Quick advice from experienced hosts please.

[Rowena29]

Hi Everyone, 

Would appreciate some advice from those more experienced and emotionally uninvolved

Here's the scenario,

I week ago, a young airbnber - only 1 previous stay - IB 2 day holiday for 2.

He messaged me and said it was for his parents as  a present from him and his brother.

I replied that strictly speaking 3rd party bookings were not allowed, although airbnb don't mind if the host doesn't mind. I have pretty comprehensive tenant insurance - so, so  long as I have the full legal names of the guests my insurer will cover me and that I'd be willing to proceed.  So that's not the problem, I"ve just giving background,  (regardless of what some of you may think about me deciding to proceed.)

There's been a little to ign and fro ing and he's done all that I asked.

My house sleeps 8.  However it's not particularly unusual for me to get bookings for 2 or 3 guests.

I did wonder briefly at the time, but it's peak holiday season, prices are up, we have a great view and it very secluded - I just assumed the boys like the "fit" of the house for the parents. From the initial booking message he stated only one bedroom would be needed.

In my description I say some bedrooms may be locked off if there are 3 or fewer guests to minimise excess linen charges

In my house rules, I say only guests specifically stated on the booking  can stay, This includes visitors.  So in short, I THINK I'm fairly covered

The booker has just rung to say, his brother is now free and he and his brother would like to stay the Sunday night only.

I explained extra guests cost more. He said "OOOOOh"

If they amend the booking, they get charged for 2 guests for 2 nights, right? 

So I said I would send request for money.

I had enough brains to say, the  downstairs bedrooms would have been locked off if only his parents were staying.

So I"ve sent a request for money -  - I have to prepare another 2 queen bedrooms and thoroughly clean all of downstairs, including bathroom adn toilet  instead of just a lick and a promise ( 2 people would pretty much entirely live upstairs). Financially it's not worth my while, but I'm prepared to do it.

However, I strongly suspect the guest feels gipped. I am reasonably sure, he saw the house slept 8, booked for 2 - thought he could bring others for no extra charge. However I dont' think he's trying to be deceitful. He just didn't get it.

  I said in the request to let me know and to pay by tonight if he's going ahead,  as I needed to re arrange commitments to allow extra time to get all the rooms ready   If he doesnt' pay by tonight, I will lock off the 3 downstairs bedrooms as I originally planned.

Can anyone see a glaring flaw - have invaluable advice - know some kind of trick that I need to be aware of??

I actually think he won't pay and stay,  and this is the outcome I would prefer, but I see a bad review coming...

Sorry about the length

Look forward to your sage advice!

Cheers

[Marzena4]

Since the extra guests would be staying shorter it can't be done by altering the number of guests...

[Rowena29]

HI @Linda108    YOu're right of course, but the problem with that scenario is that the guests would have been charged for TWO nights each - ie double the time they were staying.  I was prepared to do them a favour and only charge them for 2 extra guests for 1 night.  There is no way you can do this on the change reservation request that I can see.   So I sent a request for money as an "additional service" which it kind of it - making up another 2 queens, readying  an additional bathroom and toilet ....    It's not a perfect solution but the best way of handling it that I could see.

[Helen350]

@Rowena29 Do you live nearby? Do you check in guests personally, - to check it's REALLY parents staying & not the young man's mates +++ for a party? 

[Rowena29]

Hi @Helen350 

Oh yes I nipped that one in the bud 18 months ago.

All guests are well aware that I will be there to greet them ( it's part of my insurance requirements actually) and there are stern warnings about extra "Visitors" and the stay being cancelled in my house rules which I made sure this young man was aware of.

Right from the start I was very confident he and his siblings really WERE booking the house for their parents - I have the parent email address and have communicated with them

I'm as sure as I can be that this is all above board, he's not trying to be deceitful, just one of those unfortunate instances where guests assume because the house sleeps 8 and they've paid a fee, it's ok to bring more so long as they let me know - they didn't realise it would cost more.

Subsequent to posting, the young man has accepted the request and wrote a message thanking me profusely for accomodating him and his brother and all the extra trouble I am going to ( which I am), so all good i think..    (I dont' mind going the extra mile, but I would resent the extra time and effort  if people are  going to be resentful and think they are being ripped off).

Thanks so much for offering this advice though - I know exactly how you were thinking...

[Lisa723]

@Rowena29 when you requested money you should have received an email from Airbnb saying “you requested money from your guest” and the email should include a link to “review request details.” This should bring you to the resolution center. Infuriatingly there doesn’t seem to be any other link to get there directly.

If the math works you can also adjust the guest count by Guests/Nights e.g. in this case one guest for two nights instead of two guests for one night.

[Rowena29]

Hi @Lisa723 

thanks so much for explaining this.  I did eventually work out I could get back via the email - it seems ridiculous that I can only view/access this by moving away from the airbnb platform and going to my emails!!    I did consider the 1 guest for 2 nights instead of 2 guests for 1 night, but then that gets rather messy insurance purposes wise with number of guests  recorded as staying in the house.     So I thought it was easier and "cleaner" just to do it as an extra charge  for providing 2 additional queen beds ( which at least suggests 2 guests) and get their full legal names for the purposes of my own insurance requirements.  But neither is a completely satisfactory solution..  I think though YOUR suggestion  - an alteration to the reservation - would at least have ensured I got paid.  This young man accepted the request for money, but then I got an email from CS saying they were having trouble retrieving the funds....