Paying for the Second Guest

[Mary742]

Be warned fellow hosts:  if you have a listing which is independent and self-contained, this may attract a guest who thinks no-body will see them bring in a second guest, or notice that they break house rules.  We've just seen the back of a guest who fronted up with an unregistered second guest, who refused to pay the second guest surcharge.  AirBnB Support Crew were great, helping us to try and recoup the surcharge through phone calls and messages.  Neither AirBnB Crew nor I could force her to alter the reservation, because the reservation had already started.  They nearly burnt the place down, cooking some large meal, despite the house rules of only small meals, there being a restaurant across the road open all day and every day.  So my husband and I learned that yep, in such cases, even the AirBnB crew can't enforce an extra payment for the extra guest.  So we evicted her and her second guest, with a clear utlimatum before-hand along the lines of:  "If you don't pay the second guest surcharge by such-and-such time, the premises will not be available for you for tonight," to which of course there was no response.  So we nicely packed their stuff into plastic bags, locked the side gate access to the premises and put their things on the front verandah for them to collect, despite their third and last night being paid for.  The third night's fee was the equivalent of the extra guest surcharge, so now we are all in balance.  We have to take justice into our own hands sometimes.  We cannot rely on AirBnB Support Crew to be of support, and this is understandable, as they are powerless after a certain point too, just like us as hosts.  We have to be vigilant, firm, business-like and sometimes quite drastic.  The guests finally picked up their bags late last night and they won't get refunded for their third night.....

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

@Mary742  you are right, We have to take justice into our own hands sometimes. 

[Mary742]

Yes, Branka, this is what I have learned now, we have to empower ourselves!

[Susie111]

@Mary742  Well done!👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

We need sometimes to teach the guests how to behave in a home sharing  environment.

If they ignore you and your house rules, please go and check in a hotel with a kitchen.

There is plenty of those in our city.

I have just started to be more firm with a welcome message that sets the tone for what the guests can expect when staying with us.

So far no one has cancelled!

[Catherine935]

Hi I would love to see your welcome message.  I feel that I am pretty clear in my description even before theybook and then as I always pay for extra insusrance apart from the Airbnb cover, I send an email asking them to disclose how many people will be on the property at any one time as If I am not transparent, then the public liability will not cover any guests who happen to hurt themselves etc.  It is amazing how many people get back ands say, "oh well I am hosting a dinner for about 27 people blah blah)  I can then cancel them as I have a strict no No party or events.  If you have instant book turned on you can cancel without penalty if you feel that the guests are intending to break your house rules.  And NO Airbnb will not help you or charge for anyone breaking the House Rules, so you do need to take matters into your own hands sometimes

[Ian-And-Anne-Marie0]

@Catherine935 

Hi I would love to see your welcome message.

One of the problems on this forum Catherine is that when you reply to a post - the system - gives no indication who you are replying to. Many systems do. This one doesn't.

It helps if you type the @ then the name of the person you want to reference with number, then choose them in the drop down window. They then receive a notification and you will more likely get a reply.

I don't think it is me who you were asking about welcome messages, but I reply personally and appropriately to guest bookings based on their initial enquiry, size of group, configuration of group etc.

I'm still learning Airbnb. I'm mostly learning the space between what I expect Airbnb to do for me as a Host and what ACTUALLY Airbnb will do for me as a Host. That space is getting wider daily as I learn from other Hosts' experience. Like you, the realisation that any problem is best confronted and dealt with head on is probably the real deal in any dispute situation. Prior to that, having a detailed House Rules policy to mitigate impact on my hosting and protect my property.

The most important learning is three things:

1. The Hosting agreement is legally binding between Host and Guest.

2. I need the name and address of the booking guest so that I can legally enforce my Hosting agreement.

3. I should not be financially compromised by guests breaking a legally binding agreement, and I won't be.

[Catherine935]

Thank you so very much for explaining how to respond.  In saying that, thank you again for your very informative reply to me.  I did not know you needed an address to make the agreement legally binding.  Also, we are becoming more and more aware that as Hosts, we really do need to look after our own home and business as really Airbnb do not really look after the host.  For example, we are definitely not a party house and I mostly manage to weed out those younger groups who tend to be really noisy and messy.  I know that some younger groups can be great, but mostly the new generation have no idea about respect and holding their end of the agreement.  We mostly stay next door or we have our numbers in our neighbors phones so that if they are disturbed by loud music etc, then they call us.  I also take out an extra insurance policy that covers homes on this platform and other short term rentals.  I find that this gives me peace of mind.  I have a $300 excess on the policy and they will cover any damage. Thanks again for your reply

[Judy401]

I didn't even know that if there are other guests coming I can make a surcharge and have had as many as four guests for the same low price.

[Mary742]

Thank-you Susie, that's a good idea, to make it nice and clear to guests in the welcome message.  I'm going to do that right now! 

[Paul154]

@Mary742 

You are my hero!

[Mary742]

Thank you Paul!  Feeling a bit calmer today....

[Elaine385]

We just had an individual book our three bedroom, familyroom, kitchenette area of our basement for 6 adults and 2 small cildren.   We thought is strange that the family stayed in the car when only the individual that did the booking came to check in. Withhin 30 minutes after she had access to the house two more cars pulled up and a total of  11 adults and 4 larger chidren had "moved into" our home.   

[Robert1203]

what did you do then?

[Diana1027]

I just cleaned up after 13 college age men stayed in my home last night.  They booked and paid for 6.  As it is a seperate house they brought 13 and had a party until 2 am.  I found out today from the elderly neighbor.  How do you know if you do not live at the Airbnb?

[Sarah977]

@Diana1027  You have to have outdoor security cameras to see who is going in and out.