Extra people when only set up for 2 people

[Greg-And-Jutta0]

Our listing is only set up for 2 people in a king size bed.  We don’t want anymore than 2 people.

How do we indicate this in the listing.  We see there is a ‘Charge’ for extra people but we don’t have a cost in there because the place won’t accommodate extra people.  (Should we make that box a ridiculous high cost?)

We have smart locks for check in and rarely see guests arrive, but the next day extra people stroll out of the place like nothing special.  We don’t have exterior cameras to track people going in.

We are near a few wedding venues too.  The smart lock code is give to others not directly in the wedding party as a place to go to escape the hectic of pre ceremony activities.

Let us know your thoughts on where to best communicate these things on our listing.

[John1080]

@Greg-And-Jutta0 , do you have your settings set to a max of 2 people? If not, go to Edit Listing > Property and guests and you can set the max to 2.

If you do already have that set, people are booking for 2 and then bringing in extra, then you need to make it clear on the listing itself, near the beginning of your description that you can accommodate no more than 2 guests, as well as clearly stated within the 'rules' section on the listing. Also, list this in your rules and policies message that you send to people after they book and that you should send one more time before they check-in, with the door code, etc. 

Within your rules and policies that you should have:

~On the listing

~In your booking message

~In your pre-arrival message

You should also state clearly and repeatedly that a violation of this no-extra guests rule, as well as all other rules, will result in being asked to leave immediately with no refund being given.

If you communicate everything clearly and upfront, most of the issues can be nipped in the bud from the beginning. Don't worry about 'scaring off' potential guests - better to leave those dates open for respectful people.  

[Emilia42]

@Greg-And-Jutta0 You cannot create a charge for extra people through Airbnb unless you allow the guest count to account for those extra people. For example, if you have a max of 2 then the guest will technically not be able to input a number over 2. So if you have a $100 charge for the third guest it will not show up. Where do you think these extra guests are sleeping? Are they bringing their own air mattresses? I think your place is very inexpensive and you might find that if you raise your price, (at least on the weekends) you might have guests who are more intune with following your rules, as opposed to people just looking for a cheap place to sleep while they attend a wedding. As @John1080 says, make your rules clear and known that extra guests, whether overnight or not, just cannot happen. 

[John1080]

@Greg-And-Jutta0, here is the initial message I send to guests when booking. I have bolded the parts that are pertinent to this post but I thought you might find some of the other hints helpful, so have included the full message. I send a very similar, but slightly shorter message two days before check-in reminding them of this.

Hello xxxx,

Thank you for your interest in la Casa Roja! I have you down for X people for X nights. Please confirm that this is correct.

***AWD or 4X4 strongly recommended in winter weather, which can occur between October and May. We cannot have the driveway plowed, as it's cost-prohibitive to do so. We are not responsible if you get stuck***

1) NEIGHBORS: We have an easement and share our driveway with the neighboring property and the driveway runs through their property until it gets near our cabin. Please respect their land and do not venture off the driveway when going and coming to the cabin. Please do not bother neighbors and keep noise at night and outside to a respectful tone. They do not live on the property and there is no house there. You most likely will not see them.

2) PETS AND EXTRA GUESTS: No pets or extra guests allowed. If we discover that either has been snuck in, you will be asked to leave without a refund per the Airbnb Terms of Service. The number of guests coming must match the number in the booking. If there is a reason you need to bring other guests besides those originally booked, please contact me before your trip begins and we can add them. The base price is for 2 guests. There is an additional charge of $10 per person over 2 guests- max of 6 guests total. If you’ve booked for the appropriate number of guests, the Airbnb app will already have accurately calculated the total price.

3) SMOKING AND FIRES: Smoking is not permitted anywhere on the property, neither inside nor outside. There shall be NO FIRES anywhere outside, including campfires, fireworks or charcoal grills. If there is evidence of smoking or fires, the $800 damage deposit will be forfeited and you will be asked to leave the property without a refund. Feel free to use the indoor wood stove at any time. DO NOT PUT WOODSTOVE ASHES OUTSIDE

4) LINENS AND TOWELS: Please be respectful of bed sheets and towels. Makeup/foundation, face medications/creams, and tanning products will stain and/or bleach linens/towels, so please avoid using regular hand/bath towels with all skin products. Unsalvageable linens/bath towels will be charged to the guest. There are extra blankets and pillows in the downstairs bedroom as well as the upstairs armoire. Extra sheets for the sofa bed, if you choose to use it, are also in the upstairs armoire. Please DO NOT start a load of laundry before you check out.

5) TOILETS: Please do not throw any trash other than toilet paper in the toilets. All feminine products and other trash such as makeup wipes must be disposed of in trash cans, as the home is on a septic tank. Plumbing service calls for not doing so will be charged to the guest.

