Question from a guest about guests

[Katrina135]

Hi everyone. We are currently staying in a property listed as entire home but found out just prior to check in the owner has a 2nd home on the same property, which is no issue for us. This means we share the entry and driveway etc. 

Yesterday we had 2 visitors. 1 for approx 25 minutes whilst waiting for me to be ready to attend the beach and my friends son who was in the house for approx an hour prior to the beach and approx an hour after the beach. Later that night we had my friend park in the driveway allocated to us and attend a Christmas party across the road with us with the same boy who visited during the day. 

I was questioned by the host about this during the day when she was entering to go to her houae and introduced her to our friend and she was clearly unhappy and didn't acknowledge him or respond. I have tonight received an email stating that guests are not permitted at all and she is coming to see me in the morning. 

Would appreciate some advice. The house rules says guests must be approved and paid for each night but nothing about day guests and i feel this is extreme action for a child and a separate visitor who attended less than half an hour in the morning.  We are here to see friends and socialise and I think it's unfair to state when we have the whole house that no visitors are allowed at all. 

Looking forward to hearing your thoughts. Thanks. 

[Helen3]

Yes if she doesn't specify in her house rules that no additional guests are allowed , then it sound like she needs to do so.

As I said don't let this spoil your holiday, just meet your friends at their place, rather than them coming to you or get them to call when they are outside...not the end of the world.

Happy holidays.

[Kelly149]

I charge for both day guests or overnight guests and both require prior notice/payment.

Here is a note I recently sent to a guest, who prior to reservation Asked me how I'd like to handle extra guests:

" can other people come over? Sure! Our pricing is per person and we can accommodate up to 10 sleepers, 40+ non-sleeping/hanging out groups. We only make up beds for the booked guests, so this is best planned for in advance - overnight guests are typically +$25/night. Day guests can be added at any time and are half-price $12/person/visit. We've had extended family visitors host one sleepover night or a s'mores at the firepit/movie night, there are lots of good options. There is a fee though and it is designed to cover standard or worst case scenarios. I will say though that when a group is so tidy that it looks like 1 stayed instead of 6 or they spend so much time out and about sight-seeing that it's almost like they aren't there then we typically refund a part of their cleaning fees or additional guest fees. You're right this is all very strict and if all people were reasonable it wouldn't even be necessary. I won't horrify you with the stories of bad guests that led to the policy although your imagination could likely make a few guesses."

The key to this type of thing IMO is that a guest acts like a guest and treats the Host as the Owner that they are. You're borrowing the space and are there at the permission of the host, so anything beyond exactly what you booked for should come as a request, not a surprise. Unless of course the host's listing specifically says "do whatever you like we won't care".

[Jessica-and-Henry0]

@Katrina135

Like I said....... I'm pretty certain your host has already explained the rules and expectations in the listing description and house rules. 

Maybe the host is over-reacting like @Helen3 says....... but from the host's point of view, they have house rules for a reason. It seems you broke the rules because you did not know what the rules are to begin with - which is probably ANOTHER reason why your host is upset. 

So....before you talk to your host....... please just read the listing description and the house rules. I think it will help you understand WHY the host reacted the way she reacted. Better late than never~

[Katrina135]

@Jessica-and-Henry0 the rules only address no house parties and charging for overnight guests. It is only a small paragraph of rules but I'll suggest tomorrow adding more to avoid this happening and to provide clarity.  I've read it all before we stayed and several times the past few hours. 

[Kelly149]

@Katrina135 you and the host clearly have a mismatch in expectations. There is no way for any of us to know if the host was completely clear and you didn't notice or if the host needs to be more specific in their listing?

The best stays happen when host and guest are both clear what is and isn't on offer and both abide by what was originally planned.

Just as another perspective, I wouldn't be ok with you having a troupe of folks coming through my house, but my listing is quite clear about this.

And yes, I agree with you that a hotel may be more what you're after.

And btw, in this age of security cameras everywhere, you many find that a host is aware of you and your guests comings and goings even if they aren't across the driveway from you. ABB is such a risky proposition, I can't imagine for much longer any responsible host not having real or electronic "eyes" on their property.

