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Correct, the private areas are actually locked so they can’t access them unless they force entry. They give us peace of mind that if anyone does force entry then we can identify them individually out of the group of guests stating there
There are no internal cameras once you pass through the front door into the house itself.
I will add a clause re tampering with the security system and consider installing a camera that can’t be tampered with
If anyone is thinking of sneaking animals or extra people in and they read you have a camera, they will book somewhere else. That’s why I put it in my listing. Cameras are everywhere in all the hotels, it’s for security.
Quelle Surprise …
We replayed the footage from the external fixed cameras last night. On the first night one of the guests took his own bedding and pillows out of his car, although only the ‘booked’ numbers of guests stayed at the property.
We thought that was strange, then on the second night (of a two night stay) we found that the numbers of people staying exceeded the maximum number of guests ‘booked’.
In the morning, two more people arrived and then miraculously reappeared in different clothing, looking all bright and shiny (presumably after having showered) about 30 minutes later.
They were all settling down, having coffee outside when the cleaners arrived about ten minutes after they should have left. Then there was a mad scramble to get out quickly.
This is only our third time as an AirBnB, so we are still very much on a steep learning curve.
How would you deal with the events in a professional manner? Would you publicly ‘out’ them in your feedback or just give a low score (if any score at all!) and respond to them privately?
I suspect they may not even provide feedback, in that case how do we warn other AirBnB’s aware of their actions.
You must review the guests and note what they did that was against your rules - extra guests over your limit needs to be disclosed.
Your review should be accurate and factual.
An honest review is vital for other hosts to see how these guests perform.
It is not necessary to message the guest at this point.
Exactly this. Bad guests need calling out for the sake of potential future hosts
Your review posts whether they review you or not. It’s a double blind system. Completely familiariarizing youself with the policies of the Airbnb platform is highly recommended.
Please do out them in the review.
Thanks, i am trying to familiarise myself with the platform !! hence my joining this forum and reading previous postings and then asking questions!
your comment re ‘its a double blind system’ and ‘your review posts whether they review you or not’ isnt particularly helpful
i am assuming that you meant to say, even if the guests dont provide feedback, after 30 days your feedback/review is posted and they can longer post a review or feedback. if they do provide feedback within the 30 days, then any feedback you have provided will be published at the same time. - at least thats the way i read your comment?
To be honest, this is something you should have done before making your listing live. Signing an online agreement with an OTA and not knowing exactly what you’ve signed up for is pretty silly.
@KKC’s comments were spot on, you can read how the review system works ^^^
JF
we have an experienced co host who who is supposed to be doing the hand holding … she does all the spadework and has ‘managed’ and reviewed the 2 bookings we have had so far and we use her ‘services’ in very much the same way ‘some’ people use an agent to manage their properties - i doubt very much that anyone using an agent for managing their properties knows in detail, everything about letting … its only after this last (3rd booking) that i have realised that i need to take a more proactive role and need to understand a hell of a lot more than i do.
i also agree it isnt the smartest thing to enter into any contract without knowing the entire full detail - so guilty as charged
as for being rubbed up the wrong way, is that because i found your cryptic answer difficult to understand? i would have though that anyone helping as admin might have been a little more understanding for a total novice, but apparently not,
i also hope someone with a little more patience (and with less cryptic answers, where i dont have to fill in the blanks or read between the lines) will come along and offer advice, but i thank you for trying to help
JohnF - thanks for the link, much appreciated
There’s total novices, who folks will always help, and then there are folks that haven’t even been arsed to work out how the review system works, and then suggest someone “isnt (sic) particularly helpful” when they’ve simply stated the way it is.
Too often folks roll up here and when they either don’t get the answer(s) they’re looking for, or don’t get enough sympathetic hugs, they throw the rattle out of the pram.
With regards to your quoted comment above, you are sounding like the latter.
JF
That’s where we differ, I didn’t think his post was helpful and i said as much. That’s not toy throwing that’s someone saying how they saw it, even if they were wrong. As for not being arsed in reading, I took the 30 day response from a thread in here where someone quoted it, I didn’t just pick it out if the air. It was mentioned when someone had been suspended for quoting a name and then wasn’t allowed to add their response. As no one corrected him I assumed it was correct.
But to get back to grown up land, if I offended anyone I apologise, I certainly wasn’t my intent
I know the topic you’re referring to, and if you had been arsed to read the multiple articles on the official Airbnb Web site for new hosts, you’d have realised that the 30 days had nothing to do with an initial review.
Like @KKC, who is a she, not a he, I’m done here also.
JF
Hilarious. LOL!!!
I know exactly which comment you are referring to and it had nothing to do with review times. That poster had been suspended by Airbnb for 30 days - the fact that he said that he had been suspended because he mentioned the guest’s last name has nothing to do with the normal review system.
This forum has no affiliation whatsoever with Airbnb and the people here who try to help you are volunteering their time and are rarely thanked for their efforts.
Note that when we do correct members who have posted incorrect information, we are accused of being harsh and unfriendly.
Please read this forum and the Airbnb site thoroughly - you wouldn’t be a doctor without studying your speciality and now that you’ve decided that you’re in the hospitality industry you should study that.
We are always happy to help you and look forward to answering your questions. However, please make sure that you understand a little more first. Remember that anyone can join this forum and claim to be a host. Get to know who is experienced here and learn who you should pay attention to.
Talk to you again soon. 
Did they leave your place nice and clean? Other than the extra 2 people, were you happy with them as guests? Do not message the guest or alert them in any way.
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Assuming your “experienced co host” actually knows their stuff, this can happen. NO ONE can prevent a guest from lying and bringing in an extra 1-2 people. How you choose to handle it is up to you.
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If it were us and they LEFT OUR PLACE SPOTLESS, we would write:
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“Guest snuck in extra people. However, they left our stay spotless. So, we would host again”. And give them 4 stars (not 5 as they lied).
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If normal cleaning were required, we would do similar.
Thanks, great advice and the helpful suggestion is similar to what we were planning to get our co host to add to her review (after dwelling on it all day) albeit that we wouldn’t host them again - the co host said that property was actually left in a very good condition, so i think it only fair to reflect that aswell.
IMO, that is a Good Guest. There was no “real issue” of any kind. No smoking. No pets. No kids. No stains. No mess. No damage. On-time check-in / out. Etc.
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Remember, this is the hospitality business. Sometimes, we just “roll with it”, and laugh all the way to the bank. But it is certainly your call.
I understand not saying anything during the stay as to avoid a shitty review, but keep in mind other hosts (like me) have to stick with firm guest maximums because of septic tank + well water capacities. Plus, that’s how the house is set up in terms of dishes, towels, supplies and pricing. So please say something in the review! That wouldn’t be someone I’d personally want to host.