Guests Sneaking In Extra People

[Monica4]

I've been hosting for four years and I've "had it" with dishonest guests who sneak in extra people. I am so furious every time I walk in after guests leave and find evidence of extra people other than those that booked. 

I have a "welcome table" set up with maps, restaurant menus, guidebooks, flyers...etc and also a written house manual. At the very top of the manual I have the following statement:

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Please respect our rate schedule so that we can keep the base price low for the first two guests. Additional guests after the first two people, including children, are required to pay $25/night per person anywhere on the property, whether or not that person shares a bed, sleeps on top of a bed, on the couch or on the floor. Minimum booking nights apply.

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This has not stopped people getting snuck in. I want to add the words: Sneaking in Extra People is Theft and will be treated as such. Too harsh? I have also ordered a security camera which will be installed this week. I made note of that in my rules.

[Monica4]

@Scott0

I don't rent out for one set price because most of my guests are couples. If I didn't have the low rate I would not get bookings for just two people. For a full house I need at least $250 and having the house full is a rare occurance. My listing is not in a tourist area, although I do have to charge a lodging tax at the same rate as a tourist area does.

[Kelly149]

@Monica4 Yes, it is very much a catch 22 for the host. "Oh you snuck in 4 extra people... here is your adjustment for $$$" and there went that review. I think ABB would back you up for a cancellation & removal (now how much refund they'd expect you to give might be another issue...). But it is a dicey proposition 

i do have security cameras, my rules are terribly clear & the space is in my backyard!!! People can be clueless, shifty or both. It's a problem without a good solution for me as well. 

[Tracy0]

I'm curious how people navigate the CCTV issue. I mean - do you tell people it's pointed at the door, or do they wonder if it's focussed on the bedroom, or what? (If you see what I mean)  And is it legal? (Probably varies by area but certainly here where I am, because of my work at home, I could never have a camera and it would be a Data Protection nightmare - so I'm just curious).

[Monica4]

To answer some questions:

1. I clearly state that it is an outside camera. Legal here in Canada if a notice is put up, which I did. Cameras indoors are illegal.

2.I have removed the statement that "reservation will be terminated without refund" because it has no teeth.

3.I have kept in the statement that "sneaking in extra people is theft".....because that is what it is. Money out of my pocket.

4.I am competing with a good local B&B that offers a queen room with breakfast for $90/night. As stated, most of my guests are couples. I will not get as many bookings if I charge $140/night for 4 people. Besides, that does not solved the problem of sneaking in extra people. In fact, last weekend before the installation of the camera, a group of 4 people snuck in an extra person.

[Gordon0]

Why not put locks on the bedroom doors?

[Veronica416]

You cant do that unless you do multiple listings. I did that now. Works better that way. I have a listing for 2 guests with other rooms locked and also one with multiple guests for the same space. 

[Kirkland1]

CCTV aka outdoor "home security" systems are entirely legal. Inside "private and non-public" is definitely a no-no.

[Juan63]

That is not necessarily true and it depends on your state/country laws. I'm no lawyer, but my understanding, and I have spoke to an attorney about my situation, the question arrises when a guest has an expectation of privacy. Common areas in a home, in my case, there is no expectation. Plus when you book my place my rules clearly say there are cameras. When they agree to the rules it dictates as well that there is no expecation of privacy in those areas. Bedrooms, bathrooms, hidden cameras, are a completetly different story.

[Theresa68]

I was told that where I live, if I have renters no cameras are allowed inside the house, only outside which is where my cameras are at, front and back door and up high on trees so they cannot be messed with. Besides, even if I wasn't renting I would still want and have the right to have cameras outside because of burglery. No one is immune to crime.

[Irene30]

I know exactly how you feel, I get people sneaking in extra people all the time, I have had people turning up with seven for my two bedroom apartment. I once had someone park a camper van on my driveway with 4 extra people in who though it was alright to use my facilaties showers cooking etc, just because they were with the people who were staying in the apartment. If you complain about anything they will give you a bad review, and if you go under 4 stars, Airbnb will suspend your listing, but for this reason and this reason alone at the end of this season, I will take my listing off Airbnb.

[Annette33]

@Irene30, so sorry to hear you might suspend your listing at the end of the season. Yes, extra people are so frustrating! I only had it once, but know how you feel.... here are a few ideas:
1.) as soon as you notice extra people, go over there, have the reservation ready, and in their presence click on "change reservation" and add the extra people. not that it gets you extra money, but you are taking a stand. Do not worry about a bad review: they know they have screwed up and most likely will not leave a review! and if they do, you can respond underneath  it and clarify. Worth a try, and it might discourage the next guests (who have read the reviews and responses) from doing the same.
2.) Maybe get creative and restructure your listing. As it is, you have one price for max. 5 people, no cleaning fees.  so someone who comes with 5 for one night pays the same daily rate as a couple who come for 3 nights and only use one of the bedrooms and one of the bathrooms. that in itself  already favors the larger group.
So how about you split your house up into 3 different listings:
a.) the whole house as is, perhaps a bit of a higher price. minimum 2 night?
b.) the double bedroom with one bathroom. lock up the other bedroom and bath.
c.) the triple bedroom and bath. lock up the other bedroom and bath.
You just need to carefully monitor requests and bookings and block out the others as soon as you accept a booking for any of the 3 choices. Doable and not too difficult. Also, if you stay with one night min. perhaps add a cleaning fee which will favor longer stays. And in this scenario, with different pricing, people need to pay up when extra people show up.
Good luck!



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[Irene30]

Thanks Angela for your advise, but it isn't very helpful, to start it would not be worth my while letting one bedroom, and I have no problem letting the apartment as a whole. I think you are wrong when you say people won't give us a bad review if we complain, about their misbehaviour. I had one guest who blocked the shower drain with hair, and flooded the apartment below it. I complained to her and showed her the damage she had caused, and asked her to please make sure no hair was blocking the drain when they showered there was no hair in the drain when they came in, but 5 ladies with long hair washing it, the drain soon became blocked. I made no charge for the damage they caused, and doubt if I could have got anything from them. They then gave me a two star review. Then there was the guest who didn't turn up, and never stayed in our place but she also gave me a 3 star review. Which of course brought down my grading, and then I get a message from Airbnb saying my listing is in danger of been suspended because of these bad reviews. My other complaint is how do you contact anyone at Airbnb if you have a complaint. There is no way of contacting anyone at Airbnb. I have been in the hospitality business nearly 30 years, and I used to really enjoy it, but while some people are lovely the few who are not totaly ruin it for everyone else, and some are appaling, ( I had a group came here to hold a party without my permission of course and wrecked my place I had to call the police. I got no compensation from them either, and the police didnt charge them with  malicious damage, said it was a civil matter and I would have to take them to court. No! sorry Angela I'm afraid I've had enough.

[Annette33]

@Irene30 , you are probably answering to me, not @Angela411 . In any case, I just tried to be helpful, sorry you don't see it that way.

[Irene30]

Sorry Annette, I sent the reply to Angel instead of you.

[Veronica416]

We need to all get arlo cameras and start charging Airbnb for the extra guests. They cover those charges from the host guarantee funds. Maybe something will happen if they get enough charges. I just hope they penalize the liars.