Maximum guest occupancy settings

[Edray0]

Hello,

I have posted this same message elsewhere so I'm just hoping to get a quick reply.

I have my maximum occupancy set at 16 people on my AirBnB listing. This is the limit that the town has licensed me for and is the fire code. The AirBnB booking engine allowed a guest to enter more than 16 people when they enter an added amount for children and infants. Since I have Instant Book enabled, they were able to book my property with 19 people. This would cause me to get a fine of at least $750 and the town would suspend my rental license (STA). Not to mention that if the guest went in and there was a fire, the fire fighters would mainly look for 16 people. Murphys law could cause a domino of mistakes that could take the lives of 3 "people" (yes infants are people too AirBnB). This is not about a paying person. It is about staying in compliance and for guest safety.

I am on my way to being a Superhost and because I have Instant Book enabled and the AirBnb booking engine allowed more guests that I have set, I am told I will be penalized by losing my opportunity to become a SuperHost for one year when I cancel the reservation. This is VERY upsetting to me and is most unfair. I should not suffer due to a problem with the AirBnB booking engine. This doesn't happen on the other listing sites I'm on. I'm in a position where I can't legally accept this reservation.

This needs to be fixed as it could cause me and obviously a number of other owners (who have complained) on AirBnB, a lot of trouble in the future. The Town my rental is in has handed out 7 fines that I know of in the last week. One was because there was one extra car in the driveway. I must operate with 100% compliance.

As I said, infants are people too. It's ridiculous that on my FAMILY rental, I would have to lie and say that it's not suitable for children and infants. It would effectively weaken listing by cutting out upfront people with infants using the filters. Fire regulations EVERYWHERE I know of on the planet, count every human as a person regardless of age. Max occupancy is max occupancy "period". I can write whatever I want as rules which may help a bit, but 7 out of 10 people won’t read it. I'm just lucky this guest was upfront. As said in other messages, not all guests are. This guest is also understandably upset about the inconvenience so I come off looking bad in his eyes.

If an AirBnB guest drives 2 hours and decides to bring 16 people plus an undocumented infant, with the current model, they could call me out for false advertising when they get turned away. And if you think they won’t, I had one guest try to accuse me of false advertising because on arrival, they saw a new unhooked up A/C unit that I didn't even have a picture of much less advertise. They may not have had a case but word of mouth and reviews can make or break us owners.

This is a simple fix that AirBnB can do and I know they have the resources. We owners have the product that makes AirBnB money. Our words and concerns should be heard and acknowledged. I have been in the vacation rental business since 2003 and with that experience, I know it's not an outrageous request to fix this. I've also been a full-time computer tech since 1991 so I KNOW that it is not a difficult change.

Can anyone in this community put me in touch with support (which is a whole other story)? I will not lose my superhost chance quietly since it's something I worked towards in 2017. I would have acheived it in January were it not for this cancelation.

Also to add to my anger and punishment that AirBnB has decided to hand out for their faulty system, they have also put a block on my calendar so that I can't book the canceled dates via their site. 1. That is a direct attack on my business by falsifying my availability and thus impeding income potential for me 2. Causes me to use another listing site to book the property which results in a loss of income for AirBnB. Yet another reason that reminds me of why I stopped using AirBnB for a year due to questionable business acts. I have 1 cancelation in the 16 completed rentals (plus many more coming up) and AirBnB seeks to damage my business by falsely promoting to the public that I am an owner that doesn't keep his word and cancels reservations.

I'm sure the Ontario Business Practices Act and the Consumer Protection Act, protect us owners and give us certain rights in this instance. The Federal Competition Act targets it for sure. I would hope it doesn't come down to me having to submit a complaint. If it could easily talk to customer support at AirBnB and explain and have the situation resolved, I would even need to consider Protection Acts. Yet direct communication with AirBnB is something they have notoriously made difficult. I have seen the excuse floating around about being in so many countries it's impossible to provide direct support. Well I've had/have listings on 5 other major players in this industry and I can contact (and have contacted) them VERY easily. I feel like AirBnB forceably demands loyalty and shirks it off when it's given willingly or not.

I apologize for the agressive tone. I am a very calm person but when it comes to family and my business, I protect with vigor. I have been mostly happy with my experience with AirBnB save a few instances. However, I do not enjoy wasting my precious time making mountains out of situations that are molehills. Please excuse any grammar and spelling mistakes. I may not have been as calm as I prefer while writing this.

[Hugh0]

This infant exceeding the maximum occupany problem has happened to me to. Like you, it put me in breach of regulations. I told Airbnb I was "not comfortable" and wanted to cancel. Airbnb did nothing except to tell me I was abusing their instant booking penalty free cancellation policy. I was not happy. I updated my rules to say infants are welcome but will count towards the maximum occupancy count. I wait to see if this will help the next time this happens.

[Gabriel25]

I have the opposite problem, my home allows up to 30 people but AirBnB only allows up to 16 guests on the reservation, I charge for extra guests and by the time i get the instant reservation, I have to go back to the guest to pay the additional fee, which generates an uncomfortable conversation.

I wish they would increase the limit and allow the flexibility the host Edray and Hugh are talking about. A much needed improvement.

[Edray0]

Hi Gabriel,

This should be a simple change for AirBnB to make. However it seems that they want to run as an entity that offers no physical customer support. They demand much from owners in their system but don't offer much back. I'm doing my best to make it work and for the most part it has, but it seems that owners and clients are just a number to them. They have Q3 earnings of $1 billion (not including two important parts of the planet), made off of our combined backs and say they keep costs down by not having staff to handle user issues. With a private valuation of $31 billion, I think they can afford a little staff. Customer service goes a long way towards increasing profits.

[Laszlo14]

I feel your pain, particularly at the point of needing to protect the domain with vigor. 

Of late, I needed to have canceled a reservation. Wow. Ok, message to self: just breathe, just breathe: phew. My domain is my keep. When reservations, for instance, do not conform to parameters established, it blows my mind that I, as the the one responsible of the household, am not upheld first in those duties which I must do to that end in which then I am able to be available to hosting. It is only through those rights which I reserve, protect, enforce, and discharge, that then I am available unto a possible brokering/hosting accord as this which is available through our mutual friends. Again, prompt to self: breathe, breathe.

Amen.

Thank you. 

[Ernest1]

We have a similar problem in Ft. Lauderdale, FL, the Fort Lauderdale Vacation Rental Ordinance limits a two-bedroom apartment to 4 guests and treats an infant as a guest. However the AirBnB booking procedure allows guests to not count infants under the age of 2 as a guest that counts towards the apartment's maximum occupancy. Thus, AirBnB is exposing hosts to potential fines from the City Code Enforcement and potential problems between hosts and guests when a guest arrives with more thant the maximum occupancy permitted by the ordinance -- or for that matter my house rules. What is AirBnB doing to fix the problem?

[Thomas1033]

We feel your pain, only been renting our apartment airbnb style a few weeks now.  Guests continually take advantage of us.  We allow for 5 guests, one bunch showed up with 7 including an "infant" who was probably 3 and nearly 4 years old.  Another group booked for 5 and 6 showed up and the latest were 5 adults and an undeclared infant who's dirty diaper came flying at me as I was stripping the bed this morning.  They were nice enough to leave me all their half eaten food on the counter and in the fridge and even a pop tart in the toaster.  I'm afraid to review any of these people because I don't want the backlash.  I advised airbnb our house rules now state 5 maximum guests including children regardless of age. We don't charge for cleaning or extra people.  I expected to clean but I'm not someone's servant.