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Lately about 40% of bookings I need to tell them to change the guest number to the correct number of guests (I charge more for over 2 guests), bookings are coming as if it was for 1 guest but they write their message in “we are looking forward for our stay” so I recognize they are more then one guest.
Is this happening to you also? if it does, what can cause that? it didn’t use to happen 6 months ago.
One idea I had is maybe Airbnb going super mainstream and less technical people using it now.
Oddly, this used to happen to me more often 6 months ago. It’s gotten a lot better. I noticed that when I do searches in a different browser where I don’t sign-in that the interface is now forcing a guest number after choosing dates (the search doesn’t perform after putting in dates until the number of guests is confirmed). I think this is why it’s gotten better for me. But it seems to have come and gone a bit like a lot of software changes that they play with. It is usually there but the interface has been changing a lot lately. Perhaps they had been trying it in you area and then stopped doing it that way, thus explaining it becoming more frequent for you.
Either way, it’s pretty easy to tell if they’ve booked for enough people. If they book for one and say “we” or don’t use a pronoun at all, I send them a note explaining that all guests must be booked for and that I’ll be sending an alteration request. I tell them they can accept or cancel after they see the new price. No one has ever cancelled. Most guests apologize for not putting the correct number in to begin with. Some may be trying to get away with something but it’s usually an honest mistake.
Yep, I have always assumed it is because AirbBNB defaults back to 1 guest or doesn’t make it very obvious. I always respond to bookings asap with a thank you acknowledgement which starts with “Thanks for for you booking on …date… for 1 guest to stay xx nights” which almost always results in an oops message from the guest and an amendment to the correct number.
Yes it happens regularly but not more than it used to. It’s always been a persistent issue. Since I only have a room for 2 it’s not a huge deal. Sometimes I price for 2, sometimes I price for one and add a second person fee. I get a lot of last minute bookings (day before or even same day) and it’s a hassle to change it.
I’ve had it happen only once. The guest mentioned other people in her greeting, but I didn’t even notice the guest count was only one until about a week after the booking. My listing is a 4-bedroom house for up to 8 guests and I don’t charge extra for more guests, but I still had her submit an alteration request.
It’s always happened to me, but not very much. Remember that the default setting is one person and many people just don’t change the default. If they were trying to cheat you, they wouldn’t say ‘we’.
If it bothers you, don’t have any extra price for an extra person. Just calculate how much an extra guest costs you per night and add it to your nightly fee.
I think that Airbnb has been ‘super mainstream’ for a long time now and hopefully there are very few people in the modern world who aren’t used to ‘technology’, so no.
I haven’t noticed it more often, but it does happen. The system defaults to 1, so it’s usually an honest mistake.
At booking I send a confirmation:
“We’re happy to confirm your group of 1, arriving XDate, leaving YDate.”
And then 3 days before arrival, I send the same, with “Please let me know if your guest count or list has changed. Only registered guests are allowed on the property”
If they use a pronoun like “we”, I ask about the guest count directly.
Me too. Also if they don’t use a pronoun at all. E.g. “Will be arriving around 5.” I notice that people who are indeed traveling solo (we get a lot) say “I” or, most often, actually say, “It’s just me” or something like that. Everyone else gets questioned.
We charge per person and sometimes the difference can be quite a lot so I want to make sure right away that they’re okay with the different price. Also, I estimate that 75% of people who don’t use a pronoun at all are trying to bring a child or infant - very unscientific but has been my (approximate) experience - and I don’t want them blocking my calendar for no reason , )
I am seeing it happen a bit less than before, like some of the others here, @sitebnb. I was thinking there must be a new, more apparent “how many guests?” box.
But here’s something. It won’t sound relevant, but stick with me:
My space is for two, and it is the same price whether it’s two guests or one. Anytime someone books for one and it becomes obvious there are two coming, I ask them (nicely) to correct the count.
I love the false sense of security that gives me. 
It is easy to get them to go along, because the price doesn’t change.
Anyway, sometimes the guest cannot work out how to do it, no matter how much handholding, so I tell them I am putting through the change myself, and all they have to do is hit the approve button.
Last month, a guest did not approve the change. It was a repeat guest who I know isn’t savvy about those things, so I didn’t follow up. No big deal, I thought. Same price, and these are good guests so I won’t need matching numbers in order to be “covered”. I won’t nag them for something so trivial.
I didn’t get paid!
Because there was a pending change from my side that the guest had not approved before the stay, the payment was blocked. I finally got it released after phone calls and messages with support, but it took weeks and way too much time.
I hope it was a temporary glitch, but just to be sure, if you are correcting a guest count, make sure it is approved before the stay.
But calculating for one extra guest and incorporating it will still leave you short for all the ones over 3…I have 10 guests tonight and whereas one would be $65 + $62 cleaning, 10 people is $180 more. $127 for a single person may be worth it but $307 definitely is not…
the honest mistake presents a huge problem for hosts that have additional person fees and requirements to know the exact number (or more specific like the names) of guests.
Yes, I have noticed this happening several times a month. I sometimes think it is an oversight on the part of the guest when they first do a search. I ask them to confirm number of guets, and please change the reservation because I do not allow unregistered guests. (In my description) So far guests are happy to change it. Probably avoiding showing up with more people and having me cancel them and keep their money!
I really like this way of approaching its. I may use that as well!
Absolutely! Almost every one. Airbnb must be obscuring that step in the UX where they supply the number of guests. The default is one. I have to ask for clarification with almost every booking now.
Ez enough, don’t require names of guests. One less thing. Unless you are collecting ID its meaningless anyways.
RR
It is not necessarily meaningless in regards to legal issues and insurance issues. And there is no way I’m not having the names of the people who come into my own dwelling.
Do you get ID from every guest? If not it is meaningless because you have no idea if they are telling the truth, if so then no need to ask just get ID.
RR
I don’t get IDs yet (although I did check them for one group early on because they were workers and had given me a bad feeling which ended up being warranted in the end.
You are correct that guests can (and do) lie about names and wold then not be helpful. I feel though that if the guest lies about a name it MAY help me some in that it shows map-intent on their part.
This is what I do too, only I also specify whether or not “infants” are coming, and ask about pets (I am pet friendly):
“I have you confirmed for one adult, no infants or children. Will you be bringing any pets?”
I have had a few people change their numbers after receiving the message, all claiming it was an oversight.
I do a version of this and also started adding how many nights in addition to the dates (“for 3 nights, Nov 4-7”). I’ve had 3 different guests think that they have booked more nights than they did. I’m not sure how it happens because they were all people who have traveled plenty. We are often on “college-tours” and all 3 of these instances were people who had multiple stops in different towns and I think just got confused. Twice it was easy because they could add the next night but once I had to push them out and send them to their next destination a night early. So awkward and stressful.