Guest want to sleep on sofa in living room

[Susannah]

Could you quote him the cost of using an additional room

[muddy]

Why would you assume the host has an extra room? That’s obviously not the case or I’m sure she would have suggested it. And she understandably doesn’t want him sleeping in her living room couch, it isn’t a matter of “additional cost”.

[Susannah]

No assumption made.You misunderstand me.They paid for one room but want to use two. If the host quoted a new price for the use of two rooms, as opposed to one, they may change their mind.

[muddy]

How and why would she quote a price for the use of two rooms, when she doesn’t have 2 rooms to offer them? She didn’t want him to sleep in the living room, period. Not everything is a matter of money. So what you are suggesting makes no sense.

In any case, the host said, 8 days ago, these guests were due to stay another 7 nights, so the guests are now gone and she handled it however she decided to.

[KKC]

@muddy

So what you are suggesting makes no sense.

It’s suggested as a deterrent. Instead of saying no, you say sure, the couch will cost you $800 a night. It’s been an oft discussed strategy here for various scenarios.

@Susannah

You misunderstand me.

I think this applies.

[muddy]

Yes, I understood that it was proposed as a deterrent, but I think saying the couch will cost you $800 night is something almost no host would do when dealing with guests who are already in residence in one’s home. That would be basically asking for a 1* review.

That’s quite a different situation than telling a guest who is still at the inquiry or request stage, when asking if they can sleep on the couch, that sure, it will cost you an extra $XX, as a deterrent.

I think of a deterrent as something that is used to either cause a guest to look elsewhere for a booking, or understand that what they are asking for won’t be allowed or will cost them extra if the host is willing to permit it.

For a guest who is already resident in a host’s private room listing asking for something which the host can’t or won’t accommodate, it’s far more appropriate to simply point out tactfully that it would be overstepping your boundaries. Or if the host can accommodate it, but would like to be compensated, to name a fair price. “I don’t normally let guests use my washer and dryer, but I’d be willing to let you do a load for $5, to cover extra utilities, laundry soap and maintenance costs, as I don’t have a cushion in my nightly price to cover that.”

[Dawns]

Like muddy states they know each other so they already know what they’re like when they sleep in the same bed. None of us can answer your question comprehensively because we don’t know if that sofa being requested is in a shared space. If so you’re going to have to tiptoe around the male guest which would be a bummer. If not you’re going to have to put a mattress pad down bedding including sheets pillows and extra work and laundry. I would charge him a fee but I would already have that fee stated on my page. In the future if you can provide something like a futon or some such thing that people suddenly need they can use it right in the same room that they’re renting from you. If you’re sharing your space and your uncomfortable and it puts extra duties and tiptoeing around I would just say no especially if they’re only staying one extra night. I don’t know people are so strange and many times strangely inconsiderate.

[Cece]

I dont host bedrooms but if i did i wouldn’t want someone I didn’t know sleep on my couch

[Ddharma]

It’s a big ask and it opens the door for additional negotiations. This is someone who is never happy with what he has and always wants more.

Maybe his wife kicks, maybe she doesn’t

In a case like this maintaining established boundaries is the only way I would proceed.

[jaquo]

The stay was in June last year.

[Spark]

I spent thousands of nights in hotels during decades of work that required travel, and I cannot think of ONE where a guest would be allowed to sleep five nights in a common area FOR ANY REASON.

Personally I find this a creepy lack of awareness of boundaries. I would either a) phone Airbnb and ask them to cut short the stay (no refund) because the guy was creeping me out by suddenly insisting on sleeping in the living room OR by an air mattress at my expense (it may well be need ed again!) and say "you can sleep on the air mattress or in the bed, but your accommodations fee did not extend to sleeping in two different rooms. You only rented one, and the living room is not for rent.

Creepy, creepy, creepy.