Do you allow your guests to bring guests/visitors to your house?

[Deborah0]

A question many newer hosts in particular have when they start hosting, is whether they should allow guests to have visitors come over.  What are your thoughts on this? What are some of the reasons you allow guests to bring their guests over, if you do, and if you don't, what are your reasons for that?  If you do allow guests to have visitors, do you tell them how many they can have in total, or at once, or how often their visitors can come over, or for how long? Are there any other rules/limits you have on guests' visitors?   Do you allow them to have overnight visitors?  

[Jiw0]

Yes I allow it.  It's their place, they rented it and I respect their privacy. 

They are ultimately responsible for following house rules, but they are most welcome to have guests including overnight guests as long as they don't go over the maximum number of people I set for the house.

[Christine-and-Stephen0]

Are you renting a 'private room' or an 'entire apartment'?

[Ernie0]

Hi Deborah, 

We state in our house rules the following: "For the comfort and security of our guests and residents, only registered guests are permitted on the property." 

This rule came about after multiple instances where our guests would invite their friends and family to our home and show them around the property as though touring an open house. We quickly realized that we needed to put a stop to this. Of course, not all guests read the rules or the listing.

Cheers, 
Ernie Thayer

[Vicky15]

Hello, I may be a little late to this conversation, but I was about to post the same question as I wasn't sure of my views. We rent a room in our home and a guest recently asked if she could invite a friend over for dinner... I felt really awkward and uncomfortable saying no as she was lovely, but ultimately we're renting the room just to her and don't want strangers in our shared space in our home. In addition as I have seen several comments I assume you wouldn't be covered by insurance as the guest has signed no contract. It's a little different if you are renting our a whole space because 1) how do you manage this if you are not there to monitor additional guests. 2) I probably wouldn't care (apart from the insurance / liability side) because I wouldn't be there for it to bother me. Interested to hear others opinions. Thanks, Vicky

[Allison2]

I think the "registered guests only" policy avoids a world of problems.

When I accepted the reservation, it was with the understanding that there would be a certain number of people. From an insurance and liability standpoint, I like not having to worry about guests of guests. Airbnb's insurance only covers guests.

There's no awkward discussion about the friend who stayed really, really late. No disagreement on what constitues a party - if it's clear only registered guests are allowed, it really cuts down on those kinds of situations. You can always be more flexible when you choose to.

[Øystein-Sandøy0]

Hi 😃

So, same problem here.

I have 4 registered guests with one car, and an extra 3 non-registered visitors - also with a car. They are not staing the night, but they are here all day long. Leaving late. They have not asked us to have visitors. They are tourists and it seems like they are using our property as "basecamp" for their expeditions. Possibly because the other place is to small. Im renting out a house.

How should i proceed? I want to charge them extra, but i dont want a bad review.

Can airbnb help? 

It just feels wrong.

[Øystein-Sandøy0]

It feels horribly wrong that i "can`t" confront the guests about it, because i`ll risk a bad review. A single star review can be devastating. 

[Dawn81]

I'm going to jump right in with a strict policy. I've just started hosting and I already see a pattern.
First guest had a friend bring him in and didn't ask me and I heard them talking in his room after midnite. As this person wasn't vetted and I had no idea who she was I got up and went and asked. I found it peculiar and inconsiderate that there would be an assumption that you can just bring in a non vetted guest into someone elses home.
My second guest came with her boyfriend, again non vetted, but she had mentioned she was coming with him and i read their reviews so I was Okay with it.
Now I'm on my third guest and she arrived with two of her friends in tow who gave her a ride. Keep in mind the vetted guest isn't really someone you "know" but then brings in two other strangers for the first time. I'm very uncomfortable with this. 
I did have a policy stating that you may only have a guest if I give permission, and no guests past 10:00 P.M. but I can see that's not cutting it. After reading comments on this community site, I've altered my rules which now read:
Please no smoking inside or out, including vaping. No drugs or alcohol.
* For liability reasons, guests may not bring any visitors or any others to our home at any time, for any length of time. *
Only those individuals who are registered guests may enter the premises. If your friend is dropping you off or picking you up please have them wait for you in their car.
This is a quiet serene environment. You will be given off street parking and there is a security patrol service.
As this is only a room rental, not the whole house and guests are required to be verified by airbnb, I can't allow the place to be used as a hangout. I also work from home.
If you want to visit and hangout with your friends make arrangements to either go over to their house or out to a 24 hour restaurant such as Cocos or House of Pancakes...Now if your mom needs to come over to give you a ride that may be a different story, but for the purpose of your stay don't plan to use this as a hang out.

