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We charge an additional daily guest fee of $30 for stays that exceed two guests. Our pre-check-in note asks that the guest update the number of guests if it changes. [Of course, never beyond maximum occupancy.] It’s often the case, as guests here are usually here to visit family, that a family member will spontaneously choose to stay overnight.
Often the guest will advise me of the increased number of guests; rarely not. But it also happens that a member of the original reservation will decide to spend a night at the local family’s home and the guest will ask that I make the ‘update,’ which I do and refund the guest fee for the number of applicable days.
I understand that I am not required to do any of this, but it does seem like the hospitable thing to do.
I’m curious what forum members think of this practice of mine. Am I being too generous? Doing it ‘just right’ in these circumstances? How do you do it?
I don’t charge for extra guests. The first reason is that the rentals are both one-bedroom and an extra guest can only make up three-in-a-bed (tricky with queen-size beds) or sleep on the sofa.
The second reason is that the one extra guest once in a while costs me practically nothing extra anyway so I’m not going to worry about it.
The third, and probably most important reason, is that I charge the same whether the stay is for one guest, two or three. It’s a bit like hotels - they mostly charge per room, not per guest. It’s all carefully costed and every time I host a single guest or a couple, I’m making a little extra money because I’m charging for three.
Once you have gotten info on amount of guests, you do not need to micromanage their costs. Your nightly rate with x guests should be constant - your expectation of everything from wear and tear to actual usage of amenities should be thought of as an arc over the whole stay.
I don’t think it’s necessary to refund just because a member of the booked group decides to sleep elsewhere one night of a several-nights booking. Presumably that person has spent some time at your rental that day, probably showered, used the kitchen and towels, used up toilet paper and soap and availed themselves of the coffee and other amenities. In other words, they haven’t cost you less just because they slept somewhere else that night.
If it were a one night booking and one booked guest chose not to stay at all, then I would refund the extra guest fee.
But like a lot of things, it doesn’t hurt to accommodate guests on small things if you don’t feel that they are just taking advantage of you.
I had the same issues when I charged extra-person fees. Some people would be there all week, others would arrive later or leave earlier or both, or a flight would be delayed and they wouldn’t have as many overnight guests stay.
It was a big pain increasing and decreasing for about the same extra-person price you charge. One group staying for a week had four price adjustments! Another group nagged me for two weeks to give them their $60 refund (on a $3000 booking) because one of their group reduced the number of days.
I asked for advice on another forum and they suggested I price the entire stay basis the maximum occupancy during the week.
Instead, I went to a flat price for the entire home up to maximum occupancy, then created a “child” listing for a couple at a lower price with the first House Rule of an extra nightly charge of $200 US for the entire stay if they have more than two people overnight at any time during their entire stay.
I think you’re being fair, and very transparent by refunding the extra amount if people don’t stay.
I charge $25/night over six guests, and always go through AirBnb customer service to collect the money. The reason is my places are big (around 1700 sq ft), and hosts around here sometimes cram five beds in a bedroom. If someone who has three people staying wants to have an extra person stay a few nights, I don’t charge extra and thank them profusely for letting me know. My spaces have one bathroom each, and the two units share a 40 gallon water heater, so don’t want that to be an issue. IMO, you’ve gotta draw the line somewhere, and five beds in a room isn’t a vacation.
