Host is demanding extra payment 24 hours before our stay.

[Matthee1]

We have booked and paid in full for a 5 bed property which is advertised as ‘sleeps 7 people’ for 3 nights and the host is demanding an extra £150 within 24 hours of our stay to cover extra beds when we only have 7 people staying. Surely this isn’t right? 

The listing says that we would be charged an extra £50 per bed, so we assumed as we booked a house that was advertised is ‘sleeps 7’ that the beds would be included in the cost.

[Shelley159]

Hi @Matthee1 

Are there 5 beds that sleep one person each, so the host will physically add 2 extra beds for your stay? Or are some of the beds larger and you have couples in your group that will be sharing? If the first scenario is true, I at least understand why there could be an extra charge.

However, it sounds like the listing could be clearer on exactly what to expect, and the charges should ideally have been programmed in so that you pay the correct amount upon booking. If you complete your stay, I would advise that you mention this (and any other positive and negative impressions) in your review. You can decide what you want to include in your public vs private feedback, but it's important that the host knows that these charges should be better administered. Sometimes a host thinks the wording in the listing is clearer than it actually is, or one may not be aware of options to set charges for extra guests. If you point these things out it may be very valuable.

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Matthee1 The host has not set this up as well as they could do but If the listing said that you would be charged an extra  £50 per bed then why are you complaining?  I guess 7 people could fit into 4 beds so I can see what the host is doing.

A better way for the host to do this would have been to have  separate 3, 4 or 5 bedroom listings and lock the doors of the rooms not booked. 

[Kia272]

@Matthee1 did you indicate the correct number of guests when you booked? That may be the issue here. 

We can't see the listing so it's hard to know who is at fault. 

There are many listings that are priced for x number of guests, that charge for additional guests above that number. It's fairly common. 

[Matthee1]

Hi, thank you for your reply. Yes, we advised the number of guests when we booked would be 7, so expected the price to be for the number of guests. 

[Kia272]

@Matthee1  Then the only thing I can suggest at this point is good communication with your host. I'd be upset too, if what you've described happened to me, but if you explain your end to the host, you both should be able to work something out. I'm hoping that it's simply a misunderstanding on the host's end about how their listing should be set up, although that's not really a valid excuse. 

It's never good to start a reservation with animosity on either side, so I hope you and the host can manage to communicate pleasantly and come to an understanding. 

If I were the host, I'd waive those charges. The fact is, if you bring this to the attention of AirBnB, the host will likely be penalized. If your true intention is just to have a nice getaway with family and friends, definitely try to work this out amicably. 

Good luck!