Number of Guests Booking: Suggestion for Airbnb

[Dave-and-Deb0]

Please take this poll:  http://goo.gl/forms/7otIJChX7d

I have seen a common issue posted on the Community Center which happens with several hosts on Airbnb and that is with the number of guests people book for and the number of guests who show up at the door.  This is often a result of 1) a guest trying to "sneak" in extra guests because the host charges extra per person over "X" amount or 2) some guests feel that children should or are not considered people/guests.

Airbnb states that, ""You need to disclose the total number of guests accurately when making reservation requests, including infants and children (Travelling with children)." Now most people would not even know where to find this and it is not on the booking page when you choose the number of guests.  

Airbnb needs to change the way guests book when it comes to inputing the number of guests.  By guests showing up at a host's listing with more people than the host is expecting puts the guest and the host in a difficult position.  It is essentially starting the Airbnb experience out as a negative experience.  Any number of things could happen including 1) the host turning the guest away or only allowing the number of guests in that were booked or 2) putting the burden onto the host by now having to charge for extra guests.  This is not good for the Airbnb brand and you can bet the host will not be getting a favourable review even though the situation was not their fault.

I would like to see Airbnb add a box for the number of children that will be staying just like the airlines and hotels have on their sites.  This would also help out for those hosts who have not checked off "Family Friendly" as the search would not even show their listing if the children box is filled out.

What are your thoughts and experiences of extra guests showing up at your doorstep?  Should this be something that Airbnb should implement or leave it as it is?  

Please share your thoughts below AND complete this quick 2 question survey: http://goo.gl/forms/7otIJChX7d (Results of the poll are here: https://goo.gl/9lTWbD)

Here are a couple of examples of what Airbnb could include:

 

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

@Monica4 it is fixed months ago, at least in our area. 

ps

ok, now I see you wrote this comment 1,5 y ago 😄

[Sara2]

@Rita10 you need to ask arrival time if they are travelling but put in your rules check in and out times its up to you if you charge extra for very early or late arrivals many hits do after all we all have lives to live and if say you went to get a child from school they would say in the review you were not home.

mine is check out 11 am check in 3 to have time to clean room

[Wendy-and-Markus0]

@Lizzie:

We would love for Airbnb to add Dave & Debbie's suggestion to the booking platform. It makes sense to add clarity to reservation. We would even suggest to add a space to add the first and last name of each guest. Thanks!

[Lizzie]

Thanks for sharing @Wendy-and-Markus0, it is great to hear your thoughts on this. 

- Please keep your comments coming, plus it would be fantastic to hear your thoughts specifically on this feature idea. Thank you 🙂

[Dave-and-Deb0]

I am confused @Lizzie?  You remove my comments to @David-Kiran-Maria0 which in no way violated the CC Guidelines and then post a response to him but remove that as well.  Is it because I called him out for his offensive posts and rude behavior?  

Dave

[Mark21]

Can a host charge for extra guests that weren't confirmed when booking by deducting it from their security deposit?  If so, what kind of proof does the host need?  The evidence is usually pretty obvious: messed up beds, more cleanup, seeing more people, etc.  Febuary 2016 is my 1st year anniversary as a host and extra, unconfirmed guests, is my biggest problem I have had.  Perhaps more education about how additional guests puts a strain on the house could be supplied to prospective guests from the very beginning.  And with an emphasis on honesty and integrety.  Whatever, but something should be done.  Most hosts, from what I can see, only have one listing and, unlike a motel, it's more burdensome to absorb the dishonesty.  It's the major reason I have considered abandoning Airbnb as a business.  Thanks for reading and considering and perhaps replying.  Mark

[Bronwyn0]

@Lizzie I believe from the Open in Paris and speaking with the trust and safety team that, If you state in the house rules they can only have the number of guests that they book for including children, then if they have more people and break your house rules they can be asked to leave. 

I also now clearly spell this out in my description and ask guests to select one room to sleep in and leave the other untouched or an additional sheet and cleaning charge will be added. I have not had any problems since I have done this.

Great discussion hosts for a tricky problem.

