I can sleep 4 but now guests want to know if they can bring 2 more people - how to charge?

Introduction
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I have a family arriving from overseas of 4 to stay in my 2 bedroom apartment (1 queen and 2 singles). They are here for a special sporting event and now I have been asked if their two videographers can stay also since they want to capture all the moments. They would bring their own sleeping bags.

I only have crockery for 4 and only provide enough towels for 4. I do have a sofa with reclining seats which one person could sleep on (prefer they didn’t though).

Would you accept the additional people if they said they would bring their own sleeping bags and towels and if so, how much would you charge? I have a single rate for the apartment and they are staying for 11 days.

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That’s 50% over occupancy, IF I wanted to accept it (I would not) I would charge at least 50% more for the entire booking and drop off some more towels.

RR

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Probably not if they were taking my apartment during a high demand period (special sporting event? Australian Open? I hope you raised your rates) I’d just hold out for a normal sized group at a higher rate.

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No I would never accept this suggestion from the guest you won’t make enough money and they won’t be happy having six sharing probably one bathroom and amenities set up for four. @lchiu7

Just say that you can’t accommodate more then four as your insurance won’t cover it and you don’t have appropriate furnishing and amenities.

Make sure you monitor your CCTV to make sure they don’t try and sneak in the extra two and make sure you confirm in your response that having guests who haven’t booked and paid will lead to the booking being cancelled.

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No I wouldn’t. When hosts state their maximum occupancy, it’s for a reason. So I’m not going to start breaking my own rules - isn’t that an open invitation for the guests to break rules too? If the host can’t even stick to their rules, why should the guests?

Does your insurance and your permit allow for so many people? I find it hard to think that they do because in my experience anyway, STR insurance companies and local authorities tend to work on the conservative side regarding guest numbers.

Of course, all places are different but I wouldn’t want to exceed our max for eleven days simply because it would be too heavy a burden on our plumbing. I might consider it (or turn a blind eye) for a night but certainly not for eleven days.

It sounds to me as though these videographers are just looking for a cheap place to crash.

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DO NOT ACCEPT more people than your Max Occupancy!! Just say NO.

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Other hosts have said it, but you have to ask yourself why you set the maximum number of guests to 4 and whether some extra money is worth breaking your own rule. What are the risks?

I personally might make an exception for 2 extra guests in my listing because I know that it has the extra beds for them to sleep, chairs to sit, dishes to eat, and everyone can still be comfortable, but it doesn’t sound like this is true for your listing.

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Seems that you can probably get even more money from a proper group of 4. Double-check your pricing.

I would be concerned. Even if the primary guest had a decent history, there isn’t anything to stop them from blasting you with a subpar review for a “cramped space”. And there is no way to prevent it in writing beforehand.

I would turn them down, double-check my pricing and make more money with a different party, without all the potential BS from these folks.

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Here’s an amazing thing. I just looked on Google to see what the average hotel room costs in the USA. It said that in major cities, Chicago, NYC, LA etc. the average cost is $260.27.

That, of course, is for double occupancy. But it’s still $130 per night. (And possibly subject to other fees?)

So $150 for ten people - $15 per person - seems to need adjusting to me.

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It depends on the market. If it’s in San Antonio it doesn’t need adjusting.

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I can’t imagine anywhere being so cheap. I must go to all the wrong places. :slight_smile:

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Come to El Paso. Or probably anywhere in TX. LOL. Here’s one of the high priced El Paso Homes.

https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/29992718?adults=10&children=2&source_impression_id=p3_1579226433_8KZ8i%2F5ih23wQcq6&check_in=2020-03-19&guests=12&check_out=2020-03-24

Here’s a couple of budget places
https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/40372290?adults=10&children=2&source_impression_id=p3_1579226557_pVTYlURseBxrfGzv&check_in=2020-04-10&guests=12&check_out=2020-04-13

https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/23141387?adults=10&children=2&source_impression_id=p3_1579226800_UP2aUA4O1VB7CFqT

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Airbnb tells me the average for an entire place that sleeps 12 is $140. But I think they include places in Juarez MX. So maybe everyone follows price tips and under prices.

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$115 for a place that sleeps 12! That’s almost free. :slight_smile:

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Thanks for all the comments. To answer the all the points in one reply.

  1. I would prefer not to do it - the money is not that important to the hassle I could get
  2. I don’t want to cancel the booking - it seems very genuine and it’s close to the date
  3. There is no CCTV so I can’t check. I had thought about stopping by in say day 5 offering to provide more towels so I could surreptitiously check if 2 more guests were there but that seemed not the best move
  4. Even if they were to provide sleeping bags, dollar to donuts somebody would sleep on the sofa since it it basically a two seater with fully reclining chairs and I don’t want people to sleep on the sofa. My wife is also concerned they would take the bed covers on the bed and put them on the floor to put the sleeping bags on.
  5. So in order to be polite I have said I contacted my management organisation (my wife!) and they told me if I wanted to have two more guests, they would charge me an additional $100/night (the apartment is being rented for this period for $200/night) and I would have to pass that on
  6. There are no local city bylaws etc. that would prevent me from having more - it’s my apartment and I can sleep as many as I want but I do make it clear in the AirBnB ad I can accommodate up to 4 in two rooms
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NO! JUST. SAY NO. You have a max number for a reason. even if you double your rates, you’re still opening yourself to a lot of stress and possible pain

NO.
Cancel.

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I have said no because of regulations etc. That has been accepted. The family doesn’t really care so much as they have their accommodation. The other folks can find their own.

Appreciate all the advice here, especially to the best way to say NO!

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There is your answer.

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Why are you making things so complicated for yourself @lchiu7 , just say no rather making up a high day rate to deter them - what if they say yes to the high day rate. Then you are stuffed.

Make sure you or your co-host meet them on arrival and reinforce that only those who have booked can visit or stay and that additional guests on the premises can lead to the whole booking being cancelled.

Any reason you don’t have CCTV or a camera doorbell - I think from memory you host remotely?

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What you are going to end up with is 6 very uncomfortable people.

No.

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