Why do guests from France not consider children as guests?

[Emma25]

There is a holiday weekend in May where the French like to get together with friends and family. I accommodate 15 so I have had a ton of enquiries yet EVERY SINGLE ONE has told Airbnb 15 guests and in the message said we are 15 adults 4 children and 3 infants. Or can we bring airbeds? When I’ve asked why they are trying to book for 22 when I state 15 max they say ‘oh but Airbnb wouldn’t let me put in any more than 15 for your property.’ So they can clearly see the capacity yet choose to ignore it. I don’t want Airbnb to see me declining so many enquiries yet I have to. Have any others had this from French guests? 

[Helen3]

Have you tried putting something up front in your listing to say that you take a maximum of 15 guests including children?

[Monika64]

@Emma25 It's not just French guests. It's guests pretty much everywhere. And @Helen3 unfortunately putting it in your description isn't going to stop people trying to book for more guests, I can tell you that from experience. I host max of 4 people (plus infants), I have this in capital letters in my listing (3 times, including the House Rules), people still try to book for more ... even up to 10, I'm not joking.

I just created a saved response that I could put into my reply within a second and tell people 4 really means 4. I still get booking (I have Instant Book) where the guest tells me AFTER he/she booked that he will bring more people, it's kinda pain to call Airbnb to cancel but there is really absolutely nothing you can do about it, less than smart people will still book and think they can force more guests on you, should you be so desperate to have bookings :-(((

[David126]

@Emma25

Is there a nearby host you can recommend for the overflow?

That way you can aceept the 15 and give the extra information on where to stay.

[Monika64]

@Emma25 Some people @David126 does NOT want to find an additional property. Most of them want to stay within the same rental property and share the price charged for 15 people to another 5-10 (etc. number) of people.

[Emma25]

We’re up a dirt track, and the nearest places would require driving to.. and they want to be together. 

[David126]

I hear a lot of wants, not your problem, if 22 want to be together they are looking at the wrong listing.

If you want reasons to justify, insurance fire regulations no doubt a few more will come to mind.

Make it clear than you are close by for any issues and that you can count.

[Marit-Anne0]

@Emma25

Infants do not count towards the number of guests,  the system allows to put in 15 adults and 5 infants to your larger property. So you cannot blame it all on the French 🙂

At least they are honest and let you know in advance how many they are.  It would have been far worse if they booked for 15 and showed up on the day with 22 persons and ditto airbeds. 

[Emma25]

Hi I’m not just talking infants I mean children. During July and August my guests are English and they always include children in the total number. I wondered if it was a French thing because it’s happened so often, in fact the majority of French enquiries are from larger groups than we can accommodate , but never with any other nationalities. 

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

@Emma25 maybe there are not enough properties for large groups in your area . Well, it seems you have found your niche, buy 10 airmattrasses and rock'n'roll hehe

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

@Emma25 I just noticed that max number of guests available in search is 16 . Maybe that's why big groups have to contact you and other hosts with bigger units and ask if you can accomodate more people.

I researched city center in my town and there are just 4 units for 16 people available. Some of them consists of few smaller apartments or rooms in one building, sometimes not even connected together.  

[Elsa64]

Hi @Emma25 well, if people want to be smart, so you must be even more. Why don't you get some extra airmatrass and have an extra charge for each children or infant, withouth exception. You can add extra house rules when your guest are more than your normal limit. 

Extra people means extra expenses like, more water, more electricity, more towels and more bedclothes to wash, etc., so it cannot be for free.

@Branka-and-Silvia0are right, maybe your area has not enought properties available, so you could make extra money. 

Cheers

I'm just saying .... 😉

[Emma25]

It’s not just the bedding, it’s the kitchen equipment, it’s the sun loungers, the garden furniture, it’s sharing my 10x5 pool with another 10 kids, it’s another 10 kids shouting under my bedroom window after my bedtime! I think I’ll just have to keep pressing that decline button! 

[Amanda417]

Or just put no children perhaps? I am a mom of a 9 year old. But I would not want crying kids of any nationality! 

[Gabriele135]

qui ne tente rien n'a rien !!!  si nous voulons continuer a faire du bon travail , il ne nous faut pas "etre contraints " a accepter l'inacceptable , ce n'est pas airbnb qui vous aidera dans ce cas , la politique du " matelas  par  terre " n'est pas dans notre conception de l'hospitalité ; meme si elle est rémunérée !!  je suis un peu découragée ,par ce que on nous demande et impose peut a peu ..... les annonces ne sont pas vérifiées par airbnb  , comme il faut et des lieux et positions géographque sont  faux ou mal traduit , et non controlé , nous sommes dans un site historique "classé" et  airbnb , propose en équivalent a nos  logements des logements situés  loin , et pas du tout dans le périmétre historique , et  cela sans réaction de airbnb , ou des  villes situées a 25km de chez nous, intutulés " dans le meme secteur ...... vous pouvez reserver ........ je ne trouve pas cela trés  sérieux , ils veulent de la précision , et ils sont les premiers a ne pas étres précis  !!

je comprends que dans votre cas , il ne fallait pas accepter , car les conditions sont bien  énnoncées dans nos annonces ........ bon courage a nous !!