Trying to avoid paying cancellation fee on guest who booked for one person but now wants to bring a family for one room in my home

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Guest booked double room yesterday for one night this week explaining they were travelling for work. I decided to accept the request because I was going to be at home anyway and seemed straightforward.

Guest messaged today to say their wife and two young children (>4 y/o) would like to join them and asked if they could stay in the room or would he need to rebook. I don’t feel comfortable staying in the house on my own with a family for many reasons. I have two types of listings one for a room where people can book and stay just one person and one listing which is the entire house that people can book and I stay with parents nearby (I am currently paying high student fees off).

I explained to the guest they would have to book the entire place but offered a 65% discount on the price (3x the price of his current booking for one room). Guest said it was too expensive and the children are small and they always sleep in one room anyway. I responded with details of another accommodation that takes families same distance from his work 15 euros cheaper than his current one room booking in my home. I use this accommodation for people when I am booked out and it is on the beach, provides breakfast, has a playground etc. so much more suitable for a family and told the guest I would waive the cancellation fee if he was able to book their stay there.

Guest responded that the other accommodation was booked up. But didn’t say anything else like we are at a standstill where he wants to bring his family and I am not going to stay in my home with a family of four in one of the rooms. I responded to explain that I had done my best to accommodate them but my accommodation is not suitable and repeated that he could go ahead and cancel the stay and I would waive the cancellation fee. He hasn’t responded at all to this message.

So here’s my dilemma, I’m now just sorry I took the booking at all because I don’t want to have the guest come at all even if he came on his own and was just travelling for work. I don’t feel comfortable now staying in the house with him or the night when he is unhappy that I didn’t accommodate his request to bring his family. I’m also not convinced that the guest wasn’t just always intended on swindling a low cost one night family holiday.

Anyway, I contacted Airbnb they said I would incur the full charges if I cancel despite not ever having cancelled a stay before and being a super host.

Does anyone have any ideas about managing this that I may not have thought of. As of now my intention is to stick to my guns and my request that the guest cancels and just not provide the details for accessing the room that I normally would if he refuses. Please don’t judge me on this I know this is a terrible way to do business and have never done something like this before but as it stands I see my only options as being in position where the guests arrives with their family demanding to stay in the one room which will be a nightmare to have to deal with on a week workday, the guest comes and stays and I’m in a hostel environment and get a retaliatory review or I pay the full night stay to airbnb because I accepted the request not knowing what was coming.

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Can you send an booking alteration with the full price, when he doesn’t accept- ask Airbnb to cancel the booking?
Fire regulations- too many in one room?

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Thanks a million for your reply, that’s a brilliant idea.

I think the only issue is that his current booking only states him on it but it’s worth a shot, if anything he will have to refuse the request at least.

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You could make clear to him that only one person will be admitted to the house, even if he turns up with four. If – as you suspect – he is already travelling with four – he’s not going send the wife and kids elsewhere on their own and stay at your place by himself… the family will stay together. Call his bluff.

In the meantime, call back to CS. Neither guests nor hosts are allowed to unilaterally change the terms of an existing reservation – esp when the change in question violates existing house rules. Keep trying until you get as CS agent who isn’t an idiot and has worked there for more than a week.

Tell him if he backs out now, full refund, but if he backs out at last minute, (when you turn away three of them and only admit one) NO REFUND

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Thank you, I’m going to repeat the refund again in the morning and add on your bit about no refund last minute.

I’ve spoken to two CS now so really hoping not to have to keep talking to any others it’s actually so time consuming - and it’s we don’t get paid for!

Thanks so much for taking the time to respond it’s really helpful and much appreciated.

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All his requests to add additional people are through ABB Messages, correct? Right now you’re over-explaining to him. Be brief.

Say this: “The 1 room you have currently booked is for the name on the reservation only. I cannot accommodate 4 people in that room. Please cancel this reservation today as I am no longer comfortable hosting you as a home share host. It is up to you to cancel via ABB.” Don’t bother sending a reservation change and find a CS rep supervisor and say that due to occupancy codes in your area, the ROOM listing is for a max of 2 and he wants to bring 4. Then escalate until you get someone who cancels the reservation.
Tell ABB you are no longer comfortable hosting this person who wants to bring 4 people to a room IN YOUR HOME that only holds 2 people. Home share hosts have more leeway.

And yes, we do get paid to do this kind of business management. It’s the cost to us of doing business.

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And stop talking about a refund. Let ABB give him one out of their money. He knows the rules for your home and he has decided he’s more important than you are.

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What is the maximum number of guests for the room he booked? If it less than four, then call CS again and show them he intends to bring more people than your max and you want AirBnB to cancel the booking without penalty to you.

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