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.....

[Kira32]

Thank you👍

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@Ian-And-Anne-Marie0 wrote:

@Thomas1033 

You and me too! 

I was aware that sneak-ins would be highly probable so I've been jiggling my House Rules and settings to protect against it happenning without causing confusion issues with bookings. It almost worked flawlessly a few weeks back but I'll tell you how I've set mine up and the pitfalls to avoid...

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Your House Rules:

 $100 per person per night fee for sneak ins and showing up with more than 5 total guests unless we give you a written okay ahead of time. 

My House Rules:

UNAUTHORISED GUESTS

No unauthorised guests. Only authorised guests listed in the reservation are allowed on the property. 

ADDITIONAL GUESTS

Additional guests can be authorised at the hosts' discretion subject to payment of the additional guest fee. Additional Guests over our occupancy level of 8 guests will be charged £100 per. person per. night.

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If you write it in your House Rules the guest agrees to abide by them before they book.

Point 1. Put it in your House Rules.

You may want to evict the whole group, or you may want to offer the guest to pay for additional guests.

Point 2. Retain control and offer your guest your proposed surrender plan - if you want to. If not, evict them or ask them to leave or ask them to cancel - whatever your preferred action.

Add a monetary value for the extra guest(s).

Point 3. Add this value in your Pricing section under "Extra Guests" provided by Airbnb.

Make sure that your extra guest fee is clear to see.

Point 4. Put this same value in your House Rules.

Then comes implementation.

Do not write anything in your House Rules which you will not follow through with.

On suspicion of extra guests (after doing a head count of sorts) speak to the booking guest. Face to face works best, or use Airbnb messaging to ensure an evidence trail. You have two options here, you either intend to allow them stay because they're not being threatening or disruptive, or you are going to ask them to leave because they are being threatening or disruptive, or because you cannot allow additional guests or because... for your own reasons.

Where you might want to allow the extra guests to stay you can offer accomodation at your Extra Guest rate which has already been agreed by your booking guest. Your guest has a choice: Pay and stay, or pack and go.

Where the guests want to stay, make an immediate Payment Request and await payment right there and then. Don't wait until the guests have left because Payment Requests are negotiable. You do not want to negotiate and you do want to be in receipt of the extra guest charges previously agreed on. When payment is received, ask whether the additional guests require bedding or towels. (If you have some extra bed type, offer those too, but remember that these guests were completely happy sleeping in the bath before you found them out).

Hopefully, that works.

It didn't work entirely for me because I didn't know payment requests were negotiable. I do now. The guest made a payment of an amount he felt appropriate. However, a mutually acceptable arrangement was arrived at. My Extra Guest rate is set at 2.5X the average guest price per night.

I will just add, I rent a whole space with a max occupancy of 8.

I DO NOT WANT TO BE OFFERING ACCOMODATION FOR 8+ OR 10 OR whatever..

I DO NOT WANT to host more than 8.

I DO NOT WANT GUESTS SLEEPING ON MY SOFA's.

These things unathorised guests will already be doing. My Extra Guest fee makes these things bearable but still not acceptable.

This might not work out for in home sharing or single room letting but you might find parts of this useful to help in those situations.

CC. @Mary742 @Kira32 @Monica4 @Ken320 @Sarah977 

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[Janie44]

I didn’t know we could make it a house rule no big meal preparations. I had a couple who stayed two nights that never left the place and cooked every meal. They burned a potholder I found in the garbage and I had to rewash every pot pan and everything. They fried and baked and almost ruined my drip pans. I did not have a cleaning fee before but because of them I added one. 

[Ian-And-Anne-Marie0]

@Janie44 

I didn’t know we could make it a house rule no big meal preparations.

If a family group of 8 cook its always a big meal preparation and the cleaning afterwards often takes well beyond what it should. Getting rid of the smells is a task too.

I think each accomodation needs to set its own rules appropriate to the accomodation and price. The extremes will always test your patience.

[Mary742]

Oh Janie, I sympathise!  I used to allow cooking, and there was so much cleaning and scrubbing required, as well as the risk of a fire, that I just stopped. I'm very lucky to have a big restaurant literally across the road from me, open every day and all day, as well as lots of cafes and restaurants a few minutes walk away.  So yes, I have in my house rules "limited cooking, only suitable for small meals being equipped with fridge, toaster, kettle and microwave".  Happily, most guests are happy with that.  I don't know if I'd attract any guests if I didn't have restaurants nearby though.  

