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Hi all, my listing’s base price is set for 4 guests. Each guest above 4 is an extra $25/night per person.
My current guest booked with 4 people, but 5 have been staying. I wrote him through the messaging app asking to confirm the total number but he hasn’t responded. They’re also always out and about so I haven’t been able to catch them in person.
Any suggestions?
According to CEO Brian Chesky, when answering this very question on the host Q & A, you should go to the reservation and alter it to show the correct amount of people. The guest will then be billed properly through Airbnb. If that doesn’t work, contact Airbnb by phone immediately.
Hello @Mike_L
Unfortunately this only works if the guest accepts the amendment for the charge for the extra guest. The guest will only be billed properly if they accept the change.
You don’t say whether you are on site or not and how you know a fifth guest is present or when you sent the message. If you have seen this fifth guest coming and going either in person or via CCTV, then I would do as Mike says and send through an amendment to the booking, so they pay for the fifth person (not sure if you can backdate this).
Follow up to your early message with something like
"I was disappointed to see that you arrived with a fifth guest when you only booked and paid for four people to stay and that you haven’t responded to my earlier message.
"I am only covered by Airbnb’s insurance policy if the correct number of people are recorded on the booking.
“I have sent you through an amendment to cover the cost of the fifth guest. Please can you make sure you accept the amendment by XXX time. If this is not done, I may need to cancel the whole booking and ask you all to leave as you have broken the terms under which you made the booking”.
good message but I would leave this off:
“I am only covered by Airbnb’s insurance policy if the correct number of people are recorded on the booking.”
As it is not relevant. The only reason to have the correct amount of guests paying is that it is part of their agreement to reveal and pay for guests.
I advise being a bit more positive and leaving out host feelings. The guest probably doesn’t care about us. And an accusatory tone just sets up an adversarial situation. When a guest took my reusable glass water bottle I didn’t assume they brazenly stole it. My message was along the lines of “did it break or did you accidentally take it?” She replied that the guest guide said it was “complimentary” so they took it. I could argue that only an idiot would think that meant the bottle and not just the water in it but I took the high road. Now my guest guide explicitly says don’t take the water bottles or coffee cups.
@spkrause I’d just send the request and say in a professional, non-emotional way “I see your group has five, not the four in the reservation. Please send the guest name and accept the change request within 24 hours.” I’d save the threats for after they ignored me a second time or if they argued with me or lied about it.
Please review accordingly and let other hosts know these are the kind of guests who, at the best, lack attention to details important to hosts or, at worst, are sneaks and liars.
@Helsi is right about cameras. If you don’t have them, get them.