I usually take two adults and three children. Occasionally I have made exceptions for adult children as in this case, a couple and her parents.
They tell me family is staying just a few doors down. I am not sure what I expected but it wasn’t five children and two adults in my five person hot tub. None of which are my guests. They had invited 11 members of their family to come enjoy my amenities. Including two dogs.
They came and went all weekend.
I was shocked and couldn’t believe it. I also was not going to say anything until the end and ruin the fun for all. I am very kid and pet friendly. I just would have appreciated at least being asked.
In the end I gave them four stars and a very minimal review. Nothing in the private comments. It seemed like a waste of time and effort. Anyone ignorant enough to do that is not going to care one bit what I have to say.
Should I have called Air bnb,? Asked for more money? Or just tuck it in my memory for next time someone says they have family, I will remind them I charge $20 for each guest that uses my amenities or they will not be allowed.
I am just new to hosting, coming up to a year. This is the second time only that guests invited guests into the hot tub. 11 additional people!!
If they did not damage anything and everything was left clean, I would let it go. I would only send a request for extra money if other people slept over. I would penalize them in the star rating and give them a “do not recommend” thumbs down.
Do you say in your listing and in your manual that guests aren’t allowed?
It’s really too late do anything now as you should have challenged them when you first saw them. Sorry, but letting guests get away with what they want because you don’t want to ‘ruin the fun for all’ isn’t a good idea. Decide which you want to do and stick to it.
If it is a house rule, then you should have said in the review that the guests knowingly broke your rules.
Do you have in your house rules that no additional guests are allowed on the property or that guests must request permission from the host to invite additional guests onto the property? If not, and no damage was done, then the guest didn’t do anything wrong. Let it go and update your house rules since you obviously feel strongly about it.
Also, if you do change the house rules, remember that the house rules at the time of booking apply to the guest at the time of reservation (Airbnb copies them into the guest’s reservation details), so rule changes apply only to new bookings, not old bookings for which the reservation hasn’t completed.
Not that this is helpful for your current situation, but we have rules about Visitors in our house rules. In one we allow up to 3 visitors (charged extra if they spend the night) and the other we don’t allow extra visitors at all (all visitors would be charged per day). I’d definitely put that in your rules.
The hot tub took an extra hour or so cleaning and toys needed sorting and put away, double the spa towels used. So not much really. I appreciate your answer. I have learned a lot every time I get a guest that pushes the rules.
The fun for all part is the grandmother in me, the kids in the hot tub were having a great time with their grand parents.
I didn’t want to give a thumbs down as I would host them again, with my thoughts on their last stay then.
Thank you, I will be reviewing my house rules on line. Our rules are very minimal and broad. We live outside of a small village, on a dead end road. This family tried to get close together and obviously planned to share my hot tub with their family staying elsewhere.
Yes, you are correct. I will be looking more closely at the rules on line.
I will be more open as soon as they mention family on my feelings of amenities being used. Particularly the hot tub which took the most abuse and consequently more time and effort to clean it.
I would have mentioned in the review. It is terribly annoying to have 11 people more over without even knowing about it. It is also terribly disrespectful of them. Perhaps you had plans, perhaps you wanted to have a dip in the hot tub yourself or take a nap or have guests of your own. As a host I would like to read about these kind of things in a review. 4 stars seems too mild to me. I would have given them 3.
I do not allow day visitors. Immediate cancellation of their booking without refund. Day visitors equals events which we do not allow
Just to offer balance to any new or would-be hosts who are reading, day visitors does not equate to events or parties. We allow guests to have up to four visitors during daylight hours and have never had a problem with events, parties or guests outstaying their welcome.
If guests have friends or family in the area, or staying nearby, then it’s only natural that they will have their friends or family visit them at some point during their stay.
In our whole home listing, if they are in town visiting they can certainly have family over, just let me know in advance. No over night stays or wild parties but have hosted a family t-day and 4th of july family get together. They have been respectful and the both times the place was left immaculate. They offered add’l $$ but I declined, family holidays are special to me since I no longer have close family near by.
Thats like giving permission to break the rules, make it $200 if you really want to discourage them.
RR
You are right, I have to decide on the rule and enforce it. It will take some thought what that will be. I appreciate everyone’s thoughts on it.
Are you a live in host?
I live on the other side of the house, I have my own private hot tub in the back of my property. The guests have a fenced yard, private hot tub, deck with eating/bbq, it is two floors, 11/2 bath. I sleep 5, two adults and three children. I make exceptions for adult children or parents who don’t mind the sleeping arrangements.
I think I need to put in the rules that guests are allowed, limited number, and that the paying guests are responsible for the rules being followed.
It will take effect here and there only because I am almost completely booked for the summer and they will 'll have the old rules.
I’m with you. I say guests can stay till 9pm and then they need to ask permission (“which is usually given”) and if still there after midnight will be charged as extra guests. I live upstairs and never had a problem.
I think you are, right, give them the options. I learn something every guest it seems. I need a couple years under my belt.
So you are essentially a live in host. A giveaway was the comment about the joy of the grandkids in the tub with the grandparents. Many people dispensing advice here are investor hosts, not “one home, one host” hosts. In other words they aren’t really hosting. Some of their posts seem more host-ile than hospitable. So consider your own hosting needs and style while thinking about the advice offered.
I noticed that, I realize my own situation is highly original. In the location mostly, our house is on an acreage in a one road community of about 30 people. We are outside a village of about 1700 people. I greet my guests and then say goodbye when they leave. I can hear them clearly when I am out on my own deck and they are out on theirs. Otherwise we hear the sea lions barking, the fog horn, surf crashing the shore. The very last thing I expected was 11 extra guests including 5 kids.