How to deal with extra guests?

[Deborah0]

A host (call him Mark) recently described a problem, that seems to me to be an exceptionally common problem which hosts bring to the host communities to ask about.   Mark said that the guest booked 4 people, but that 6 people actually arrived.  He thought at first that only 4 guests would stay, as this had been the arrangement and what they paid for (and he doesn't allow more than 4 to stay at his home -- which is an entire house listing).  However, the next day when he went by the house to see the guests off and check them out, he saw all 6 people inside, and as they left, he saw that they were all carrying luggage, so it was clear they had all stayed there. 

Do you have any advice for Mark?

[Patrick303]

You should submit a money request and inform the guest immediately, via Airbnb messenger, that you are aware of the extra guest, (bad review or not, they know what they are doing).  Next, you should let Airbnb know about the situation and that you have informed the guest... Airbnb will tell you to give the guest 24 hours to respond or pay your money request or they would then get involved. Keep everything in writing and document everything.

[Kathleen399]

I was just told it takes 72 hours by an Airbnb Representative...fyi.  Thanks.

[Veronica416]

Determine if the $$ is worth the bad review.

[Rhonda45]

Wait until they leave a review and after they do give them a bad review.  

[Robyn-s-Nest0]

The guest shouldnt give a bad review, they know what they are doing.  You should get $$ for what they use, they would only get upset because you are calling them out on what they are doing.  Even though you are burned up about it, ACT on it, don't react!  Handle it with kind gloves, A good way to handle it would be: "Oh, I was under the impression there were only 4 guests, were more friends or family able to come also?  That's great, you are going to have a great time here!  Not a problem, we can easily accomodate them, however there will be a small charge per person/per night, I'll send you a request through AirBnB for this, ok?"(smile)

[Ann72]

I wouldn’t message the guests first.  I’d just submit a change in the reservation through Airbnb - it’s there that you can include a message to the guests.  It’s been effective for me.  Somehow getting an official communication like that makes them take notice.

[Bud2]

Contact AirBnb and use the resolution center. Open a claim, state your facts, and expect AirBnB to conduct an investigation. In my experience, if your claim is well documented it is resolved satisfactorily.

[Louann0]

HOW do i get the extra $25 for each night now that they have redparted? $ came rather than 2. My listing ststes $25 per person ( adult) over 2.

They stayed 3 nights , so $150.00 I am entitled to. But how?  Security Deposit states it is for damages. 

[Louann0]

oops typos. 4 adults came , only 2 in rservation.

atyaed 3 nights.

opened new aerobeds that were in the closet which were not intended for them. I had two different ones, which had been previously opened which  I would have provided if i had been advised. I wanted these remained boxed for to give as a gift.

[Michele39]

@Louann0 It's not a good idea to leave boxed gifts in the guest space. in my experience, guests will use anything you leave for them. Even if it had been just 2 guests, they might have decided they prefer the air mattresses. If you leave things in the guest space, they will assume they are there for use.

[Rhonda45]

That’s the truth including toilet paper, trash bags, and paper towels!

[Judy16]

This just happened to me. 3 guests when only 2 were booked. The just left and I watched three people come out of the suite. I sent a request for an additional $44.00, as I charge $22 per night per person (over two). Now I'm waiting to see what happens. I'm sure they knew it costs more to host more people. more water, more electricity, more towels, more sheets.  They are just trying to get away with cheating.

[Karen268]

This happened to me when a very wealthy family from Grants Pass, Oregon, sneaked in 5 additional guests without prior discussion or warning.  Then the husband and wife who booked the place left early early in the morning before anyone else in their extended family.  Fortunately I had suspicions about them early on and had called Airbnb to give them a heads up.  I ended up monitoring the front door, taking down the license plates of the cars parked in front of the house, and confronting every unknown person as they left asking their names and where they were from.  There were even four children here in a house where the rules clearly state no children.  I was on the phone repeatedly with Airbnb about this early on and also alerted them immediately while individuals started leaving.  Airbnb handled the whole thing for me and gave me the full payment immediately.  But you must document the situation as soon as possible.  You should also email the person who booked the place so that you have a paper trail.  

You can also institute a policy of requiring the names of every person in the group before arrival and if you are really worried create a guest register for each person to sign upon arrival.  Put this requirement down in writing on your Airbnb site.

[Sara513]

Hi, I had the same problem. There is a base price set for up to 5 people. Last week I had a group. They booked for 4 people and they stayed there 7 (at least). I met 3 who checked in, the 4th messaged on Airbnb and I met 3 others who checked out. When they checked out yesterday I asked them why they extended the table they sad because it was more convenient like this as they were 7 peolpe eating. At this point I sad they reserved for 4. The guy blushed and started a story that they came only a day before. As they had a lot of luggage and also told me they participated the FINA Masters World Championship which took place all week it can not be true. 18 Euro per person per night is the extra cost so alltogether they payed about 230 EUR less then the normal price. Is there anything I can do?  

I am new to Airbnb so I have no idea how to charge the extra...

[Michele39]

Go to https://www.airbnb.com/help and click "Send or Request Money" at the bottom of the page. You will be prompted for a number of things like which guest this request pertains to and how much you want to charge them. You can also put details in a comment field. Keep it brief and succinct, like "Guest paid for 4 guests for 5 nights, but 7 guests stayed. I am charging an extra XX Euro for the extra 3 guests for 5 nights. I saw these guests as they were leaving, and the paying guest confirmed that they stayed there." Don't get into long-winded explanations about luggage, FINA, etc. Let Airbnb sort all that out. Just state the bald facts about why you're requesting more money.

A request will be sent to the guest, which they can't simply ignore. Airbnb will back you up on this and will participate in the action to some degree. I'm not sure how far they can go (for example, I don't know if they can charge the guest's credit card without their permission) but at the very least, the complaint is documented and can be followed up on.

Good luck! And if it doesn't work out, you have the last resort of giving the guest a poor review that includes these details, which will prevent them from being able to book on Airbnb again.