Guests bringing extra guests without permission

[Nicola3500]

Hi all,

I hope you’re well. I’m new to being a host.

ive had my third guests so far.

im seeking advice on the best way to handle guests bringing an extra guest. 
I understand communication is the best tool. But I admittedly feel uncomfortable to mention anything. 

my first 2 guests were great. My third however brought a guest and I couldn’t quite tell if he was staying overnight or not. Considering they were in a small double room with a double bed and the female out of the couple that booked was pregnant I thought it was odd and that he couldn’t have been staying. 
I have cameras so the last recording in the common areas lead me to believe he must have been leaving each night . However the issue still remained he came and spent the entire day which I could see via shared areas cameras. So it’s still wear and tear and accumulated costs on bills.

they behaved respectfully and did not give me any aggro with noise and other important house rules. The extra guest was my only issue plus a little uncleanliness with hair left everywhere which I looked past.

how do I best address it in the future should I experience the same extra guest issue?

I have since added in my house rules not to bring any guests without permission (hopefully this is not deemed unreasonable)

[Cathie19 · Accepted solution]

Hi @Nicola3500 - Welcome to your hosting journey.

When we take on hosting, we take on hospitality as our guide, and a fair amount of responsibility. This also rewards us as well…

But like any scaffolding or framework you and your guests work from, the lack of detail will always be your enemy. I admit I. Passing through today and haven’t time to check you house rules, but always make them friendly but specific. 

All good hotels list more than no parties and or no smoking. They have boundaries with expectations of outcomes. Hair, is just a part of hospitality. Use a damp cloth or mop to initially collect us much as possible before mopping or vacuuming. Or a lint brush or a slightly wet plastic glove.

As for extra guests, you have as little or as much control depending on your pricing structure. Extra price etc for more guests.

i don’t charge for extra, but do limit the number allowed. I’m also a host who lives on the same site, so it’s easier as well…

I also communicate heavily before a guest’s arrival, for it can save time and hassles in the long run. Guests who want to break the rules, are more likely to cancel and go elsewhere if not being honest or up to no good. You’ll get a decent gut feeling the more conversations you have…

I have developed a comprehensive house rule list from failed or horror stories from other host-guest encounters on this forum.  A guest tends to ask if someone else can visit, as that communication has built up a rapport. I ask for all names for the welcome board etc. 

But some autonomy is needed for guests. Sometimes someone rolls up who may be a relative, close friend or associate to make contact. It happens.

Consider your levels of flexibility and how firm you may or may not need to be. Could your reaction or action escalate the situation and invoke more negative issues, damage or retaliatory reviews?
Eg: I’m very strict and have a no smoking property; BUT I do provide some lighting, a small outdoor setting and outdoor ashtray in the far corner of the yard for chain smokers. Better to control a situation than to deal with sneaky smokers. But always stay friendly! We’re in hospitality.

So work out what you want and make it a rule, not a guideline for your space. After all, you are the boss of the space, and there’s always another guest willing to comply with your rules. After all, that’s what Airbnb has been traditionally about: matching hosts and likeminded guests.

When making contact with my instant booked guests, I always thank them for accepting the house rules. For guests making enquiries, I always ask them to please read and accept the house rules for they are firm, before their request can be accepted.

I never sway….

Anyway, here are some that I may never need, but they exist. Never ever assume for we are all raised and wired differently. Always have it in black and white: documented.

It’s the best that we can do…

- No pets, sorry - no exception.   🙂

- No EXTRA adult/s, infants or children as overnight visitors. Only persons (including infants) whose names are listed as guests in the registered booking are permitted.

• no events or parties allowed

- No personal or business use of the residential address allowed

- No illegal activity or inappropriate anti-social behaviour.

- No commercial operations/photo shoots/commercial filming or adult filming on site.

The police, other authorities, including Airbnb, will be contacted for your removal.

