Guest exceeded max number of guests

[Hailey125]

Hey fellow Hosts,

So I recently had a booking that stated in the inquiry "my wife and I will be visiting family" and it said 2 guests. Our house rules state 4 guests max (its 800 sq ft home 2 bed/1bath). However, our driveway security camera showed that he had 4 children, 1 infant/3 kids. He left place in good condition for having 6 guests and after going through his  reviews someone mentioned he inaccurately described the number of guests before. I'm conflicted on what to rate him because he was clean and checked out on time. Just wondering it its worth mentioning in the review? 

[Joan2709]

@Hailey125 

Yes...you need to mention this in the review, or they will do this to the next Host. If you don't need to claim for any damages, then go ahead and leave an honest review and praise where it is deserved, "left the home clean" and anything else that is positive. Then I would give 3 or 4 stars for House Rules (depends on how generous you want to be) and maybe 4 stars for communication (because they never advised of the extra guests) and then say the guest unfortunately didn't comply with an important House Rule by bringing unregistered guests not listed on the reservation. You could even just say they broke an important House Rule and leave it at that, as that keeps it vague enough, but warns future Hosts. 

I would keep the video proof of the extra guests in case the booker tries to get your review removed. 

[Hailey125]

Thank you Joan! I appreciate the feedback. Your answer is right on par with what my gut was thinking.

[Joan2709 · Accepted solution]

@Hailey125 

I would also add to your additional House Rules that unregistered guests, unapproved visitors, or 3rd party guests are not permitted. Then add a monetary fine. We use $150/guest/night.

I would also add polite wording to your after booking message regarding this, so guests can cancel if they plan on exceeding your guest count. This will prevent a mess when they show up with 6 guests when only booking for two.

"To ensure a comfortable and safe stay for everyone, please remember to add all guests staying (including children and infants) and any pets to your reservation. Kindly note that unregistered guests/pets and unapproved visitors are not allowed. Additionally, third-party bookings (booking a reservation for others, but not being present yourself for the entire stay), is contrary to Airbnb policies and is not permitted. Primary renter must be present for entire stay. Thank you for your understanding. We look forward to hosting you!"

[Hailey125]

Great advice! Thanks again Joan