Guest likely has additional people and has also set up tent in the back yard

[Chelsie22]

I’m new to hosting our lake cabin as an air bnb and am currently hosting my fourth guest. My listing is for 6 guest and each additional guest is charged more up to 8 max. I do not currently have a camera installed but suspect my guest has many more than 6 guests staying. We have counted 8 people outside in the deck when driving by and there are four cars in the driveway and they have set a tent up in the back yard.

the problem is, I don’t even know how to begin to address this issue. We only have 2 reviews (5 stars each) and don’t want a bad review by reaching out and upsetting the guests especially since we just started hosting our place. What would you do? Is it even worth trying to address the issue since we are very new to this? Without a camera can I even prove more people are staying?

Since our cabin is at the lake by a public beach I’m concerned about future issues with parties or large numbers of additional guests. 

thanks in advance for helping out a newbie!

[Fred13 · Accepted solution]

Considering you are new and you do not want to upset the apple cart so quickly, approach this happening as a teaching moment, and no sooner they leave, it is time to make adjustments. You will loose some battles at first, but what you learn from them is what will count most in the future.

1. You have a somewhat of a remote place; a gift and a curse when it comes to controlling guest numbers. You need a way to tell who is coming and going is in your place. Cameras are helpful, but it is a touchy subject (see other posts on this very subject).

2. The fact your place is 3 bedrooms, naturally should be 6-persons max place; offering up to 8 (even if it could accommodate them) encourages 'creeping increases in numbers'. Six (6) is enough for such a nice place, 8 should be the exception and the guests will ask at times and permissible when it comes to families for example; they are not the type to throw a party, which is what you want to prevent at all cost. The likelihood of one at 6 guests vs. 8 is exponential, as a general rule.

3. Read, read and read the many discussion here that have covered every host situation over the years; you are dealing with human nature, it hasn't change that much in the last thousand years, so the advice of the last 5 years here is still applicable. 😉

4. Good luck.

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Chelsie22 As you do not need a bad review then just ignore the situation until review time. Then you can be honest as the reviews are blind until published.

Some might say move them out early for breaking the rules as they may cause damage. Sadly, if they arguing to cause damage it is likely already done.

Anyway - Good lock.

[Chelsie22]

Thank you for the great advice.! The room listings request furniture and our two couches are sofa sleepers. Air bnb automatically adds sleeping accommodation due to this, even though I have set our capacity at 6. I think I will update the listing so the sleepers are just listed as couches so it doesn’t add numbers.