Just a few of the very obvious I have. I hope this helps. 🌻

[Cathie19]

Sorry about the obvious grammatical errors through typos. But I think you still get the gist!  🌻

[Nicola3500]

This is very helpful indeed. I’ve struggled on how to write it but still be welcoming with my wording.

Is it okay if I use what you have shared and add/subtract from it please? 

I also agree regarding guest I understand a guest may pop by. Which is okay. I just didn’t expect to see the guest every single day for their entire stay from literally (no exaggeration) the movement I wake up to the moment I go to bed. It surprised me. The first and second day I didn’t think much of it but by day 3 I began to think a lot about it and how uncomfortable I felt not knowing who it was and was worried about asking beyond introducing myself as to not make the guest feel uncomfortable or upset . I also thought well I hadn’t mentioned this in house rules yet but the time they booked so didn’t feel I had the right to ask even if I began to feel comfortable about asking. 😅

[Cathie19]

Hi @Nicola3500 

@as for my house rules - go for it! 

I might have some strange ones compared to your London space, but it shows the variety and depth needed at times. I cover everything from smoking/vaping to dangerous plants for children if ingested and cyclones if this rare event was to happen. 

My weather incidents, may not be yours, but you might have your own severe weather or snow/ blackouts etc. or heating and air conditioning…

So I’ll put them

here and work with them as you like. Severe weather: fires, floods, hurricanes, blizzards etc can happen anywhere globally so ensure you have things covered that might be either in your house rules online or in your welcome folder at the Airbnb space.) 🌻

————————-

rules for my tropical home. 

House rules

Not too many rules, just the usual for your safety and well being.

You are however, expected to read the house rules for the listing, and abide by them, or you will render your booking under Airbnb terms, invalid.

Absolutely enjoy the space but please be respectful of the environment.  All noise levels must be considerate, especially at night; as this is a home in a leafy suburban setting, and we like to keep our neighbours as friends...

General:

The Homestay space you are booking is for a maximum of four persons. It will be very clean on your arrival, and I ask that you leave it neat and free of rubbish on your departure; for if a greater cleaning service is required, then an extra fee will be charged.

This is a family oriented and child friendly home, however children and infants must be under active supervision by a parent or guardian, at all times.  All responsibility and duty of care for them must be provided by you, including their personal equipment and needs.

No smoking or vaping is allowed, in or around the homestay.  If there is a smoker in your cohort, we provide a table in the back corner of the yard for this use.

- No pets, sorry - no exception.   🙂

- No EXTRA adult/s, infants or children as overnight visitors. Only persons (including infants) whose names are listed as guests in the registered booking are permitted.

• no events or parties allowed

- No personal or business use of the residential address allowed

- No illegal activity or inappropriate anti-social behaviour.

- No commercial operations/photo shoots/commercial filming or adult filming on site.

The police, other authorities, including Airbnb, will be contacted for your removal.

But as we are here to assist you in enjoying your stay, please let us know immediately if something is malfunctioning so it can be rectified. However, all damages or missing items will need to be paid for by you before departure.

To maintain a fresh & healthy environment, this is a strict non-smoking premise. This includes e-cigarettes and vapes. The openness of elevated houses causes cigarette smoke/vapour to drift. If you feel a need to smoke, there is one spot in the far corner of the yard that has been made available for use.

For fire prevention & safety - please do not leave any electrical appliances switched on when they are not in use, or when you are leaving for the day. This includes air conditioners, fans, hair straighteners and portable device chargers.

Shared facilities with us.

Pool:

Pool area closes at 10pm. To avoid injury, no bombing or running in the pool area. Children are not allowed in the gated swimming pool area without an adult actively supervising in the space for safety and as the lifeguard in an emergency.  No drinking glasses or bottles are to be taken in to the pool  area - only plastic items allowed.

Gardens:

This is a typical tropical garden which includes Carpentaria palm trees with caustic berries that are not edible. Please keep an eye on small children when in the shared garden spaces. Other species of flora may cause skin irritation if held.

BBQ: The BBQ is there for your use and recreational enjoyment, as with all appliances and amenities, you will find it clean on your arrival, with the understanding, it will be left clean after use.

