Endless children in a single room

[Annie262]

This family has booked a single room in a shared home. They continue to try and circumvent paying for a second room by now saying two of the SIX guests (max is 4 people on listing) are under the age of two and not considered guest by Airbnb. 

Our local laws will not allow this many people or the one bathroom they would all share and Airbnb now claims I can’t do anything about it after they called them and for a third rep on the phone to give them this answer. The other two did not. 

The other two reps said they had to pay for a second room. 

Help. I am truly at my wits end over this ridiculous family and I can’t cancel or I lose not just thebooking and the money from it but my status. 

They are such problems and have called crying over all our house rules they don’t like but haven’t even checked in!!

truly, can I be forced to allow them in bringing two additional people in ONE BEDROOM because they are under two years old??? 

[Elena87]

@Annie262 

Local laws take precedence over whatever an airbnb phone rep allegedly says, it's in the terms as; 

''Hosts alone are responsible for identifying, understanding, and complying with all laws, rules and regulations that apply to their Listings''

https://www.airbnb.com/terms

If your maximum legal capacity is four per room, that's all you can be prepared to accept.

Time for the guests to decide if they want to;  cancel, book room two to comply with laws, only bring 4 people. Over to them.

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

@Annie262 

in addition to what @Elena87 said, if they instant booked then you can cancell, penalty free because you are uncomfortable with this guest and because they intend to break your house rules. Just call Airbnb and make them cancel, or contact ABB over twitter (they are the best)

If this guests make you cry before check in then don't allow them into your property, you will be sorry and you know it.

[Ange2]

@Annie262     I totally agree with   @Branka-and-Silvia0  words of wisdom.  : "If this guests make you cry before check in then don't allow them into your property, you will be sorry and you know it."

[Annie262]

I have now gotten in touch with another rep who got two opinions and called back to clarify that no, they may not bring additional people if the listing states only 4. The policy is just for extra person fees not to allow additional people beyond the max listed. It’s amazing what people will try to get away with.  

[Mark116]

@Annie262  It's worse though that airbnb's own CS people are so often giving wrong information.  I think airbnb has it so that babies are supposed to be 'free of charge' but they would still count for the total number of guests.  I can't really even imagine why anyone would want to have 6 people in one room?  Good grief.

[Ange2]

@Annie262     Personally, I would take the hit to the booking money and superhost status if it comes down to that. I have done that in untenable situations.  Losing my Superhost badge did not impact my listing - except that I do get (which I rarely to never got with Superhost) time-waster's, people booking without any verifications not even a telephone number, despite my checking  IB that they must have ID, or trying to circumvent rules and begging for discounts.

It sounds like this will be a nightmare for you even if they do pay for two rooms. And may end up costing you way more than the fees received and possibly even result in a bad review, if you do host them, that will lose Superhost for you anyway. Calculating risk, number one priority for hosts on Airbnb.