Airbnb Hosts may charge guests Overstay Fees

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Did you know that you can charge a guest an Overstay Fee? Ever have someone refuse to leave?

Just came across this ABC NEWS report from 2015:

Airbnb Home Rental Nightmares

At the 3:23 mark, they mention “…Airbnb updating their rental terms…”

So I Googled “Airbnb Agreement” (after trying to look in Airbnb’s Help section for the term “overstay” and not finding any results). Google result came back with Airbnb’s Terms of Service. Here, I did a search for “overstay” again and found the following section - 8.2 Booking Accommodations… and under that, was this…!

8.2.2 You agree to leave the Accommodation no later than the checkout time that the Host specifies in the Listing or such other time as mutually agreed upon between you and the Host. If you stay past the agreed upon checkout time without the Host’s consent (“ Overstay ”), you no longer have a license to stay in the Accommodation and the Host is entitled to make you leave in a manner consistent with applicable law. In addition, you agree to pay, if requested by the Host, for each twenty-four (24) hour period (or any portion thereof) that you Overstay, an additional nightly fee of up to two (2) times the average nightly Listing Fee originally paid by you to cover the inconvenience suffered by the Host, plus all applicable Guest Fees, Taxes, and any legal expenses incurred by the Host to make you leave (collectively, " Overstay Fees "). Overstay Fees for late checkouts on the checkout date that do not impact upcoming bookings may be limited to the additional costs incurred by the Host as a result of such Overstay. If you Overstay at an Accommodation, you authorize Airbnb (via Airbnb Payments) to charge you to collect Overstay Fees. A Security Deposit, if required by a Host, may be applied to any Overstay Fees due for a Guest’s Overstay.

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I read the TOS from cover to cover, so I’ve seen this! :laughing:

It doesn’t have much teeth when they state a penalty and then immediately backtrack with this part:

If I didn’t have guests coming that same day, sounds like I’d be SOL unless I still paid the cleaner for a late cancellation.

I’ve never had a real overstay. The worst was about an hour late and that was in my first year of hosting, before I started sending a reminder the night before.

There were plenty of “Squatter” stories to be found when I researched being an Air host, so in the earliest iteration of house rules I said their exclusive use ended at the end of the reservation and “After checkout time we play naked middle-aged Twister in the lounge and turn the bathroom into a tarantula sanctuary”. Guests who read found it funny, but it’s been such a non-issue so I dropped that line :wink:

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Love that house rule

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I thought that had always been in the TOS - it must have been there for a long time because
I haven’t read them for ages.

I agree that it’s never been an issue - for us, anyway.

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It didn’t help me any when I had a guest overstay. They also didn’t have to pay the fee I have in my house rules for leaving the house unlocked (their August smart Lock app access had expired so they couldn’t lock it). Airbnb said that they were unable to comply with my rules and lock it. But the failed to even acknowledge my request for the double night fees. I requested several times for several weeks to sleek with the supervisor and I was always assured I would get no payment. I also never got to speak to anyone.

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Yes. I was aware of it but have never had anyone overstay.

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