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

@Katrina135

I agree with other hosts. In our house rules is written "Only registered guests are allowed to use the apartment day / night" . We don't know if guest's friends/family are just visiting, came to pick them up or will stay overnight,  throw a party etc...  If they want to socialize they can do it somewhere else.

Even if you book a separate unit from off site hosts like we are, it doesn't mean you will be able to do what you want. Hosts have security cameras, smartlocks and neighbours and will find it out very easy.

[John1080]

@Katrina135, as others have said, if this type of situation presents itself in the future, I would ask ahead of time, before completing the booking if possible.  Many hosts would be okay with a quick daytime visitor such as you described, given you have shown good communication, have been polite, etc during the booking process. 

I feel you are well-intentioned and didn't mean to break any rules or step on the host's feet, but also consider the host's responsibilities with liability issues, etc. I also feel, however, that this particular host could have handled the situation a bit more diplomatically. Perhaps her communication/people skills are lacking a bit?

I would try to smooth things over before you leave, to make sure she doesn't give you a thumbs down.

[Katrina135]

@John1080@Kelly149@Branka-and-Silvia0@Helen3@Jessica-and-Henry0

Hi everyone. So the issue has been worked out and I just wanted to let you know the outcome as too good not to share. There was no issue with the visitors we had for a short time. The issue was this:

My husband left the home at 5.30am and made the drive to our house to swap cars and bring back paddle boards and beach gear (the weather was much better than predicted!!). The new car sat at the house for the afternoon with the host there but she must not have realised until approx. 11pm that night. This is when she sent me the very unhappy email as she assumed it was a guests car and they were staying the night and we had broken rules. We then received a 2nd unhappy email regarding it early in the morning. I then clarified about the car swap.....and had no response.

Later in the morning I saw the host and went to chat with her. She stated ''Obviously I didn't realise it was your car''. No apology or discussion. She couldn't even look at me.

Therefore we decided to leave 2 days early. We had discussed this before this whole incident anyway as the house is really dusty with some maintenance issues and my husbands dust allergy was not enjoying the experience.

I have now emailed the host our feedback and explained we would not be leaving a review (we never do unless 5 stars) and wished her all the best.

So....there you have it. Thanks for your feedback anyway. Good to know for the future.

[Salem2]

@Katrina135 Just curious why you don’t leave reviews unless 5* ??

[Katrina135]

@Salem2Hi. We own our own businesses and know what it is like to work very hard for something and then have someone tear you down without you being able to rectify. This lady seems to have some issues but at the end of the day she's by herself trying to earn extra money and I can only hope she takes on board the feedback. She has never replied to me or acknowledged me since she realised that she was wrong about the car so I will never know.

[Sarah977]

@Katrina135 As a host, I always appreciate it when a guest requests to book and in their first message volunteers a bit of info about themselves and the purpose of their trip, without me having to prod them. So far most of my guests have done just that. So stating in an Inquiry or a Booking Request from square one how you envision spending your holiday, whether you have friends you'll be getting together with, etc can avoid a lot of assumptions and misunderstandings down the way. I also wouldn't care if my guest had a friend over during the day for a drink or a meal or just to sit around and chat, but I'd find it presumptuous not to ask permission to do so beforehand.

Also, as a host yourself, I'm sure you realize that the more people hanging out, the more expenses can add up. It might seem like a small thing, but if someone comes back from the beach with you, they might think it's no big deal to have a nice hot shower to wash the sand off,  using a clean towel to dry themselves, they're going to go to the bathroom and use toilet paper and soap, you might decide to make coffee for everyone with the coffee provided by the host as an amenity. The host's price is based in part on their average expenses, depending on the number of guests. Guest's friends using the amenities isn't factored in.

[John1080]

@Sarah977, yes x10. I expect potential guests to be friendly, outgoing and volunteer as much information as they can in their introduction message to me. I have found that is a good way for them to start as guests, sets a positive tone, and makes me much more comfortable. Those guests who communicate well are usually the ones who leave the place clean and follow all rules.