Number of Guests

[George698]

Hello, some of my friends (not me) are currently in the process of booking an AirBnB for a date two to three weeks from now. The property in question is a large house in a secluded area, which is listed to hold 13 people, and has "party's allowed" written on the listing. As such, we are booking it for one night to host a party. However, we have around 17 guests attending. I have read similar posts on this forum about people bringing too many guests into their room, but those instances are with maximum occupancies between 2 or 4, while this is a large house. We just mentioned to this particular host that there would be 17 guests and this host is now telling us that we either book 2 nights, or pay another $200 ($50 for every person over the 13). It doesn't make any sense for us to book two nights (most people can't stay), and really, the $200 charge is about $15 (more) per person, which will be hard to justify to our broke college friends. In addition, the cost of the house is too high for most people if we only split it 13 ways instead of 17. I really feel that she just wants money from us. I understand it is rude to overbook the house, but  I believe that this is a respectful and trustworthy group that will treat the property with respect. I've hosted smaller parties with this group at my own house before, and have never had a problem. How should my friend respond to this host? We don't want to lie about the number of guests, but honestly, that would just bypass this problem altogether.

[Linda108]

@George698   Basically host home host rules.  Period.  I would not presume to understand another host's reasoning or experience or reason for the rules.  Kudos to your friend for honesty as unfortunately many guests figure it is okay to fudge a little bit or even a lot.  Perhaps the friend can negotiate a different deal for increasing the number of guests by 25%.  Otherwise it would be better to seek another place using the correct number of guests to filter.

[Sarah977]

@George698  While I also can't speak for another host as to their charges and motivations, the host has a maximum limit of 13 people. You are asking for special treatment that goes against her house rules and parameters, and while you are confident that you and your friends will be respectful and not cause damage or disruption, the host doesn't know any of you. So it's not outrageous for her to be covering herself for such a large group that is asking for a booking outside her stated maximum guest count.

It's good that you've been upfront about the number of guests, but lying about the numbers won't bypass the problem. If more people attend than the number you have stated, the extra people could all be turfed out, as they would be trespassing. I'm sure the party you have planned would not be enhanced by having the police called, partygoers escorted off the property, or the party shut down.

And the financial situation of you and your friends is not the host's concern. She isn't your mother or a bank loans officer, she is running a business. I doubt that any of you go to Starbucks and try to haggle over the price of a coffee on the basis that you are struggling college students. If the price is too rich for your blood, look for another place that you can all afford, or maybe some community hall that is set up for large gatherings.

[Bryan10]

There could be a limit on the number of guests for insurance reasons. There's a disccussion about that on another thread this week where a host was fined a couple of thousand dollars for having too many people on her property. It could be the same here. Also, remember it's probably someone's home, and they're rightfully being cautious about things. I'd cancel or hold a smaller party. 

[Anonymous]

@George698 I'm not sure you're clear on what "broke" means. Renting a property to throw a party for your college friends is a luxury, not a necessity. People who are genuinely struggling to make ends meet would kill to have problems like yours, so consider yourself very lucky.

How should your friend respond to the Airbnb host? I think you already know what your options are: you either agree to the host's terms, or you withdraw the request and make a different plan. Anyone who chooses to rent a space to a large group of young folks to throw a party is taking on a huge risk and responsibility, and they have every right to choose a fee that compensates them appropriately. If your group can't afford the expense, there's no need to get all butthurt about it; just have your party somewhere that fits your budget.

[Sarah977]

@Anonymous  Your first line is so right on. I have aquaintances in Canada, who, after I first moved to Mexico and ran into them on my annual trip back to see family and friends, said to me, somewhat resentfully, "Gee, it must be nice to be able to afford to move and hang out where it's warm." (they assumed I spend my days hanging on the beach sipping margueritas, when in fact a run a full time business in addition to hosting and keeping up a 300 sq.mtr property)

Meanwhile they spend their time hanging out in cafes drinking expensive coffees all day, buying clothes they really don't need, having to have the latest iphone, etc.

[Jessica-and-Henry0]

@George698 

Imo, respectful & trustworthy people would not think of cramming 17 people into a home that has a max occupancy of 13 to begine with. Plus.... the bigger the party, the easier it is for things to get out of hand. Hence the reason for a higher extra guest fee beyond the max occupancy. 

[Ann72]

@George698 First, it probably says "parties allowed," not "party's allowed."  Second, just because parties are allowed doesn't mean that every party of every size is allowed.

Now, as to the host.  Many of us have an extra-person charge - mine is $50 per person per night over 6 people.  So this host's extra $200 is in line.  However, if she has a one-night minimum, and is suddenly demanding that you book two nights, that's not totally kosher.  A better solution would be to charge an event fee.  Either way, though, you are going to need to pay more for a party of 17 people than for a simple stay of 13 people.  It's only fair. 

If you can't afford it, that's not her problem, it's your problem.  When I was your age and couldn't afford to stay at the Ritz-Carlton, I didn't whine that the manager just wanted money from me.  I didn't stay there.