“I payed for it I can do what ever I want”

Dustin25
Level 6
Pittsburgh, PA

“I payed for it I can do what ever I want”

I have been hosting for little over 6 months now, and I really enjoy being a host and helping people enjoy my city. However at the same time I do get host that think “I payed for it I can do what ever I want”! This has become a bigger issues as I am getting more bookings. I have informed some of my guests that it is stated in the house rules about guests and was told “I don’t read that crap”! I know what I want to say to them is get out of MY HOUSE! Yes it is my house not a hotel I am opening up to people but they fall into the mind set “I payed for it I can do what ever I want”. Now that I have said all that I want to get to my question for you all.

 
I have a guest now that booked 3 months ago, and told me 3 days before him and his wife were coming in from across the country that he would be having his nephew and his nephew’s wife staying for one night of their 3 day stay. I informed him promptly that there is a $20 fee for each guest after 2 people and I will make the changes to their reservation. I was informed by Airbnb that all guests need to be on the reservation that spend the nigh in-order to be covered by their umbrella insurance policy. I have a 2 bedroom place and I have to pay someone to clean it a fair and reasonable wage to do so. I have found that the more people that stay the more there is to clean and the more I am charged even if its just for one night. 
 
The guests response is as follows:
 
"It seems petty for 2 guests for one night out of three for a 2 bed 2 days before our flight. What choice do I have
 
I feel as if I have been very accommodating and I do not feel like I am being petty for enforcing my rules, however I can be wrong so I want to know what my host community thinks.
 
I was thinking about putting this on his review after his stay, about communication because like I said they booked it 3 months ago and could have told me then what their plans were. I could have informed them at that time about the extra guests that is stated in my House Rules about guest policy. They could have booked somewhere els that fit in their budget and been happy.
 
I guess at the end of the day for more and more guest I get they seem to have the “I payed for it I can do what ever I want” attitude and not the thank you for letting me stay in YOUR HOME attitude. 
20 Replies 20
Fred13
Level 10
Placencia, Belize

Your reasoning is clean, and above all fair. You will incur added 'cost' and yet your guests feel their new 'sub-guests'  should get to stay for free vs. stay in a nearby hotel they will have to pay for. Cute.

Thank you for your feedback thats what I was thinking.

Paul154
Level 10
Seattle, WA

Everynow and then I have gotten a guest who don't want to pay for their changes.

In there unhappiness to cough up some dollars, they poison the well.

My response has been "I'm sorry you don't d value in my home. You are free to cancel and I will return my payment t

 

Anyone who calls you petty does not deserve your hospitlatiy

I was going to offer for him to cancel with full repayment but his reply was that he can't rebook another place now. I wish he would have just canceled and I would have taken the loss but not had someone poison the well. However he agreed to pay and I am not able to cancel on them and loose my supper host static.

 
Dustin 
Lawrene0
Level 10
Florence, Canada

I would say someone is being petty, @Dustin25, and it isn't you. 

David126
Level 10
Como, CO

Some business is not worth having, their option is to cancel and find somewhere more suitable for their needs.

David
Barry-and-Lera0
Level 10
Sarasota, FL

It seems petty that between four guests they can't get up another $40 together, especially the last minute couple. They should try and see what kind of hotel/motel they can get for $40 a night.

 

 

the hotels in my area of Pittsburgh are $286 so they are getting a deal! I think his hole thing is he booked my 2 bedroom place for him and his wife and invited his nephew and his wife to come since it was a 2 beedroom and they were only useing one. Its not the amount of beds in a place they booke for to at a lower rate and just informed me 3 days before they were coming that he did that. If they said it 3 months ago I could have told then and they book a place that would not charge for extra guest. I coudl have gotten another booking with someone that was not going to be like this. He was saying that he has no choice becsue I did this 2 days before his booking but he never told me they were doing that. 

 

I just feel that guests expect the host to bend over backwards to accomidate them and what ever they do because “I payed for it I can do what ever I want”.

@Dustin25: You could always look at it as a learning experience and eat the $40 this one time. We have done it a few times in different situations. Its better than getting a bad review which will cost you more money in the long run. Maybe change your booking confirmation email that guests receive to say that if guests are added to the booking at any point prior to check-in its $20 per person, per night and an ammended itinerary will have to be confirmed prior to arrival. If something like that was in place prior you could tell this guy "It is in your booking confirmation email".

Alexandra316
Level 10
Lincoln, Canada

@Dustin25 If it was an instant book guest, you could ask Airbnb to cancel them for you without penalty: just say you're uncomfortable with the booking and explain the situation with the extra guests.

 

It does seem extremely petty that the two extra people can't come up with an additional $40 for a night. Your rules are there for a reason, and you should definitely stick to them.

Kelly149
Level 10
Austin, TX

yeah, but they only paid for 2, not 4. The problem now is that he has the ability to utterly tank your review stats if he feels like revenge and after the fact there is nothing that you can do about it. I'd get on the phone with ABB CS and see about cancelling or at least documenting his sour attitude so that you have the possibility of removing a bad review if you allow him to come and if the review is poor.

Oh, and for sure your review of him should be very specific of this bad attitude. I wouldn't want him as a guest either.

I did talk to Airbnb CS and told them about my concerns and they know I wanted to cancel on him. I was asked by the CS team to keep the reservation and see how it goes. I was not to willing to keep the reservation but I did not want to cancelation poping up on my reviews. If it is bad than I will just have to deal with that but I wish it was not the case.

 

I hope it turns out fine and I thank youf ro conferming how I feel about this. Only time will tell what will happen. I will update what will happens after.

Ned-And-Laura0
Level 10
Simi Valley, CA

Did you explain the insurance situation?  How all people must be on the reservation or you are not covered?  If it were me, I would offer to refund half of the $40 as a compromise.    

@Ned-And-Laura0

 

What Insurance?

David