[Nelson2]

I think that AirBnB should have a zero tolerence for retaliation and when a guest gets caught sneaking extra guests and he is compelled to retaliate by leaving a bad review.  AirBnB should either strike down that bad review.  Especially when the host has a history of getting great review and all of a sudden there is a bad one because the guest retaliated because he/she was caught sneaking in extra people not accounted for.

[Dave-and-Deb0]

Hi @Nelson2,

I completely agree.  I am the person who started this thread and I think I will be in the same boat you just explained. I posted this topic because it was a common issue brought forward by hosts.  I now had a guest who said she needed our place for 2-4 people for the week.  She had three more people show up on the weekend who stayed 3 nights.  Our max Occupancy is set for 4 and they now had 7 people.  I sent a claim through the resolution center for an extra $135 ($15 per night per guest over the four people) and I have yet have her accept it.  We are expecting a negative review now even though we treated them professionally throughout their stay.  I guess time will tell.  It sucks when you have all five star ratings for every guest and then you get a user and abuser show up.

Dave

[Jen2]

Hi All,

I'm all for clarity on the number of guests staying at the apartment.

I had to "fight" for my rights when an Instant Booking indicated 4 guests (in a 2br apartment w/ only 2 queen beds). Right before the checkin, it turns out they have 4 adults AND 3 kids (age 3-6) --- altogether 7 people! The worst part, they righteously expected me to wear the lost - 100% refund and not cared about my economic lost (I could have had other guests). 

The moral of the story, if there are more clarity around the number of adults and children, this could've been easily avioded. (And if they "misrepresent" the number of guests, they are out of the door with no refund). 

I'm totally for the format with clear breakdown of Infant, Children, and Adult. 

[Raymond-and-Elaine0]

@Dave-and-Deb0 Good initiative.  I agree with alot already mentioned. Child guests are more work, worry and should definitley pay. I've had guests suggesting their children could sleep ON the bed in the room next door that they won't need to pay for as the kids wont be IN the bed. Also their babies could sleep on the other bed and they would surround them with pillows. I'm not willing to take the risk of them being hurt if they fall off. I've now changed my policy so nolonger accept children. I will accept babies if the parents bring their own bed.

[Louise0]

Any host with experience knows that crawling infants,toddlers and pre-schoolers do the most damage and make the most mess. They require special safety precautions, waterproof matress covers and disrupt the household (and often the neighbours) with their tantrums.  As hosts, we need to know whether a child falls into this category as a place that is safe for babies and children over 4 may be an extremely dangerous environment for those in between.  

Instead of the 0 - 2, 2 - 11 and >11 categories, I'd prefer to categorise guests by their gross motor skills, bladder control and propensity to scream their little lungs out for hours on end.   However, this isn't possible, particularly if a guest uses IB with no prior communication. As the next best option, can I suggest 0 - 6 mths (ie non-ambulatory in most cases), 6 mths - 5, 5 - 12, 12 - 18, 18+ ?   Or, better still, just have boxes asking for each guest's name and age.

On a separate but related issue, the current filter 'Family/Kid Friendly' is dangerously subjective.  Guests need to understand that this doesn't necessarily mean that the property is suitable from a safety perspective for their child and that must make their own enquiries of the host before booking.

[Ireen0]

I get it this is a very serious topic.... but cant help myself LOL! Bladder control, yes that is indeed a big thing. Replacing a mattras or a sofa because you cannot get it clean anymore... is indeed annoying, creates extra work and costs money. 

Just, to share with you one of my experiences sofar, with bladder control, or without actually.... some senior citizens seem to have a 'bladder control-issue' as well... I only found out after the guest left and as I had been out a few days myself, I could not claim anything. So yes, back to Ikea for a new mattras!

[Charles5]

Great ideas. Love them.

[Kelly3]

The problem for me is that some guests I get (most people from newer area of Airbnb marketing), don't think it is a problem AT ALL, so they don't even consider to tell me or ask me about their kids and babies. In this case, it is really hard to even talk about extra charges.....
And of course, those are the people who want a baby tub, place to park their trolley, complain that the floor is dirty, leave the baby mess behind, etc.