Asking a guest to cancel-- best practices?

Laura2592
Level 10
Frederick, MD

Asking a guest to cancel-- best practices?

I had to ask a guest to cancel their reservation. They instant booked the max capacity we allow and then messaged to say they were also bringing a child and dog. I have broken down in my house rules the reason for our "being" limit, so I thanked them for their interest but re-iterated that we couldn't accommodate a party of their size. The guest stated that their child "didn't count" and they "all would fit just fine" but as our capacity numbers and fees are based on what our cleaner is willing to endure, to us it certainly does count, (sometimes more than an adult. ) I just said that we base our costs on a certain number of guests and hope that they will check us out some other time. The guest (who is a fellow host) canceled. This is the first time I have had to make such a request and was wondering if others can share their best practices for what to do in this situation. 

14 Replies 14
Mike-And-Jane0
Level 10
England, United Kingdom

@Laura2592 

I am a little confused. In your listing you state that a small child might be allowed in addition to the max guests - Also you allow two dogs.

I am surprised that the guest was willing to cancel.

Laura2592
Level 10
Frederick, MD

@Mike-And-Jane0  I say that the max is four humans and one pet, and that all humans, no matter what the age, count. I even break down if there are two adults and two kids that counts as four people, and max capacity is four people and one pet.  Whatever way you slice it, five people and a pet are way too much. 

Mike-And-Jane0
Level 10
England, United Kingdom

Hi @Laura2592 

I thought I had gone mad but your listing was still open in my browser and says 

'Max occupancy is four people, unless the 5th person is an infant or small child (please let us know if this is the case as we might be able to make an exception. )'

So either you have just updated it or AirBNB are randomly putting an old version on their website.

Weird hey?

 

@Mike-And-Jane0  no clue, but in my interaction I cut and pasted my house rules for the guest. It was clear that they had not seen them before and they were as I stated above-- max capacity, every living being counts, etc. 

Lawrene0
Level 10
Florence, Canada

Had nearly the same thing happen here last year, @Laura2592 : max capacity instant booking plus six-month-old plus dog. 

The dog was okay, but we cannot have infants here. 

The guest insisted. Assured me they would all fit. Assured me it was not unsafe (to block the exit with a carrier-cot jammed up against a woodstove; to vacation with a crawling baby on a 10-ft platform above a swollen river...). Cited Airbnb policy about infants not counting, and told me she was a lawyer and would drag me through the courts for "discriminating against women and children". I don't know which courts, as she was American and I am Canadian. Interpol would work it out, I guess 🙂

Her final threat, when I appeared unworried about international courts, was that she was going to come whether I liked it or not, adults, baby, and dog in tow, and she "couldn't wait" to review me. 

Fortunately my rules were clear and my attempts to help her find another place along with her threats were in the Airbnb messaging. My last message to her was that I would give Airbnb a call to help us work it out. 

I got sympathy from CS and a penalty-free cancellation. She got a travel voucher. 

So I suppose best practice is to be unrealistic and threatening if you are a guest? And to be clear about things you never imagined you would have to be clear about if you are a host?

Good on you for talking your guest into doing the right thing! 

 

Oh, okay, @Laura2592 . Just read @Mike-And-Jane0 's post. So not the same thing. I am 100% no infants. Unsafe. Unwise.

If you are "let's talk" when it comes to infants, then maybe the guest had a point?

My best practice would be "no grey areas". 

@Lawrene0  we allow infants and there is nothing in our house rules that I can see about making exceptions for the number of living beings at our place. Its not a matter of safety with us, or how many people will fit, as certainly we could sleep more. We have very low cleaning fees and an older neighbor who cleans, so we can't eat up more of her time for the same cost.  The guest did not have an infant but a child, and  there were four additional adults and a dog. We don't have enough beds for everyone, so I assume the child would have slept on the sofa.  

@Laura2592 , so they asked, thinking the child might be small enough to be that fifth you mention, and you said no, and they agreed? That sounds as if everything is working as it should. Looks like a best practice. I wouldn't change anything then.

In my own case, I tweaked my no-infants rule to make sure it is iron-clad. But just when you think you have all the bases covered, someone tries something you've never imagined 🙂  

@Lawrene0  yes it worked out, I have just never had to ask someone to cancel previously. I would love suggestions for how to approach this in the future as I can imagine that not every guest is cooperative about this.  I think I got a "freebie" this time and won't be as lucky next so I want to be prepared 🙂

 

Mike-And-Jane0
Level 10
England, United Kingdom

@Laura2592  - Your rules from earlier today are shown below. If you didn't recently update these then I suggest you contact Airbnb urgently as other guests will get the wrong rules.

