Guests sleeping outside

[Heather1244]

I have a guest that asked if a couple people can sleep outside for fun. Is this ok? 

[Emiel1]

@Heather1244 

Some work for you to do::

[Sarah977]

@Heather1244  A couple extra people, or some of those on the booking? If it's those on the booking, I don't see any reason to say no, as long as they don't drag your mattresses outside or get the bedding dirty. Or disturb the neighbors. Are they expecting you to set up an outside bed for them?

[Sarah977]

@Heather1244 P.S. Your listing is lovely. But I'd advise you to remove the wording that says you won't be on the property unless the guest needs something. This is the kind of wording guests who throw parties and trash your house look for.

And if you are called by neighbors who are concerned about goings on there, or see a party going on on your cameras (I'm not a fan of cameras, but they really are necessary with a listing like yours and you must disclose them in the listing ad), you most certainly will be on the property, and all sorts of things can happen that could require your attention and presence.

Better to say something like "We live nearby, so are always available if you need assistance". It's already listed as an entire house- you don't need to impress on the guests that their privacy will be respected.

[Heather1244]

Great advice! Thank you 

[Anonymous]

@Heather1244  Brand new listings tend to attract a lot of shenanigans, so keep a close eye on this one - it might be A Trojan Horse. You should inform the guest that only registered and paid guests are permitted on the grounds of the property, and the group size may not exceed your occupancy limit. Perhaps it's no big deal if someone wants to sleep in the hammock on a hot summer night, but they're still going to be using your indoor facilities, and perhaps retreating to a bed if they decide being exposed to the elements isn't as fun as they imagined.

I don't really understand why a visitor to the Yosemite area would rent a house if they just wanted to go camping, but people sure have gotten weird these days. 

[Laura2592]

@Heather1244 this sounds like guests throwing a rager and trying to get around your capacity limits. I would say "thanks for the inquiry but our insurance doesn't provide for guest accommodation outside the house. If you would like, I can give you some ideas for campgrounds in the area."

[Lorna170]

@Heather1244   You have a lovely listing.  However, if you want it to stay that way and keep the peace with your neighbors, I highly recommend removing the "New Listing" announcement (if you entered it) and reduce your capacity to 6 in beds, discounting the two sleeper sofas.  (I really don't understand owners who try to create sleeping spaces above a zoned house capacity).  That way you will have better guests and may avoid the entitled, uncaring person who is searching for their next party space.   As to "overflow" guests sleeping outside -- NO.  Just NO.  

[Laura2592]

@Lorna170 I so agree. The sleeping areas are beds. List the number of people who would normally be in the bed. I think its a mistake for hosts to mention sofas, air mattresses, cots etc in order to squeeze as many people in as possible. It just reduces the nightly cost per guest to less than that guest would pay for McDonald's and a Starbucks. The respect for the home is commensurate.

[Sarah977]

These guests may be trying to go overcapacity, it's definitely something to ferret out, but it could also be just what it says, they'd like to sleep outside.

Maybe they are city dwellers and think it would be cool to sleep out under the stars. That doesn't necessarily equate with camping.

Although it isn't as elegant a set-up as the photo Emiel posted, I have a friend who sets up a bed in his yard and sleeps outside all summer.

[Lawrene0]

People try that on here, @Heather1244 , and my strong advice is the same as everyone's above -- say no --  and use that "only registered and paid guests" and "not exceeding capacity" wording @Anonymous recommends. 

I regret that one time, when I was a new host, that I let an extended family come with tents. They were a ton of work and although I hadn't charged them extra they knocked stars off value and overall because "it wasn't as private as we hoped."

No kidding. Of course a private place isn't as private as you hope when you bring your mother-in-law with you!

But that pales next to what is probably really going on with your request -- it does look like a party wanting to happen. 

@Sarah977 has a good point about the bedding, too. If it is the registered guests who want to sleep outside "for fun", they need to do that in their own sleeping bags, not on your bedlinens. 

Nothing about this sounds good, and it seems you sensed that, too, since you are asking. 

I've had to say no to this quite a lot lately, and I always say at the end, "I understand this is a deal-breaker, and no worries at all if you need to cancel and find someplace that can accommodate your group." 

[Kelly149]

my listing is an actual barn and honestly, in 5 years I've been surprised that no one has wanted to pitch a tent and sleep under the stars, we're totally right for it. If this isn't your target market, I'd just say no thanks

[Heather1244]

Thanks for the advice everyone!!