Post by High Priestess on Oct 26, 2015 15:12:47 GMT
Kathy shared Oct 26 2015
Having More Guests Than Are Booked or Paid! Has This Been A Problem For Anyone?
I have on several occasions had people stay in my property and after they leave find out they had extra guests that they did not tell me about or pay for...this has happened booking through Airbnb.com and when I book outside the site. My property sleeps 10 people.
Andrew
Hi Kathy,
Amazing house by the way! This is unfortunately quite common with Entire House listings; the guests who get caught having extra visitors are probably outnumbered by cases where the host never finds out.
One thing to note: your house sleeps 10, but the cutoff after which you start charging for extra guests is 2. Now this is certainly understandable, as each additional person means more laundry, utility usage, risk of damage, etc. However, it also creates a huge incentive for guests to undercount their party size. You might consider raising the base price and raising the threshold after which you start charging the extra guest fee. If bedroom doors can be externally locked, you can try locking up the rooms that would not be in use if a party that claims to be only 2 people stays there. You can disable Instant Book so that you can verify the actual party size with guests before confirming a booking. And finally, you can (and I recommend this most of all) add text to your House Rules stating that only registered and paid guests are permitted to stay in the property, and that violation of this rule may result in termination of the booking without refunds or in a significant fine.
Ed & Hugh
For an entire house, I would price by the house, not per person. Simple is usually better.
Clare
E & H, I do the same. People reserving an entire house think they can populate it with as many guests as they want. The maximum number the house can accommodate has to be clearly stated. Mine accommodates up to 4 and I charge the same whether there is 1, 2, 3 or 4.
Monica
It is a huge problem for me as well. I have been "cheated" by both airbnb guests and local people. They often think that the extra guest would not be noticed, but I have enough experience now to be able to tell when there were extra people staying there for "free". They do not understand that I want to keep my base price low in order to attract couples or very small families. My house sleeps 9 but can accommodate 14 in a pinch. What I have done is written in my listing that the house is monitored and that only the paid guests are permitted to stay overnight. I have had some really bad guests - paid for seven but crammed many more in, on sleeping bags on the floor and a camper outside, causing 9 hours of cleaning and 11 loads of laundry for a four day stay. They were caught and their name is mud locally now. I doubt that anyone will rent to them again.
Deborah
Monica, it's always nice to hear that there can end up being consequences for those who violate house rules and sneak in many extra people!!
Monica
I should mention that I was away during the time of the worst misuse, but my cleaning lady arrived a day earlier than expected and caught them. This might be and option.....if you suspect more people by the number of cars in the driveway, arrive early the next morning to "clean"....!
Serafina
Like Monica, I prefer to keep a low base price for my whole-house rental rather than charge more across the board. My niche is with University visitors, very often one or two people -- and families. I have a small carriage house on my property, so it's pretty easy for me to know how many people are staying there. I charge a modest $10 a person per night for extra guests, which covers the extra wear and tear, cleaning, and utilities. With one bathroom, it's not really suitable for large groups or gatherings, and people seem to recognize that from the listing.
Monica
I have to compete with local B&Bs for singles or couples. They make up about half of my bookings.
Deborah
Actually if you read the groups regularly, you will see that this is one of the MOST COMMON problems for hosts who rent out entire homes/apartments where they do not live as well. It is just too easy for guests in those settings to feel free to violate house rules and bring in all kinds of extra people, have parties when parties are prohibited, etc. Anyone renting out a whole house or apartment really has to plan for this and take this problem seriously, come up with some strategies for how you can control what goes on at your property, or you could end up not only cheated but with serious problems. Monica has very good suggestions here about her strategies.
Having More Guests Than Are Booked or Paid! Has This Been A Problem For Anyone?
I have on several occasions had people stay in my property and after they leave find out they had extra guests that they did not tell me about or pay for...this has happened booking through Airbnb.com and when I book outside the site. My property sleeps 10 people.
Andrew
Hi Kathy,
Amazing house by the way! This is unfortunately quite common with Entire House listings; the guests who get caught having extra visitors are probably outnumbered by cases where the host never finds out.
One thing to note: your house sleeps 10, but the cutoff after which you start charging for extra guests is 2. Now this is certainly understandable, as each additional person means more laundry, utility usage, risk of damage, etc. However, it also creates a huge incentive for guests to undercount their party size. You might consider raising the base price and raising the threshold after which you start charging the extra guest fee. If bedroom doors can be externally locked, you can try locking up the rooms that would not be in use if a party that claims to be only 2 people stays there. You can disable Instant Book so that you can verify the actual party size with guests before confirming a booking. And finally, you can (and I recommend this most of all) add text to your House Rules stating that only registered and paid guests are permitted to stay in the property, and that violation of this rule may result in termination of the booking without refunds or in a significant fine.
Ed & Hugh
For an entire house, I would price by the house, not per person. Simple is usually better.
Clare
E & H, I do the same. People reserving an entire house think they can populate it with as many guests as they want. The maximum number the house can accommodate has to be clearly stated. Mine accommodates up to 4 and I charge the same whether there is 1, 2, 3 or 4.
Monica
It is a huge problem for me as well. I have been "cheated" by both airbnb guests and local people. They often think that the extra guest would not be noticed, but I have enough experience now to be able to tell when there were extra people staying there for "free". They do not understand that I want to keep my base price low in order to attract couples or very small families. My house sleeps 9 but can accommodate 14 in a pinch. What I have done is written in my listing that the house is monitored and that only the paid guests are permitted to stay overnight. I have had some really bad guests - paid for seven but crammed many more in, on sleeping bags on the floor and a camper outside, causing 9 hours of cleaning and 11 loads of laundry for a four day stay. They were caught and their name is mud locally now. I doubt that anyone will rent to them again.
Deborah
Monica, it's always nice to hear that there can end up being consequences for those who violate house rules and sneak in many extra people!!
Monica
I should mention that I was away during the time of the worst misuse, but my cleaning lady arrived a day earlier than expected and caught them. This might be and option.....if you suspect more people by the number of cars in the driveway, arrive early the next morning to "clean"....!
Serafina
Like Monica, I prefer to keep a low base price for my whole-house rental rather than charge more across the board. My niche is with University visitors, very often one or two people -- and families. I have a small carriage house on my property, so it's pretty easy for me to know how many people are staying there. I charge a modest $10 a person per night for extra guests, which covers the extra wear and tear, cleaning, and utilities. With one bathroom, it's not really suitable for large groups or gatherings, and people seem to recognize that from the listing.
Monica
I have to compete with local B&Bs for singles or couples. They make up about half of my bookings.
Deborah
Actually if you read the groups regularly, you will see that this is one of the MOST COMMON problems for hosts who rent out entire homes/apartments where they do not live as well. It is just too easy for guests in those settings to feel free to violate house rules and bring in all kinds of extra people, have parties when parties are prohibited, etc. Anyone renting out a whole house or apartment really has to plan for this and take this problem seriously, come up with some strategies for how you can control what goes on at your property, or you could end up not only cheated but with serious problems. Monica has very good suggestions here about her strategies.