 

Additional rules

Pets:
-We are pet friendly but do let us know when reserving if you are bringing a pet so that we can alert our cleaning crew to bring the fancy pet hair vacuum.
-Because this isn't the biggest house, there is a max of two pets per visit.
- All dogs must be crated during your absence from the house.
- Furry guests must be supervised in the yard as it's only partially fenced and the human guests will need to pick up after their pets. We provide a scooper, bags and a dedicated trash can for this purpose.
Extra Guests:
-Firefly Cottage is a great place to hang out, but we do NOT book or permit parties through Airbnb. If you have overnight guests who are not indicated on your reservation, you will incur additional charges. Max occupancy is four people, unless the 5th person is an infant or small child (please let us know if this is the case as we might be able to make an exception. ) All humans count as one person when booking, so if there are two adults and two kids, the reservation should be for four people. Max occupancy for living beings in this house is four humans and one pet. Guests visiting for any overnights count on the reservation and that includes grandchildren, nieces, nephews, etc. Two pets are permitted if there are less than four humans. Our very low cleaning fee is based on those counts.
General House Rules:
-Please do not put food down the sink as the house is on a well and does not have a disposal.
- We have had to institute a "no deep frying" policy in our kitchen as we are not appropriately set up to dispose of grease. Pan frying things like eggs are fine, but please do not deep fry in our kitchen.
- The neighbors chickens will migrate over the fence at times. Please don't feed or disturb them-- they always go home but they are fun to watch.
- ALL DAMAGE MUST BE REPORTED IMMEDIATELY. We understand that accidents happen but please be courteous and let us know if anything is broken or damaged during your stay- this includes pet accidents on bedding, towels, furniture, or any soft surface that may stain. This is a house with some features that go back to 1850 and it is historically important, so please be mindful of its age.
-We don't anticipate this happening (fingers crossed) but if police are ever called to our property as a result of guest behavior, please be aware that the guest will be responsible for the entire security deposit listed payable through the AirBnb website. We do have a neighbor who is a county police officer so again, we do not allow parties and will be informed of such.

Hide rules

 

@Mike-And-Jane0  That isn't what I see so it must be a glitch. I have had other issues where captions were not showing and pics disappeared, so I am not surprised. I appreciate your concern! I feel like we have gotten a little sidetracked with this but have posted my rules anyway 🙂

 

Suitable for children (2-12 years)
 
Suitable for infants (under 2 years)
 
Pets allowed
 
No smoking
 
No parties or events
 
Additional rules
Pets: -We are pet friendly but do let us know when reserving if you are bringing a pet so that we can alert our cleaning crew to bring the fancy pet hair vacuum. -Because this isn't the biggest house, there is a max of two pets per visit. - All dogs must be crated during your absence from the house. - Furry guests must be supervised in the yard as it's only partially fenced and the human guests will need to pick up after their pets. We provide a scooper, bags and a dedicated trash can for this purpose. Extra Guests: -Firefly Cottage is a great place to hang out, but we do NOT book or permit parties through Airbnb. If you have overnight guests who are not indicated on your reservation, you will incur additional charges. Max occupancy is four people. All humans count as one person when booking, so if there are two adults and two kids, the reservation should be for four people. Max occupancy for living beings in this house is four humans and one pet. Guests visiting for any overnights count on the reservation and that includes grandchildren, nieces, nephews, etc. Two pets are permitted if there are less than four humans. Our very low cleaning fee is based on those counts. General House Rules: -Please do not put food down the sink as the house is on a well and does not have a disposal. - We have had to institute a "no deep frying" policy in our kitchen as we are not appropriately set up to dispose of grease. Pan frying things like eggs are fine, but please do not deep fry in our kitchen. - The neighbors chickens will migrate over the fence at times. Please don't feed or disturb them-- they always go home but they are fun to watch. - ALL DAMAGE MUST BE REPORTED IMMEDIATELY. We understand that accidents happen but please be courteous and let us know if anything is broken or damaged during your stay- this includes pet accidents on bedding, towels, furniture, or any soft surface that may stain. This is a house with some features that go back to 1850 and it is historically important, so please be mindful of its age. -We don't anticipate this happening (fingers crossed) but if police are ever called to our property as a result of guest behavior, please be aware that the guest will be responsible for the entire security deposit listed payable through the AirBnb website. We do have a neighbor who is a county police officer so again, we do not allow parties and will be informed of such.
Martin-and-Ingrid0
Level 4
Oeiras, Portugal

Hi @Laura2592 Laura,

 

This is what is possible if you want to book your house:

AirBnB1.PNG

 

You can read in your policy  it is for max 4 people but then it is possible to book  4 adults and  up to 5 infants. Crazy AirBnB rules; infants don't count!!

Ingrid

 

 

Laura2592
Level 10
Frederick, MD

@Martin-and-Ingrid0  wow, good to know you can do up to 5 infants! WOW! There is nowhere in my settings I have designated that. Maybe I should take out infants altogether. 

 

In the example I mentioned  in the OP it was not an infant but a child. So not quite the same situation but good to know this is what shows up. We need to count every human for our insurance coverage and 4 humans is the limit. 

Kara146
Level 2
Los Angeles, CA

I stopped allowing infants and toddlers, mostly because of toddlers. Infant, according to Airbnb, is under 24 months, but we all know 24 months is a toddler. Toddlers are more difficult because they can get into things. They sleep in beds with parents which can be messy. They are also a risk with a pool/water. I don't like when guests say an infant (under 24 months) "doesn't count" as a person. It counts to me. Now, when people book I am always going to ask right up front, are any children or infants coming? Even if they disclosed 3 guests and no children - I will ask. I am aware people lie, but I asked one person and she said yes. Then she came and she had one "infant", as I was expecting, and she was very attentive to the child... It can work out, but when they are breaking your maximum limits, and they've concealed the true number of humans, it's hard to trust that they are responsible humans.

 

Maybe you should do what I do and immediately following the booking, follow up with the simple question regarding infants/children and make sure they are aware that they count toward your max of 4.