[Alex319]

Firstly, it completely makes sense to not have guests of guests from a liability standpoint. Have them sign an agreement.

That being stated,  REALLY!? Come on people. The tenant should be communicative, clear, and respectful. AND having company is one of the greatest joys which leasors should allow conditionally or leave the hotel business. 

[Christine-and-Stephen0]

Alex, we are not hotels, most of the people contributing to this thread are renting a bedroom and being their own homes, are free to enforce these kind of rules. 

You have to remember, not only are these our homes, but they contain all our goods and chattels and irreplaceable family treasures. Therefore it is not unreasonable to request 'no guests of guests'.

Then of course the insurance issue is not generally important UNTIL it is. 

I personally don't think it's worth the possibility of losing everything you've worked for, this may seem extreme but we have a staircase and a pool and there's two reasons right there, if a guest of a guest falls down our stairs and becomes paralysed then we are effectively 'screwed' and it's simply not worth it.

[Janice140]

But we’re not hotels!! We are allowing guests the privilege of sharing our homes and ask them to respect our clearly stated rules prior to booking. If guests don’t like the rules then book a hotel! 

[Sammy35]

hotel business??  oi oi oi oi
no thank you

clearly there are two camps yes. and no.

NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO unequivocally NO fing way lol

i don't judge the yeses and i hope that no matter what they think about the guest maintaining liability for a guest, overnight or not, they could substantiate such (hold the guest responsible when the guest will not wish to take responsibility for a friend guest that goes awry) legally, if it ever went that far.  you better know your real estate, business contract, and liability laws!

[Elena517]

My roommate airbnb’ed His room.

it is 830 am and there are almost 20 unknown people in my living room right now.. all hanging out with the new airbnb guy who checked in yesterday. 

[Jen-and-Garrett0]

Oh no they didn't.. Kick them out. Including your roommate. Then Airbnb the room yourself. Pick guests who are responsible. Problem solved. 

[Kelly378]

This JUST happened to me 20 minutes ago: 

So this woman booked for two nights starting tonight. She shows up with her friend who picked her up at the airport. Friend is weird, creepy older dude. She proceeds to unload enough food into the fridge to last a month. Whatever. I'm cool. Older dude starts banging around the kitchen and wanting to cut up some kind of melon, which the two of them go into the side yard to eat. Seriously, I thought he was just dropping her off but they're making themselves at home out there. Fine. Whatever. I have to go out in an hour so I'm thinking if he's not gone by then I'm going to tell her he has to leave. She didn't ask if a friend could come and hang out in advance... Not cool. Anyway, my dog (Bronte) goes to hang out with them in the garden and I'm working away in my room. Next thing I hear all this scraping and they've taken a chair from the kitchen and put it up against the dog door and locked Bronte in the house so that Bronte can't go outside!!!!!! I remove the chair and say to them, "Hey, you can't stop my dog from going out in her own garden!" They say "oh, okay." And I'm thinking - what HORRIBLE people. So I go back to my room while they spend another 20 minutes out there with their melon and then she asks for the wifi password - and then HE (NOT my guest) wants to log in to the Wifi too. Bloody hell! I say nothing - I figure he'll leave soon. And then they finally come back in and she says, "I don't think this is going to work out I'm going to find somewhere else to stay." And I say, "Okay. Bye!" ( Felicia -

Don't let the kitchen chair whack you in the arse on the way out the dog door!). I still get paid for the two nights so, ha! But wow. How EFFING rude. Good riddance!!!!!!