Guest Compliance requirements:

We do not accept third party bookings

We only accept guests who have completed all Airbnb Compliance requirements:

Who will accept to follow all house rules - no exceptions

A profile summary

A facial profile image of the booking guest - you can see us, so it’s only natural, we would like to see you.  🙂

Government ID verification, email and phone number as minimum.

Instant booking requires a previous good Airbnb review, along with the questions to be answered.

FYI: (Covid information no longer included, but we do ask if anyone is unwell to please let us know so we can assist or help. - Alao Aida with deeper cleaning requirements)

Covid19:

(Please refer to  listing description for Covid19 extra cleaning and safety amenities.).

General use: non quarantine. As a matter of keeping the NT secure and safe, we follow social distancing guidelines and expect all travellers to undertake the protocols  of wearing and using PPE when in higher risk environments, such as plane travel, public transport etc.  If you have been in a hot spot or area of concern, then you or any one in your cohort, will need to declare this. Please notify us if you or others in your cohort are unwell, as per Federal, State and Territory guidelines.

https://coronavirus.nt.gov.au/.                                                                                

In the interest of the health and safety of all my guests, I’m asking everyone to answer the following questions before they book:               Quarantine/ Stay at Home Orders:  If you are considering using the Airbnb space for a 14 day stay at home quarantine from November 23rd 2021, you must make an enquiry with us in advance so we can individually assess your circumstance, as we support the NT Government & the National Centre for Resilience. If deemed appropriate, there could be spatial restrictions or conditions placed upon your use of the property for this purpose. If returning from overseas and not required to mandatory quarantine at the National Centre for Resilience, but still requiring a space for Stay At Home / Quarantine orders, you must also contact us in advance so we can best assess your circumstance.                                                                                          A Covid19 Declaration Check list will need to be completed on arrival at the Airbnb premise by all adults.

Cyclone Management:

(Severe weather event also known as a hurricane/typhoon)

The Cyclone Season in the Southern Hemisphere, can be considered to occur when there is an active monsoon between November and April. Although “extremely rare”, if there was to be a severe weather event that was deemed dangerous during your stay; as your host I can assist you in decisions for evacuation from the city or information regarding external cyclone shelters. However, if you were to stay in Darwin, you will be responsible for your own first aid kit, survival kit, including mandatory Covid19 PPE (minimum of masks, sanitiser etc) and all personal safety outside the property, and within the property.

During such an event, if you choose to leave the homestay space without communication to the host, it will be deemed that you have “checked out” of the Homestay space. Public cyclone shelters are made available for the general community. However, as the emergency controller of the homestay property, the standard house rules would take on additional extraordinary emergency preparations.  The second room and breezeway of the Airbnb Homestay, would be commandeered - as it is the designated evacuation shelter for our family, and only registered guests on the property, to use. The space would no longer be private for your personal use. You would be required to follow all instructions and requests for safety by the hosts, the site’s emergency controllers. If instructions are not followed, then your stay will be cancelled. Once again this is not something that happens quickly. The NT government and emergency authorities give notice and it is an event that is extremely rare.

🙂

Have fun! 

[Nicola3500]

Thank you so much. You’ve considered so many things. And I’m learning a lot from what you’ve shared on how to provide a better hosting experience from booking enquiry to guests checking out.

what you’ve shared will be an excellent guide for the kind of information I can include on the ad according to my location. Thank you !

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Nicola3500 I can't remember when the rule comes in but I just wanted to check that you are aware that Airbnb has banned ANY internal cameras? If you have one undisclosed or one at all after a certain date your listing will be cancelled.

[Nicola3500]

Oh gosh. 🫢Thank you for telling me this. No I wasn’t aware this wasn’t okay and I didn’t research if it was or wasn’t allowed in shared areas. I certainly figured the obvious one would be none in privacy areas where someone sleeps, shower, changes etc. 

I appreciate you telling me  this I will rectify it immediately.