How can I restrict the entry for friends of guests?

Answered!
Tom41
Level 3
Houston, TX

How can I restrict the entry for friends of guests?

I would like the opinions of hosts regarding the issue of friends gathering in my unit.  This seems to be my biggest issue as an Airbnb host.  

 

If a "guest" is defined as the one who will stay overnight, what do you call all of the friends of the guest, who the guest immediately invites over to enjoy the evening inside the unit?   The conversation goes like this: "How many people are there?"  "Six, but they aren't staying overnight."   "Is it a party?"  "No, it is just some friends who came over to visit for awhile."  

 

The semantics of what constitutes "a party" and what does not, is exhausting.  It seems the only solution is to restrict entry to all persons other than who is the registered guest.  

 

Do hosts have the right to RESTRICT entry into the unit, to ONLY the guests named in the reservation?  

1 Best Answer
Michael956
Level 10
Salvador, Brazil

I host 2 bedrooms in the home I live in.  Occasionally guests invite a few friends over to gather before going out to eat, or to chat, or even to show them the Airbnb they're staying in.  I allow it.   After i've told them when they arrive that "this is your home while you're visting San Francisco", it seems awfully inhospitable and contradictory to not allow them to invite a guest over.  No one has ever stayed for more than an hour or so, and mostly they sit in the living room.  As long as they don't invite them to spend the night or take too many liberties in the house, I allow it.  Of course I'm home to monitor and control the situation.  

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22 Replies 22

@Tom41

 

This type of question has been raised a few times. You may wish to read the many comments added to these posts on the subject.There are probably more.

 

https://community.withairbnb.com/t5/Help/Extra-Visitors-Guests-of-our-Guests/td-p/110458

 

https://community.withairbnb.com/t5/Help/Do-you-allow-your-guests-to-bring-guests-visitors-to-your-h...

 

 

Fred13
Level 10
Placencia, Belize

If this is indeed you biggest issue, you are in luck for there is a simple solution: don't allow it. Say so in your description/house rules/wherever and enforce it. Kills two birds with one stone for there goes even the remote chance for a 'party' to form also. 

Elizabeth429
Level 10
Madrid, Spain

@Tom41,

 

It is my number 1 rule: visitors arent allowed during the stay under any circuntances.

 

And I make sure it is implemented by after getting a reservation inmediately messaging the guest back and asking to confirm they have read and understood my house rules. One out of ten reservations get cancelled by the guests themselves.

Michael956
Level 10
Salvador, Brazil

I host 2 bedrooms in the home I live in.  Occasionally guests invite a few friends over to gather before going out to eat, or to chat, or even to show them the Airbnb they're staying in.  I allow it.   After i've told them when they arrive that "this is your home while you're visting San Francisco", it seems awfully inhospitable and contradictory to not allow them to invite a guest over.  No one has ever stayed for more than an hour or so, and mostly they sit in the living room.  As long as they don't invite them to spend the night or take too many liberties in the house, I allow it.  Of course I'm home to monitor and control the situation.  

Thanks for the response.  I agree with you that it seems inhospitable to not allow guests.  This is why I hesitated to enforce such a policy.  But, like you mentioned also, my place is rented in its entirety and I am NOT present to oversee the activity.  And without the host being present, guests really do take advantage.  

Robin4
Level 10
Mount Barker, Australia

@Tom41

And that is where the problem comes in Tom! Michael lives on the property!

Guests who have some sort of a get together on their mind will (in general) look for remote hosted listings to book, were they know they will have the property to themselves.

That immediately puts you in the high risk category!

Guests who simply want to have a drink or an hour or two with family members or a friend are not concerned if the host is adjacent. They do not intend to 'push the choke'.

 

If you host remotely you need a much firmer set of house rules and stronger party deterents than hosts who live on the property and can monitor what is going on.

If you are going to remote host Tom you do need to say in your listing description...'For the coverage of potential insurance issues only the Airbnb guests registered on the reservation will be allowed access to the property and external entry serveilance monitoring will be enforced. Put in a dummie camera showing the front entrance to the property!

 

I know that sounds hard Tom but, this is your property and someone has to keep an eye on what is going on with it. It's not like these are your friends coming to housesit for you...these people are strangers! You can't depend on full support or compensation from Airbnb in the event of a mishap, so why take the risk.....Those cigarette burns in the carpet, that knife blade that ended up buried in the kitchen bench top, that hole in the passage wall can wipe out a year of hosting profit. 20/20 vision is always great in hindsight but you must be resolute here Tom, you don't live there so you have no control over what goes on.....don't allow it!

 

Cheers....Rob

i'd rather been seen as rigid or inhospitable AND contradictory, though i don't know why it would be contradictory since its clearly prohibited in the rules that should be read and must be signed at booking and then again in the messaging system.

if people want friends over,  persons to help get them settled, open house tours, gatherings, pre-game cocktails, primp parties get a hotel room is my motto.

~~~~~~~
like nikey: just do it

@Tom41   As a rule I do not allow it.  I have an "Only people on the reservation blah! blah! blah! ".  I can then choose to relax the rule on a case by case basis, and I do, but only after I have met the guests and I know they will not take advantage.

Thanks for your response, Ange.  This is how I want to proceed.  I want to relax the rule, on my terms, when I have a chance to know my guest.  But as a rule, I will not allow it.  

Rebecca160
Level 10
Albuquerque, NM

@Tom41You absolutely have the right to restrict entry to only those guests listed on your reservation. I would expect that your insurance may not cover any visitors to your guests, in any event.  Just state that guests are not allowed on your listing and add it in your house rules. If a guest asks, you can say that your insurance does not permit visitors of your guests, if you want an easy out.  😉

I rent a room in my home to short term guests and I occasionally alow them to have visitors, such as their son, daughter, parent, etc. for brief get togethers. no hot tubbing together, no hanging out in the room together.  It has worked out well.

@Tom41

I mention several times in my listing description and house rules...... Only the guest who made the reservation is allowed to enter my home. ABB Guests are not allowed to bring anyone into my home at any time during their stay. I also mention this to guests who make inquiries and say, if you are not comfortable with this rule, please book elsewhere. All of my guests have had no problem whatsoever with this rule and I've hosted a lot of long-term (4 months) guests. 

 

 

Rebecca181
Level 10
Florence, OR

@Tom41 I am open to certain visitors for certain reasons. I make it clear in my listing that all visitors need advance approval from me, in writing, via the Airbnb thread, at least 48 hours before check-in. Hasn't happened too often, but I have been asked on occasion. With that said, if I did not have my own commercial property insurance, I would not allow any visitors at all, as visitors can cause damage and we all know that we can't count on the Host Protection Guarantee here at Airbnb. 

i like the requirement 48 hours BEFORE checkin.  i keep getting surprises at my door and i'm hyper-vigilant with my pre-work "contracts" confirmations approvals.

agreed.  the host protection guarantee and even the security deposit are both pure rubbish sadly.

~~~~~~~
like nikey: just do it
Nancie5
Level 2
Connecticut, United States

Unregistered guests is a huge issue for me as well.  We are in walking distance of a University and visiting parents end up brining their children and children's friends over to "study".  I have been greeted by people looking in my private windows and knocking on my door or wandering in my yard looking for the "party".  I revised my manual to specifically state that my husband & I live on the premises and this is our private home; that registered guests are "invited" to share a private apartment on our premises but that No Unregistered Guests are allowed on or in the property.  I also post that gentle reminder in a welcome letter which is framed and left on the kitchen counter along with out manual.

 

Hope that helps.

 

Nancie