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?

[Suzanne187]

My listing says 6 people.  this guest registered for a total of 5 guests including themselves.

They are now asking to include their daughter and son-in-law for a total of 7.  

I do not state a $ amount for extra guest because I don't want to suggest extra guests are permitted.

I am prepared to accept these two however.  My question:  can I charge extra for these two?  for example $25/night, each extra night?

[Nikolina2]

I wouldn t charge them for extra people since you don t have that option in your listing.Or cancel them or leave them as they are.Fix this in your listing for future guests/problems.You will be protected then as above hosts say.

I put this in house rules from day one,hm now as i look as potential guest incognito i see house rules but can not find 100€ for extra guests over 3 people.

One of my listings https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/1568192

[Graham-and-Catriona0]

Hi all I have just checked in our guest for a 2 night stay. Their booking was for 4 people. I should have sussed something funny when two cars pulled up. so in total I have 4 adults and 2 children I have no idea where they are gonna sleep as I have 1 double and a twin room. There English is not very good and don't want go get into an argument with them. I stay in a garage conversion in the garden so I'm around all the time. Don't think they where expecting that I'm my listin it's clear that our accommodation sleeps 4 but we could accommodate extra guest given notice and for an additional fee. How do you think I should handle the situation.

Graham

[Michele39]

Many possibilities.

Use Google Translate to talk to them. Bring a laptop and type what you want to say, then have them type what they want to say in their own language.

Or find someone who speaks their language.

Use hand motions to ask your questions.

Or if all this is too much bother, just let it go.

[Loukia-Elli-Roxanne0]

Hi everybody, I have an apartment in Athens with capacity for 4-6 guests. 

A lady booked the place only for one person but she mentioned a "fiance" and when the janitor handed them the keys they were actually two persons who entered. I am not in Athens.  I sent her a message via Airbnb and asked her if there were two people staying and she simply denied it. There is 100 euro price difference for a 2nd person for the amount of days they are staying. Any advise as to what I can do? 

Thank you 

[Michele39]

It's hard when you're out of town with no one to keep an eye on things. Can you slip your janitor $20 to keep an eye on the door, or give a neighbor a small fee (or a bottle of wine) to watch for extra guests? If he sees for sure that the extra guest is staying there, you could tell the guest that your janitor or host-assistant saw this, and that you will be sending a "change of reservation" request to the guest to pay the extra fee. it will help if someone has a photo of the extra guest leaving the apartment in the morning. Even if the photo doesn't really tell a story, if you tell your guest you have a photo to prove it, they will be more likely to pay up.

Or have the cleaning person take note of whether the towels, beds, utensils, etc. show signs that more than one person was there. With photos, of course.

You can always make a claim to Airbnb during or after the guest's stay. It will definitely help to have photos in such a case.

It's unfortunate that guests sometimes lie, but they do. I've had to call guests out on extra people (with the help of a neighbor that I pay to keep an eye on the door when I'm not around), and they always say, "Oh, I didn't know," when I told them five times and it's in the listing, but they paid the extra so I didn't argue with them about this. 

[Karen570]

Hi.  I have been a guest many times but have just become a host for the first time for my 3 bed house in France (I live in the UK). The house has 3 double beds.  I took a 2 week booking from a Belgium guy for 4 people - he said it was himself, partner and 2 children.  My caretaker went in after the first week to change the bed linen and towels and found there are 8 people there - 4 adults and 4 children. They are washing the towels I left daily to use for the extra guests and had put airbeds in the living area and 2 tents in the garden.

I charge per house not per number of guests but I dont want more than 6 guests as there are not enough beds and I dont want to abuse my house with the wear and tear.

I am new to hosting and dont know what to do so I called airbnb and a very kind employee told me to message the guest and ask him to confirm he had 8 guests.  However the guest is not replying to my message.  

What do you suggest I do next?

By the way I have learnt so much reading this forum - I have now added an extra £100 per night for guests above 6 etc to discourage ....I just didnt expect people could be so dishonest and take advantage.

[Michele39]

Contact the guest again. Say your caretaker saw the extra people, air beds, and tents, and that your caretaker said there are 8 people staying there. (If possible, get your caretaker to take photos, and tell the guest you have photos. You don't have to show him the photos, just say you have them.)

Then say that if you don't hear from him, you will assume there are 8 people and you will be charging an extra __ for the water and plumbing usage, wear and tear on the house and lawn, etc. (Tents chew up the lawn!) Otherwise, he will have to leave as he has violated your agreement, and will not get a refund. Be extra polite, using phrases like "I am happy to have your family as my guests, but this was outside the scope of our original agreement, so I am asking you to be a good guest and reply to my query."

