Extra Guests - confront or just change the rates?

We have a home that sleeps 13 out in the TX country. We tend to attract multi generation family events (weddings, a funeral, reunions) and a more adult crowd. In this area we are the nicest and most expensive property that is this big. We get many verified but no reviews yet guests. All in all, the hosting experience has been great.

BUT the last two bookings said 5 guests and used 8-9 beds. I could look at cameras, point this out, and go through the resolution center. But does that risk showing in the reviews? Does this type of interaction ā€˜upsetā€™ some guests and impact any review they havenā€™t given yet? Or do you time it after the review is doneā€¦

My husband and I donā€™t know if theyā€™re just planning a get together and donā€™t see the harm in bringing one more (these two bookings were new to Airbnbā€¦) or if theyā€™ll trying to save the $80 extra a night it would have cost. Ask for the money or just raise the base rate to assume most groups are really in the 8-10 size (as every group to date has actually been) to avoid the issue?

I would ask for the money as long as you have it set up that way. I stayed in a house in Costa Rica that had 5 bedrooms and 4 bathrooms and was listed as sleeping up to 14. It was the same $750 charge per night whether we brought the 8 we did or the full 14. We used all the bedrooms and bathroom as well as the murphey bed one night and the sofa bed another night due to bugs one night and the power going out in half the house one night. If the market will support it Iā€™d go for a higher price for the whole venue.

Hi. Iā€™m new and havenā€™t experienced this yet but have experienced a booking for x number of guests and they pay the extra $20 per person over 2 people - however sometimes that can be 4 single people for example, or 2 couples. So sometimes more beds than anticipated are used. Obviously your maths of 5 guests and 8 beds means there were more - how far is the place from your home if you have self check in? It could be worth having a look at cameras for bookings prior to them leave and drop in for a friendly farewell and then noting the extra people and discuss it with them.
I had an infant listed in a booking but they slept in a bed so that was a change of linen without the fee being paid - AND they gave me 4 stars when everyone else has given 5. Win and lose I guess on some things I guess.

AirBNB simply doesnā€™t charge per bed. Distressing. But they just donā€™t. You should assume that every single available bed will be used. And, since they rented a place with x number of beds, they are entitled to move from bed to bed every single night if they so choose.

p.s. But this has nothing to do with the OPā€™s question.

Itā€™s hard to tell. We charge extra for guests over 2, and many of the people that have rented whole homes through VRBO/HA assume you rent the whole house for your base price and they can bring as many as you want - because (OK, everyone, all together now - GUESTS DONā€™T READ). We donā€™t charge by the bedroom, and a few of our guests have used every bed (all four queen beds) for two people. Yep, we get a lot of honeymooners :wink:

Then there are the ones that are flat-out liars and just are out to cheat you. I had a group there for a destination wedding at a neighboring villa (parents of the groom at our house) that flat-out lied to me in order to avoid paying an extra $80 total for four people for one night. I guess they felt broke after paying $4000 for the wedding rehearsal dinner. They also tried to cheat our housekeeper (a wonderful lady working for $6US an hour) out of $300US after she made a meal for 20 people and paid for the groceries out of her own pocket. Some people are just bad.

If you have proof - besides the number of beds used - then contact them through the platform and tell them you are sending a request for the extra people since you saw them bring in more people than they paid for. You do have cameras, donā€™t you?

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@Emilymay1 : Ask for the money AND raise the base rate ~ you have an established pattern going on.

Do you know how many people were there? If you donā€™t have actual first hand accounts from a neighbor / prop manager / cameras. I would let it slide. What guest count do you charge more for? If a house sleeps 13 you should have higher rates that would make the listening unappealing to a group of 5.

Hmm, great point. I have a camera so I know they had 10. The price goes up after 6, but I think you make a good point to raise the rate to assume 8 and price up after that. I think we set that bar low in the beginning and just never re-evaluated.

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If they brought more,than they booked for, send them the bill in resolution. Doesnā€™t matter how many beds they dirtied up!

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Is it out of the question to simply lock the supposedly empty bedrooms?

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Easy way for a terrible review is to rent and advertise a 4 bedroom place and have the guests show up to a 2 bedroom place.

Iā€™ve seen a number of listing that have multiple bedrooms and only make the number available that the guest has paid for. Iā€™ve booked on for early May that is like that. Iā€™m taking one bedroom but it says if my party needs a second bedroom to inquire (itā€™s not listed, itā€™s only available to same party groups). The thing is you can list whatever you want on Airbnb and charge whatever you want for it, the key is that you have to disclose it in advance.

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not as weā€™re setup, but good idea

I had a guest who booked my two bedroom cottage with 3 beds for 2 people. All the beds were used, more towels than set out were used, ā€¦ when I asked the guest if more people stayed at the house she was insistent that I was ā€œinappropriateā€ to even ask. Was I?

I had a couple stay who used all the bedrooms.
I asked if there was an issue and they want to see which was the most comfortableā€¦ā€¦

Another couple had 3 showers a day and used fresh towels every timeā€¦ā€¦.12 towels over a 2 night stay. If it is there, they will use it

No. It is your property and if guest count would have changed the cost etc. you have every right to ask, and every right to get an answer. If their response to your asking a question like that is to deflect, then I would assume there were more people staying. If, like everyone here suggests, you have a camera at your entrance, please check it for additional guest entry.

No. A lot of guests seem to mistakenly think that if they book an str, itā€™s like renting a place long term as a tenant, where having people over, whether to visit or to stay, is the tenantā€™s prerogative. They need to be disabused of this idea.

If the house sleeps 13 but the booking is for 5, I donā€™t think you can charge an additional fee. You can ask them to uodate the reservatiin to reflect the correct amount of guests.

Please explain. The amount of people that can be fit into the house has no bearing on what the host charges per guest.

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The host didnā€™t say she/he charges per guest, host indicated the house sleeps 13. I assumed the rental price is up to 13 and additional guests over 13 would incur additional charges. Perhaps I assumed incorrectly based on the first parragraph.