Are other hosts having this happen as well? Lately I have had several people book my room (which is in my home) and then show up with their friend or relative and introduce them and have this other person actually stay instead. I haven’t had any real problems with it, but it seems odd. Today I had a request from a woman who works for a non-profit. She wanted to book the room on behalf of someone else. It just didn’t sit right and I am just plain tired, so I declined it. I’m interested to hear other hosts experiences in this area.
Thanks!
I recency had a woman try to book for her boyfriend. I declined and messaged her information about the Terms of Service. The TOS gets us off the hook!
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Only happened once, superhost booked for her dad and was upfront from the beginning about it and I accepted the booking.
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I get lots of third party bookings.
Usually when they book they tell me they are booking for a spouse, child, parent, etc.
A handful of times I’ve found out when the person or people who showed up at the door were not the person who booked.
Once I had the same situation as you describe. The booker brought his friends, told me that they were the people who would be staying, then left. In this instance I called Airbnb and asked them to tell the booker not to do that again. I don’t have a problem with third party bookings. In this case, the guests were under 18 years old and were not ready to be traveling on their own.
Thanks for the information everyone. I will try some of your ideas if this practice continues.
I don’t know if this squares with Airbnb policy? That being, for security, the person booking must also be the one staying. Not sure? Not to get off topic but we have a situation in my neighborhood where a person has bought up a number of properties, put as many beds in them as will fit, and offers it on Airbnb. I think all of these offer accommodations for 15 or more. What’s happened a couple of times is that these have been used to host a “destination” batchelor party where they bring in a lot of booze and strippers. The neighbors aren’t happy about it. So I’m thinking what’s to stop some person from booking this property for a drug gang who uses it for a weekend to process a couple of kilos of heroin? My point is that it opens up a potential for problems when the person booking is not the person staying.
Back to the point, I’ve accepted these. Often it’s from someone who is a neighbor, it’s the holidays, and they want to book for a family member. Sometimes it’s a parent booking for a child. I recently learned a lesson when one of such person turned into a problem. The mother booked the room and obviously had it planned with her son that on the first day if you don’t like it don’t go back and we’ll pressure the host into making us another deal. I never talked to the son about his satisfaction of the room. The mother claimed that it wasn’t what was expected and she had photos her son sent her of a cut he got trying to lock the bathroom door. She wanted the booking to be reduced from 9 nights to 4 nights. I didn’t have a problem with that.
The lesson I learned is that I must get a confirmation in the Airbnb messages system that the person who is really staying there has read the description and house rules. Secondly, they must confirm that there will be no refunds or changes outside of my published cancellation policy.
I gave this woman what, under the circumstances, was a good review. But she didn’t like it and contacted me suggesting she was going to have me shut down by Boston inspectional services because her son thought it was dirty. In the end she just moved on.
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I sometimes wonder if the attempted 3rd party bookers, particularly for foreign guests, are actually brokers paying my rate, and charging their unsuspecting customers a higher rate.
Have had the exact same thought with some of my Asian guest and their travelling tour guide
I agree with @duanemitchell. I’ve accepted a few of these when it’s adult children booking for parents to visit or some other specific circumstances where they are upfront about it. But generally, no it’s not a good idea and is indeed against Airbnb’s TOC unless you’re a ‘business ready’ property. I’ve had a couple of problems with third-party bookings so for me it’s a no-no.
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Mind sharing them so we know what can go wrong in such situations?
I’m not sure that I can be helpful, to be honest. One was a quick last-minute change, as in ‘So sorry but we can’t make it but our friends can come, would that be ok’. I agreed and they ruined an entire bedset with some kind of bleaching stuff (acne treatment I’ve since learned). The second was the worst: a very entitled guy who treated me like a servant initially. I lost it with him and he settled down after that but it was not great. And I had to literally peel off the sheets after he left 
But either of these things could have happened with regular guests so, like I said, not v helpful. Maybe just that they can be less respectful because they don’t care.
Essentially, though, questioning third-party bookings gives the message that you’re not a push-over and that guests need to respect the Airbnb booking system. I will take them if they convince me it’s reasonable. But I don’t believe what any guest tells me anymore so it’s all just a game, really!
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I have had this a few times with flipkey/trip advisor. They actually say… “I am a vacation broker looking to book this for my clients”. I direct them to the TOS.
I’ve seen it stated numerous times here that it is against Airbnb’s Terms of Service to accept a third party booking. Would someone please post that portion of the Terms of Service. I can find where is says that one is not supposed to book a reservation for someone else if the booker won’t be one of the guests. I don’t see anywhere that it is against the rules to accept a third party reservation. I highly doubt that it is against the rules because that would mean many guests not being allowed into listings. This would be troublesome for Airbnb.
@EllenN. I swear it was there, but the latest version from 2016_12_07 doesn’t seem to include that phrase, or I am searching poorly. I keep a copy on my hard drive to make searching easier. Maybe someone else knows the right search phrase.
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I think that’s always important to establish you’re not a push over. Don’t let them get started.
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I have had exactly one third-party booking and he was very forthright about this. Harvard student booking for his friends. They were best friends in college in China, and were all in the US for advanced degrees and this was the first time the “band” was getting back together.
It was a different kind of booking. Not bad, just “more.” They were a lot of work. They took over the house. Wouldn’t want this kind of guest all the time, but on occasion, it is okay.
https://www.airbnb.co.uk/help/article/1311/who-can-book-trips-on-behalf-of-someone-else
“We require Airbnb reservations booked for personal travel to be booked by the person who’s going to stay at the listing.”
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7.3.5 You must provide an Experience, Event or other Host Service in person and may not allow any third party to provide the Experience, Event or other Host Service on your behalf, unless authorized by Airbnb.
- User Conduct
You understand and agree that you are solely responsible for compliance with any and all laws, rules, regulations, and Tax obligations that may apply to your use of the Site, Application, Services and Collective Content. In connection with your use of the Site, Application, Services and Collective Content, you may not and you agree that you will not:
- unless Airbnb explicitly permits otherwise, request or book a stay at any Accommodation if you will not actually be staying at the Accommodation yourself;
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Thank you @Magwitch. This is in the Payment TOS. Odd place for it, but there it is.
I interpret that as an instruction to the booker, not to the host.