I don't know if you're in a position to kick out the guest (can your caretaker do it?) and it might be easier to just charge the extra. Send a "change of reservation" for the extra amount of money, if Airbnb's system will allow it.

Then contact Airbnb again to keep them up to date on how you are handling it.

Having all your communication go through the Airbnb message system really helps as they can track it there. You can also text the guest at his given number. If he responds by text rather than through Airbnb, reply by text AND immediately respond by Airbnb message also, saying "I just got your text stating that ____." This keeps a record that Airbnb can easily review, and avoids a he said / she said situation.

Be polite, be firm, be persistent. Don't ever lose your temper. Yeah, guests lie, but they're used to doing it at hotels and everywhere else. Saying "I have photos" has always done the trick for me.

And if, for some reason, the guest doesn't respond for days and then is like "Why are you kicking me out / charging me extra?!" you have a good response.: "Because you did not reply to me." Good communication is a cornerstone of the Airbnb host/guest relationship. And at least at that point, they are talking to you! And then maybe you can resolve it somehow.

[Karen570]

Thank you Michele.  I have just sent an e mail following your advice and we shall see where it gets me.  I really appreciate you spending the time to reply to me with such a comprehensive answer.  Take care.  Karen

[Michele39]

Glad I could help! Did you mean you sent an email, or put a message on the Airbnb messaging sytem? I would advise both. Also a text to the guest's phone number (or a call, if that makes more sense) with the same message. This avoid any possible claim from the guest that they didn't get your messages.

In your Airbnb message, you can also add that you have sent them an email and called/texted them. This keeps a record of what you've done, and when. If a dispute comes up that Airbnb needs to mediate, it can be hard to show texts and emails, but the Airbnb messages are right there for the Airbnb team to see. Just tack that information on to the end of the message.

Don't be shy about putting messages in the Airbnb message system daily until this is resolved. If the guest doesn't respond it might feel like you're talking to yourself, but it shows an irrefutable record for Airbnb if there's a claim they need to investigate, for example if you kick out the guests and they complain that they want their money back. Daily messages from you saying (politely) things like "Please, you have not responded to me and we need to resolve this issue. Please contact me as soon as you can." These messages show you are a good, caring host just trying to resolve a problem, and most likely there will be no negative fallout from Airbnb.

[Todd-and-Melinda0]

Hi there,

If our property is a distance away and we are not able to greet our guests as they arrive/depart, is there a way to ensure that the guests don't bring extra people without paying for them?

Thank you!

[Michele39]

1> Have a neighbor go over and check

2> Ask cleaning person for evidence (but by then, they're gone)

3> Security cameras outside

4> Nannycam inside (not sure if this is legal)

5> Hidden recording devices (ditto)

6> Magical crystal ball

Having said that, the guests can hide it from you if they really want to. For example, if your neighbor stops by under the guise of a friendly visit and sees 6 people with suitcases when only 4 were booked, the neighbor can call and tell you, and then you can call the guest and ask about this. If the guest is honest, they will tell you there will be extra people, and you can discuss it and figure out a solution. But conversely, the guest can lie. "Oh, that's my cousin, he's not staying here. He's staying at a hotel, he just can't check in until later." Or my favorite, "No, there are only 4 people here with suitcases," implying that the neighbor was mistaken. Unless your neighbor wants to go back and confront them, and count the people right in front of them, there's not much you can do.

You need a live person to catch them in the act, and then call out the guests on it then and there. If no solution can be found then and there, you can call Airbnb and they will help resolve it. But if it's just he-said-she-said, after the fact, hearsay, etc. your chances of getting extra money (or getting the extra guests out of there) become slimmer.

[Michele39]

FYI when I was in this situation, I used to pay my next-door neighbor $20 to greet the guests and show them through the house. It was also part of her job to confirm the number of guests staying there. If only 2 people were booked, she would strip the other beds and lock up the sheets. $20 for 15 minutes of work, it was a good deal for both her and me. More than once some extra people showed up, and she would inform them that I would be in touch about the extra people. Maybe the guests were planning on sliding that one by me, but once she found out and mentioned it, they were more than willing to pay the extra when I called.

[Todd-and-Melinda0]

That is a good idea! Thanks for the tip!

[Todd-and-Melinda0]

Thank you very much for your input. We are new hosts, and we appreciate the feedback!