@Daniela1586
...and sent a message to my guests asking why he had additional guests then initially noticed.
Thats a good way to initially broach the subject as its on the Message system.
Where do you display or state your additional guest fee? I ask because unless it is displayed somewhere, then it is just an arbitrary non-disclosed fee. Its great that you managed to obtain your fee from your previous guest, but for other hosts reading, and like we do, you do not already charge per.person per. night, you charge - sleeps 6, charge for 6. (and I could find no mention of any additional fee in your listing).
Any additional guests at $25 is amazingly great value for money, (5% of rates), that $25 will put you over your maximum occupancy rate, which can be at a hosts discretion, but can also invalidate insurance. Our insurance for our whole house operates such that we are insured for 'as many beds that can sleep people', so up to 16, anything over our maximum occupancy for our Airbnb would cause no issue as it would be covered, but it would be wise for other hosts to consider their own positions in this situations regarding just what is at risk for them.
Our additional guest fee is £100 per. person per night. As a deterrent. Roughly half (50%) the accommodation fee per night for 8. A few reasons... 1) We don't want additional guests, 2) We don't have beds for them, 3)We would need to provide bedding for them to sleep on the sofas, 4) We don't want them sleeping on the sofa's. 5) Sure you can cram more people in, but it won't be a comfortable number of people for the space. 6)Any guest sneaking in additional guests will be found out and if that happens I want to make sure that the additional fee is going to be worth the effort and subsequent consequences.
We don't want additional guests. But what are the consequences?
Additional Guests break House Rules - Grounds to ask guests to leave.
8 Guests have arranged their stay months in advance so would be well peeved if asked to leave.
Rather than leave they have a penalty option to pay which pacifies the sofa/bedding/aggravation/review.
They have a choice.
We list the additional guest fee in our House Rules. We also list it as an extra guest fee in our rates, but this doesn't get seen, (perhaps thats where yours is @Daniela1586 ) but is evidently there should any Customer Services care to look. When the guests reserve for 8, I can adjust the maximum occupancy rate and invoke the extra guest charge by updating the booking, or alternatively, send a payment request. Sending a payment request can be a little more fraught as the guest might stall in paying and/or feel the need to make a settlement payment for less.
So, theres not just one strategy at work, and who knows what the situation might be?
Definitely inform guests about the charges, and make them public somewhere. And cover your back in as many different ways you can, to help you cope with any situation.
@Melody22 @Cherie71