6) CHILDREN: Parents are to supervise children at all times, as the cabin is not child-proof. There are numerous fall hazards from the stairs, loft, and decks. In addition, the wood stove provides burn hazards and all children should be kept away from it at all times. Also, please note the hot water gets very hot, so watch children carefully. Please do not allow children to play with or move things around in the cabin.

7) HEATING: Primary heating is by wood stove. If you are unfamiliar with how to operate a wood stove, please review the instructions I have provided and if in doubt, please do not hesitate to contact me with questions or concerns. We ask that you do not roast marshmallows in the stove. DO NOT PUT ASHES OUTSIDE

You can turn the baseboard heaters downstairs up and the ones upstairs on. The downstairs bedroom tends to run cool, so you may want to close the door and turn that heater up overnight. Please turn OFF upstairs heaters anytime you leave the property and make sure there is nothing in front of them, such as towels, clothes or papers, as it WILL catch fire.

😎 TRASH: **IMPORTANT** Please do not put any trash outside, as there are bears and other wildlife in the area. Trash trucks are unable to get up the drive, so we do not have trash service. Also, the cleaning staff is unable to visit during a stay to collect trash. If your stay is longer-term, and you have extra trash that you wish to dispose of during your stay, the county landfill is conveniently located on the way to town and the cost is $2 per large bag (CASH). You do not have to take your trash to the landfill, but that is an option if you wish to get rid of it during your stay. Please smash down and condense your trash into as few bags as possible upon checkout. Please consider this before booking.

9) OUTSIDE FOOD: For the safety of you and the wildlife, please do not leave any food, beverages or other scented products outside unattended, especially overnight. We have seen the occasional bobcat and even bear. Feeding wildlife harms the animals and should not be done.

10) HOT WATER: Please be aware that this is a cabin in a very arid part of the country. Water and thus hot water is not unlimited. If you enjoy long showers or have larger groups, you may run out of hot water unless you stagger showers. However, if you're responsible with the hot water, you will not run out.

11) CHANGING THINGS: Please do not move furniture around, as this causes wear and tear on floors, rugs and the furniture itself. Also, do not attempt to adjust the Internet dish or change or alter light fixtures. Do not touch the Internet dish on the deck. Please do not put the house plants outside.

12) NEED-To-KNOW: Heating is by wood stove and the cabin will be cool inside when you arrive in winter.
~There is no dishwasher and we do ask you to wash your dishes.
~It is rare, but the electricity and WIFI could go out in extreme weather. We are not responsible for loss of power or Internet.
~Hot water is limited in this arid region, but we have never run out with moderate, responsible showers.
~The air is extremely dry in the mountains of Colorado, often around 10-20% humidity, so the air will feel dry year-round. It is possible to feel altitude sickness.
~We cannot offer refunds if you decide to leave early because of bad weather, altitude sickness, or loss of power/Internet.

13) CHECK OUT: We do not expect you to clean, as we have a cleaning staff for this, but please leave the cabin as you found it and tidy up.

We ask that you:
~**DOUBLE CHECK THAT YOU HAVE CLOSED ALL WINDOWS**
~Wash and put away your dishes.
~Put all trash in trash bins and condense trash to as few bags as possible. PLEASE DO NOT PUT TRASH OUTSIDE.
~Turn off baseboard heaters upstairs. Set downstairs heaters to 55F.
~If you've moved anything around, please return it to its place.
~Check to make sure the wood stove is closed securely and lock all windows and doors. CLOSE ALL WINDOWS.
~Please strip all used beds and place all dirty laundry in the downstairs bathtub. DO NOT start the laundry before leaving.
~If you've used the upstairs sofa bed, please return it to the sofa position, fold the blankets and put the sheets in the downstairs tub.

Thank you!

[Alex-and-Vaughan0]

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@John1080 wrote:

2) PETS AND EXTRA GUESTS: No pets or extra guests allowed. If we discover that either has been snuck in, you will be asked to leave without a refund per the Airbnb Terms of Service.

 Airbnb will refund the guests for unstayed nights whether you like it or not. The most you can honestly say is that you will cancel their booking immediately.

[John1080]

@Alex-and-Vaughan0, many guests do not realize this or other official policies. One can make this claim in the rules and policies, and then if they decide to challenge it, if and when it occurs, so be it.

The main point being, if a host is upfront at the beginning and clear with the rules, such violations are much less likely to occur. This is much more about preventive measures than retaliatory measures after the fact. I have, for example, never had to deal with such a violation, mostly, imo, because I am very clear many times before booking, before check-in, on the listing itself, etc. 

Clear, succinct communication before and during the stay is really key to assuring there are no rules violations. 

[Greg-And-Jutta0]

I hope you don’t mind me  plagiarizing  some.  Great text! Thanks