]

I have the exact situation. But I did not tell them that I am aware of the extra guests. I am afraid that  he would leave a bad review. What to do in this case?

[Michele39]

Don't be scared by the prospect of a bad review. You can always respond to the review with the information that the guest was dishonest. People do read the host responses and don't just believe the guest always.