We have a guest suite in our home that we put on Airbnb for the warm months. For seven years we have had the best guests one could imagine, and to be fair, most of our guests this summer have been good. We have a two person limit for the room, which has a king bed. Fair enough, I’d think.
So what is the deal with people showing up with unannounced extra guests or letting us know the day before their arrival that they are bringing their two year old? No bias whatsoever against kids, but I admit to having some bias against guests not making the request at booking time.
My husband doesn’t think this is a big deal, but the entitlement is not working for me. So, fellow hosts, would you decline people who show up at your door with one extra?
1 Like
In this particular case, I’d assume they only mentioned the 2 year old a day before check-in thinking their booking might be declined if they had let you know upfront. Either that, or they had arranged to leave the child with relatives or a babysitter and the arrangement somehow fell through.
I wouldn’t turn someone away at the door who just brought their undisclosed toddler, which is different from a guest who booked for 2 turning up with 2 or 3 extra people. In the latter case, I think most hosts would say something like, “Oh, I see you have 5 in your party, but you only booked for 2. As is clear in my listing, I do have an extra guest charge for over 2 guests, to cover the extra utilities and amenities costs. Let’s amend the booking right now and then you can check in”.
That is, if a listing can accommodate that many people. If it can’t, a host might tell them the extra people will have to find elsewhere to stay. In your case, I would assume the 2 year old either would sleep in the king bed with them, or they are bringing a travel bed for the kid.
My listing is for solo travelers only, a single bed in a room in my home. My second guest when I started hosting booked for one, arrived alone, but unbeknowst to me had arranged to meet her boyfriend here, who had been out of the country for several months and was arriving from elsewhere.
She brought him back the first night, but I had already gone to bed and never heard them come home. So I was shocked when she came down the stairs with him the next morning.
As a new host, I had no idea how to handle it, but I could tell she wasn’t trying to pull a fast one, as she quite innocently introduced me to him immediately. It was her first booking ever and she just didn’t realize she couldn’t share her room without permission.
I wasn’t going to kick them out on the street- I asked how they were going to squish into that single bed for her 6 night booking- they said no problem, they were real cozy. So I charged them a bit more and let them stay.
They turned out to be very sweet, and she left a great one-liner review- “I spent the best week of my life here”.
I did tell her that other hosts might have kicked her out and give her a bad review (I didn’t) and that she should always book for the correct number of people or if there is even a possibility that someone else may be joining her, she needs to make that known to hosts ahead of time.
4 Likes
I haven’t declined guests who’ve done it, though I felt it was underhand at the time. One child is fine and most of my guests ask beforehand, anyway.
Years ago, one guest booked for one and turned up with a husband who smoked and two little children!! (She said the babysitting fell through).She also arrived in a hijab, not at all like her photo. I didn’t mind that bit at all ( i have family who cover), though perhaps she thought I would.
I didn’t like the underhand manner and told her she should be more upfront in future as other hosts might not let her stay.
1 Like
I would decline a toddler especially, because our cabana has the edge of the pool less than 10 feet from the door, and I don’t want to wake up to a floater in the pool. But that’s us.
Otherwise, I probably wouldn’t decline a guest for announcing an under 3 year old, but I would warn them about not-child-proofed rental and state that injuries to the kid and damages to the room are all their responsibility. I would not give them a good review either.
5 Likes
I think most guests are unaware that hosts can’t see guest photos until after a booking is confirmed. At least all the ones I mentioned that to in the course of “Airbnb conversation” were.
1 Like
We ask these questions in our initial message and if they don’t answer by a week before arrival, then we ask again letting them know we’re filling in the registration for the front office.
That’s when we find out if their reservation is correct with the amount of people.
1 Like
This was when we could see their photos, back in the day. Her first photo showed a fashionable woman, dressed like she was going to a party.
The booking was for one.
1 Like
I messaged the last guest who showed up with kids when I saw them unloading the car on camera. I texted on the airbnb app then called and told them they could not check in with extra people. They left thankfully. I have decided not to let them in, its too hard to get them out and then they get to review you.
RR
4 Likes
Extra guests is grounds for kickimg out the guest. No refund. I had one listing where I literally had to do this every 3rd or 4th guest 
. People think they can get away with breaking the rules - and they WILL unless you put a stop to it.
6 Likes
Apparently, if a visitor only stays for two hours, it doesn’t count - as if there’s a legal limit on responsibility. And if that guest smokes inside, breaks something, or quietly walks off with a phone charger? Totally not their fault. Around here, we’ve had it all: the kid just ‘passing by’, the kind of guest who doesn’t overstay, but always gets their time’s worth, the coworker who swings by for a ‘quick shower,’ the friend who thinks the STR outlet is a public charging station, or the hairdresser who comes over just to dye someone’s hair in the living room and use your towels to clean the extra dye. All perfectly normal…
4 Likes
Showing up with extra guests is a hard no. I would tell them that they would have to find other arrangements. I wouldn’t want more money for the extra guest, i wouldn’t want the extra guest. We have a king as well and occupancy of 2. You cannot discriminate against children but you can say that you have a 2 person occupancy…full stop. Extra guest means moving furniture ect to accommodate the extra person. Hard to turn away a couple with a undisclosed child on your doorstep. The entitlement…I get that…I have a story that I will post when I have a hot minute about entitlement of a guest that will be arriving this weekend, August 1st.
2 Likes
We also have a maximum of 2 guests at our Airbnb. We also post that it is not suitable for children. We have had some guests ask about bringing a baby along with the two adults and have declined due to us only allowing 2 guests. We have a camera outside the entrance and have not had any problems.
Your other question was about declining them if they show up with more guests. Yes you should and Airbnb will back you up on this. just make sure you contact them to let them know what is going on. In our situation our Airbnb is zoned as a maximum of 2 persons.
2 Likes
For myself, I have a sign up on entering “Anyone entering who is not registered with the guest, will be 86’d along with the guest” and to date, I’ve not had a problem. We also have a Ring doorbell that lets us see who is entering.
3 Likes
Oh, I totally get you! Honestly, I’d be annoyed too—especially if you’ve clearly stated a two-person limit. You know what? People seem to think “oh, it’s just one extra” but it changes the whole dynamic—extra towels, space, privacy, all of that. I usually just stick to the rules I set at booking; if they show up with more, I gently remind them it’s over the limit and sometimes have to say no. It’s tricky, especially with kids because you don’t want to seem harsh, but boundaries matter, right?
Make sure this is in our house rules.
2 Likes
Remember that ‘gently remining’ guests or things being tricky because of children shouldn’t be a part of a hosts’ repertoire.
If your local authority has inspected your rental and designated its occupancy then you have to stick to that. Anything other than that is against your local authority’s regulations.
5 Likes
Fair enough- a good move on your part