People Booking for Friends and Family

[Mary703]

I have had several instances where someone has booked for their significant other/friends (and they have not been the ones staying). The stays were all fine, and in all but one case they let me know they were booking for someone else, but it has put me in an uncomfortable position nonetheless. If I were to turn someone away at the door, what is the policy on cancellations? I have Instant Book, so I was always fearful that I would get charged the $100 cancellation fee, and it would also rack up cancellations against my SuperHost status. 

Any suggestions on this situation??

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

@Mary703third party bookings are not allowed so you can contact Airbnb and they will cancel this reservation without any penalty for you.

I am not sure if you would be paid ... probably not.

[Letti0]

@Branka-and-Silvia0  Nope you will not get paid. Another suggestion is tell the person booking it's against AirBnB rules for them to make a thrid party booking and they need to cancel and have the person actually staying sign up for their own account and rebook. 

[Mary703]

I just edited my "Welcome" greeting to have a reminder that policy is to only book for yourself. Hopefully that will help!!

[Sarah977]

@Mary703  That's not quite right, "only book for yourself". Guests can have others on the reservation, but they have to book for the correct number of guests and the party who made the booking has to be one of guests who arrive. 

[Mary703]

Sarah, thank you for pointing out that nuance. I will re-word it!

[Carolyn288]

Hi Sarah, I'm new to hosting on Airbnb, and i had a situation recently where a young man made an enquiry saying that he was one guest, but in his message said that there were four of them. I pointed out that the accommodation would be perfect for what he wanted, but that he would need to book reflecting the fact that there were four of them. I didn't accept or preapprove, and he didn't book, but Airbnb kept saying that I should approve, preapprove or decline, so I declined. Now I suppose I'll be penalised for declining, but I don't see what other option I had. Any suggestions? Thanks!

[Sarah977]

@Carolyn288  Inquiries: Options are "Preapprove" or "Decline". Respond to the guest's Inquiry within 24 hrs, with as many back and forth messages as you need to sort things out one way or another. If and when you feel comfortable with the situation, you can click preapprove. If you don't want the booking, tell the guest that it won't be suitable for them and wish them luck to find a place which meets their needs. All but the pushy ones will just let the Inquiry expire. Ignore the proddings to click pre-approve or decline, it won't affect your response rate, as long as you answer the guest message within 24 hours.

Booking Requests: Options are "Approve" or Decline".  You must do one or the other within 24 hours or it WILL affect your response rate. But this doesn't mean you can't exchange messages with the guest in the meantime, as long as you hit one of those options within 24 hrs.

I hope this answers your question.

[Carolyn288]

@Sarah977Thanks so much for this information Sarah, it's so much clearer than the Airbnb explanation!

[Lisa367]

third party bookings are not allowed.  we've had 5 during our time.  all i do is call airbnb, they cancel the booking, then they contact the guest and the guest re-books on their own account.  all 5 times they re-booked the room.  i did not lose the booking and it was booked on the correct account.  i have never once let a third party booking stay with us.

[Alia18]

I have a third party booking, but didn’t realize the grandmother was NOT going to be with her daughter as one of my guests. 

Its the daughter, her husband, a toddler and an infant. 

I didht know this until the next day, as they checked in very late, auto door code. I was NOT getting back any replies to my inquiries on the ABB app, but sometimes this can happen. ( 2/47 times only) as a phone may have gone dead, or the guests know the route, etc.

i didn’t want to cause a non five star review and have any cancellations on my end. They phoned me from a cell phone in the morning asking some question or another.

i have had to text them to ask them nicely, politely, to perhaps keep it down a tad bit, as I have another guest in a mutual wall bedroom. The guest knew before I accepted his booking that I had an infant booked for next door, but not a toddler. The booking was for 3 adults. One infant!

The adjoining room I had to let people know there would be an infant staying next door and three people wanted to unbook. Two had signed up under the no cancel “ trial phase” so they got a discount. What a mess to get ABB to unbook them. 

The infant isn’t the problem. The toddler girl seems to have tantrums.  The parents don’t redirect or do or say anything at all.. letting her scream. I have not only the guest who just flew 20 hours in from china asleep. ( which I told them he was arriving) .. but close neighbors in a canyon like neighborhood where sound carries horribly!

the second day of this, I texted them nicely about keeping noise down for my very close to the neighbors ( age 90 next door also with non closeable windows). Which is all non closeable Hawaii windows that the big Island is famous for ...

i suspect. They may have a bad review so can’t bokk? Or maybe the mom is unaware of ABB policy?

otherwise they are very nice and said they would keep gone most of the time and it shouldn’t be a problem... I also provide washer and clothes rack outside.  I saw my sheet and mattress pad drying out there. I am fearing my mattress is ruined now too. I think I always buy the waterproof mattress pads. Or have one waterproof mattress protector and one regular quilted mattress pad. 

This whole ordeal Makes me not want to accept toddlers any more. But this toddler is 3. So I’d exclude ALL. 2-12 year olds because of one unruly toddler?  I provide a play n pak. Crib sheets. Baby comforter. Baby eating seat. I never minded the wee ones before. We have a baby next door on other side that I can hear 24/7 anyway. As I say. Close.  Close. Quarters in kona hawaii. Canyon like neighborhood that sound travels very very very well in. Doesn’t really bother me. But guests like to sleep in.so just not allow children at all? 

Adult: teen guests can be louder. More unruly in hot tub. Out on deck etc. 

now theybe neen here fir days. The booking was for 13 days. Tantrums have stopped .. or they really just aren’t here. They are out almost from early early. To late late. Enjoying the warm warm. I assume. As they are from Alaska.