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How do you guys typically handle the number of guests in your Airbnb?
Let’s say four people are book and sleep over, but they invite others over. I just finished a reservation where this was the case, but there were 9 people in total over at one point for a party. We specifically disallow parties.
They technically didn’t sleep over as they were in the apartment from midnight through 6am. Naturally, I’m pretty ticked off about this.
What does it say in your house rules? @spkrause Mine say no visitors unless agreed in advance with the host.
Did they ask you in advance if this was acceptable? Do you have CCTV so you can monitor those using your listing.
I certainly wouldn’t be letting an extra five people come over and hang out at all hours.
Decide if you are happy to have additional day guests, if so how many and during what hours and make it clear in the rules. Also make sure you make it clear guests need to ask in advance and breaking of these rules can lead to the booking being cancelled.
Unfortunately, it happens a lot. That’s why I hope that young families will book instead of 20+ year olds that just want to party. Make sure you mention in the review that they disrespected house rules and had a party. Go through the entire space to ensure they did not cause any damage to your apartment. If they did cause damages, send the guest a request for funds.
I certainly intend to request for additional funds for extra guests and the additional cleaning fee.
Oddly though, I filed a claim against another guest 3 weeks ago. I escalated that to the resolution center people, but I’ve gotten zero response from them so far.
I have to wonder if they’re severely understaffed since the layoffs. It’s never taken even close to this long in the past.
Yep – tighten up those house rules – NO day Guests. NO evening/dinner Guests. NO parties. Vagueness is an invitation to violation.
Our guests who are in this weekend asked and were granted permission to have their adult kids over for a daytime cookout. I wrote up the rental contract that only listed the 2 staying overnight and underlined “and no other overnight guests” at the bottom of the guest list.
I told the lady to just tell me if anyone else decides to stay overnight because “in the event of a emergency, so first responders know that everyone is accounted for.”
I think putting it like this would make a mother think twice about her son burning to death because the firemen had already rescued 2 guests and stopped looking.
Don’t take it personally.
Your opportunity to deal with this was when you saw, or should have seen it happening. Too late now.
Let. It. Go.
RR
Well, I was asleep when all of this was happening, and the next morning was check-out.
This is my worry as well, I go to bed early and likely would miss stuff like this. It is in my house rules that undeclared guests, either human or animal will be charged $100 . I have had an extra person here and there but it did not rise to the level of me charging them. If there is no mess and no damage I am not going to give it too much space in my head.
RR
I should add that. Have you successfully ever been able to collect the $100?
And you you charge $100/guest or $100 total?
But I have never charged it. I have only had a few cases of extra guests in 3 years and I have never pursued it. The reason I put it in was because a couple brought a kid in my two person listing and my only recourse would have been to throw them out in the snow. So I added the charge for next time,
RR
Our listing states that our guests are welcome to have visitors during their stay but no more than two people and during daylight hours.
Guests have mostly respected this. One couple whose adult daughter & son-in-law came for a few hours specifically asked me if it would be okay if the younger couple could bring their baby. So it’s more than often respected.
The important thing is to ask yourself why you don’t allow extra guests or visitors. (As opposed to parties - I think that few guests truly allow parties). My reason is that in our 70 year old small apartments, the plumbing probably couldn’t cope.
When guests have sneaked in an extra person that doesn’t bother me at all. The extra cost to me is negligible if at all. So if I see three guests where I expect two, it’s no problem apart from the probable usage of a bit more loo paper. 
ask yourself why you don’t allow extra guests or visitors
I studied this and other forums for a long time before listing the house and for me the question is, “why wouldn’t I?” I set it all up for cookouts and to be family friendly. I understand the problems people have with party house type properties/destinations, but we aren’t Ft. Lauderdale.
The house appealed to this weekend’s family because it’s Father’s Day weekend and it’s a short drive from the major city where their kids live. They live in the burbs north of that city. We have the best setup in town for a big cookout like they want to do (not that I’m biased 
).
When the guest asks up front if it’s OK, it shows that they respect the property/rules and I can’t envision a scenario that I would say “no”. I might say “that will cost extra”, but if it’s a reasonable request (e.g. a family reunion of 50 daytime guests) we will negotiate it.
I’m OK with guests having family or friends over but it does need to have boundaries.
I only implemented such a rule (attached) when, despite having a “no events” policy, a single guest suddenly had 9 people arrive for an unauthorized photo shoot. AirBNB CS advised to add verbiage to my house rules.
I’m now wondering how I can fit my new English word of the day into a conversation this evening
If anyone is interested, the Spanish is verbosidad, so in effect, I’ve learned two new words today!
JF
To my talkative & verbose dad, a very happy Father’s Day!
Thanks son, but it’s actually tomorrow. Haven’t I spent your lifetime telling you not get ahead of yourself?
JF
