number of guests

[Simon-And-Helena1]

Hi, we have a small self contained cottage suitable for one to two people, this is clealy shown in the booking and the guest will see two is the maximum we can accommodate. we have one bed. The price is fixed and we have no surcharge for extra people.

we have had instances of people showing up as two, then sneaking in one or two extras thinking noone notices. We do not live on site and our neighbours on 3 sides keep a close eye on the place for us, one of them semi manages it for us.

We are quite new at this and we didnt expect to be in this position as our listing is very clear, 2 people maximum per stay.

I  contacted a guest last night who was supposed to be arriving as a couple, but brought others along and she denied it . we have been sent photos of extra people carrying bags in so it is without any doubt this happened

Am I in the wrong to send her a request for payment for the others staying? or post feedback indicating she ignored house rules? this particular guest has a 5 star rating and as much as she has done what she was asked not to do i dont want to mess up a good guest rating.

I would be grateful for any guidance the airbnb community can give to us.

thank you

Simon and Helena

[Helen3]

Hi @Simon-And-Helena1

In your situation I would have contact airbnb and ask them to cancel the booking as your guest had sneaked in extra guests who hadn't been booked and paid for.

Unfortunately there are some not nice guests out there.

I hope in your house rules you state that there is a maximum of two guests and that no additional guests are allowed. Also state that if extra guests are brought onto the property it will be grounds for immediate cancellation of the booking. CCTV is a given to monitor all entrances to your place (you must disclose this).

You can't charge of extra guests as you don't had an extra guest price for your listing and I presume therefore there is no bedding/towels etc for these guests/nowhere from them to sleep.

Never let yourself be held to ransom by concerns about a guest review. Of course you should mention this in your review and include that the guest denied this even though there was photo evidence. You have the right to respond if they leave an inaccurate review.

Give them three stars and mark that you wouldn't host them again so they can't IB with other hosts. 

By the way you can't expect your neighbours to keep an eye on the property for you. You need a proper co-host who you pay to look after your property, checks for damage and cleanliness post check out. And is willing to tackle difficult situation like this, where you need your guests to leave.

[Simon-And-Helena1]

Hi Helen,

Thanks for the helpful advice . We do have a full time property manager / cleaner , and a beck up as well so everything is looked after quite well. Good  Neighbours keeping an eye on the place when we are not there is at least some peace of mind for us . 

The property profile is very clear on guest numbers . 

I have no cctv on site as whilst some guests may appreciate this for security reasons, others may not be so welcoming of it. We may go down this path if things like this continue .

thanks for the help once again.

Simon and Helena 

[Sarah977]

@Simon-And-Helena1 So your property manager needs to contact you immediately if guests show up with more than booked, the manager needs to be prepared to refuse them entry, and then you call Airbnb to ask them to cancel the reservation on your behalf with no penlties to you.

When you get an inquiry, a booking, or a booking request, make sure to message the guest right away to make sure they are clear that no more than 2 can stay, that both have to included in the reservation, and that if they show up with more, they'll be refused entry.

[Simon-And-Helena1]

Thank you Sarah,

your input has been helpful . I find this guests activity not acceptable and 

will post a review accordingly .

regards

Simon and Helena