[Christine615]

I have a ring doorbell but hate it needs recharging. I bought Blink XT cameras  and they have a long battery life and better sensitivity. All exterior and very helpful.

i charge one price for up to four people. $50/day for each extra. And make it clear people who aren’t on the reservation aren’t allowed to stay. Ever.

[Mary742]

Exactly, having people who aren't on the reservation come and stay is outright unacceptable.  She had 2 days in which she could have contacted the AirBnB crew to have the reservation changed, to reflect that there were 2 guests.  AirBnB had tried to message and call her several times (which I think is pretty good of AirBnB).  She ignored their messages and my messages.  Fair's fair.

[Lisa1896]

I’m now constantly getting this problem, or a new one is a couple book and sleep in 1 room one night, then the 2nd room on the 2nd night, when asked the response was we want to see which bed was more comfortable, so now we have put a lock on the second room to prevent unnecessary usage of 2 room for only 2 people. 

Personally I don’t want double the amount of washing 

Lisa W 

[Margot39]

Recently most of my booking are for 1 person when in fact it is 2 or more, i am not able to watchdog this situation for much longer, what's up people? 

[Yeli1]

Not good sign 

get a security system with an appt on your phone.

an outdoor camera to use it as a watchdog with an app on your phone,  disclose it on your listings as a security for the property the Ring works great, you can also see at night quality.

just few things you can do to make more money of those rule breakers, protect your property.

[Yeli1]

Also I have a rule for UNEXPECTED GUEST I will charge $50 each. 

That is just in case they decide to bring someone they must let you know, after that it’s your call to charge  or not 

[Alison107]

This is because, on the reservation page, the default setting is "1 guest."  It is set at 1 guest without a requirement for guests to even click on it to see that there is a drop-down menu. 

That portion of the booking page should say "Number of Guests" and REQUIRE the guest to click on the 0 to view the drop-down menu. But it doesn't. I have tried and tried to urge Airbnb to change this because all of a sudden, in January 2019 I had so many bookings that were two people but only one guest had reserved. Frustrating!  I charge $20 for each additional guest. So I have been screwed.

[Yeli1]

I strongly suggest you have the appt in your phones, security system works great ADT with an appt on your phone also, thermostat with app on your phone(locally Gulfpowet have the program free for us) I can controlled that from anywhere and see the excessive open and close of door that is just a sign.  Of course more that One time I have cut people try to sneek people. And confronted them via Airbnb always use the message stays there and is prove of the communication and thankfully each time I have able to collect for the extra “UNANNOUNCED Guest ” I don’t have a problem having more people if the unexpected happen but they need to let me know but should and not exceed the allow number.  Same thing with dogs Ask!

the main thing with me is RESPECT guest should know that even though they are paying to stay is not a hotel is “Our home” 

The one thing works all the time is “I told them I live down the road just minutes away” and from time to time I show up to say hi.

[Ute42]

.

@Ian0 and Ann-Marie

You wrote:

• Where the guests want to stay, make an immediate Payment Request
  and await payment right there

Pls note that in the airbnb-booking process we have 2 kinds of guest:

• The guest who books

• additional guests

The guest who books is the guest who booked the reservation, additional guest are guests indicated by number in the booking.

If there is a reservation for a total of 8 guests, we have

• 1 guest who booked

• 7 additional guest

People exceeding the numer of 8 are no airbnb guests, they are complete foreigners. I don't know of them and airbnb doesn't know them either. If You have a group of complete foreigners showing up at Your door You can treat them just the way You want. In my case that is: Cash payment at the door. No resolution center, no creditcard, I want banknotes. If airbnb agrees with my point of view or not – I don't care. I have no legal relationship with such people and airbnb doesn't have it either.

There will be no exception from this rule from my side.

[Ian-And-Anne-Marie0]

@Ute42 

In my case that is: Cash payment at the door. No resolution center, no creditcard, I want banknotes. If airbnb agrees with my point of view or not – I don't care. I have no legal relationship with such people and airbnb doesn't have it either.

I'd be happy with that arrangement as well 🙂

[Linda-And-Richard0]

We have been extremely fortunate to have avoided to "extra guest" situation at our listing.  We limit the occupancy to 6 persons.  My husband and I live next door to our property so we meet and greet all guests at check in.  All guests are advised of this when the reservation is confirmed.