Post by High Priestess on Sept 21, 2015 1:53:49 GMT
Charging for extra guest
Hi, we are new to AirBnB. We are renting out a master bedroom and the room can hold up to 3 guests. We are charging extra for the 3rd guest, and so far we have had 2 inquiries who are bringing kids who want the room for the price of 2 guests. Just wondering if any of you are charging extra for additional guests and if you are meeting any resistance.
Reply 1:
I absolutely charge for extra guests. $20/person/night. Extra wear and tear. I don't charge for children under 2 though. Never had any pushback at all. Hope that helps!
Reply 2:
I charge for extra guests, because there are extra tasks, time, and expenses involved. I don't make exceptions for children, since children are frequently more impactful than adults. I don't apologize for it or worry about any resistance. I just clearly state it as my policy and let the guest decide if they'd like to stay or not. If I meet with resistance, I simply say something like, "My pricing is as described in my listing. I don't waive the extra person fee, including for children, since children are frequently more impactful on the home than adults. If you would like to book your stay, I would be happy to host you." If you really need the booking, and you aren't getting many inquiries, you might want to offer a discount. But I don't recommend just waiving the extra person fee, or offering a discount for no reason, since they may be return guests and expect you to do so every time. I sometimes put the ball back in their court by saying, "If you would like to waive the free breakfast, I can offer you a discount of $__/night." This saves me money and time (shopping), and it connects their requested discount to them giving up something, so you preserve the reciprocity of the relationship (vs just rolling over, so to speak). The reason it's important to preserve that reciprocity is, some people who find you flexible on pricing or other things before they book their stay will take it as an invitation to disrespect house rules and boundaries during their stay. It's counter-intuitive, since you'd think folks who received a discount would want to show gratitude by treating you and your home even better than they would otherwise. But in my experience, it has been just the opposite: when I'm consistent and firm in my pricing and house rules, people respect them; when I'm flexible on one thing, people assume flexibility on everything, and the house rules start getting ignored. Hope this is helpful! Amy
Reply 3:
Thanks for sharing! I got these inquiries in a row so that's why I started wondering if what I was asking for is out of the norm.
Reply 4:
I totally agree with Amy on the point that guests who start to push boundaries during booking are sending a message in general about disrespecting me and my space. I have always turned people away who ask for discounts and freebies. It raises a major red flag. Unfortunately, some of my most difficult guests were very nice, so one must have various strategies in place to address what can come up!
Reply 5:
I also charge for extra guest. We have a two guest max. First guest just a nightly rate and $10 extra for second guest.
Hi, we are new to AirBnB. We are renting out a master bedroom and the room can hold up to 3 guests. We are charging extra for the 3rd guest, and so far we have had 2 inquiries who are bringing kids who want the room for the price of 2 guests. Just wondering if any of you are charging extra for additional guests and if you are meeting any resistance.
Reply 1:
I absolutely charge for extra guests. $20/person/night. Extra wear and tear. I don't charge for children under 2 though. Never had any pushback at all. Hope that helps!
Reply 2:
I charge for extra guests, because there are extra tasks, time, and expenses involved. I don't make exceptions for children, since children are frequently more impactful than adults. I don't apologize for it or worry about any resistance. I just clearly state it as my policy and let the guest decide if they'd like to stay or not. If I meet with resistance, I simply say something like, "My pricing is as described in my listing. I don't waive the extra person fee, including for children, since children are frequently more impactful on the home than adults. If you would like to book your stay, I would be happy to host you." If you really need the booking, and you aren't getting many inquiries, you might want to offer a discount. But I don't recommend just waiving the extra person fee, or offering a discount for no reason, since they may be return guests and expect you to do so every time. I sometimes put the ball back in their court by saying, "If you would like to waive the free breakfast, I can offer you a discount of $__/night." This saves me money and time (shopping), and it connects their requested discount to them giving up something, so you preserve the reciprocity of the relationship (vs just rolling over, so to speak). The reason it's important to preserve that reciprocity is, some people who find you flexible on pricing or other things before they book their stay will take it as an invitation to disrespect house rules and boundaries during their stay. It's counter-intuitive, since you'd think folks who received a discount would want to show gratitude by treating you and your home even better than they would otherwise. But in my experience, it has been just the opposite: when I'm consistent and firm in my pricing and house rules, people respect them; when I'm flexible on one thing, people assume flexibility on everything, and the house rules start getting ignored. Hope this is helpful! Amy
Reply 3:
Thanks for sharing! I got these inquiries in a row so that's why I started wondering if what I was asking for is out of the norm.
Reply 4:
I totally agree with Amy on the point that guests who start to push boundaries during booking are sending a message in general about disrespecting me and my space. I have always turned people away who ask for discounts and freebies. It raises a major red flag. Unfortunately, some of my most difficult guests were very nice, so one must have various strategies in place to address what can come up!
Reply 5:
I also charge for extra guest. We have a two guest max. First guest just a nightly rate and $10 extra for second guest.