When running an Airbnb, it can be difficult to know if your guests are sneaking in additional people. As an Airbnb host, it is incredibly important to know whether additional guests are present at your Airbnb. When extra guests are snuck into your Airbnb, this creates a fire hazard and party risk on your property that can result in severe damages. An unwarranted party can lead to damage to furniture, unhappy neighbors, and indoor smoking damage. And whether it is your furniture, walls, or community relationships, all are important to preserve for your short-term rental business. So, here’s why you need to know if guests are sneaking extra people into your Airbnb.
Party risks
Extra, unapproved guests can indicate that there is a party in the works at your Airbnb. And unwarranted parties can lead to damaged furniture, floors, walls, cabinets, and more. Unwarranted parties can also result in negative online reviews and poor relationships with neighbors and property managers due to excessive noise made during quiet hours. In the worst-case scenario, you could sustain enough damages to your property from a party that results in neighbor complaints and could have to cancel bookings to repair your property. In the best-case scenario, a party would never happen. However, the best-case scenario is an unlikely one, especially when the summer season dies down. This is because, during the slow winter season, there can be a greater amount of low-quality bookings.
Liability reasons
If your guests sneak in extra people and the group now exceeds your Airbnb’s maximum occupancy, you can face problems with the city. That is because cities usually have laws and regulations on the maximum number of guests allowed in a short-term rental, depending on the unit size and how many bedrooms are available. When guests break an Airbnb’s maximum occupancy, they risk breaking fire safety laws. It is possible that if any guests were to fall under harm, you could face liability. Luckily, Airbnb has some measures in place to prevent this. However, it is better to be safe and avoid issues of liability altogether. Another way to possibly remove liability from yourself as an Airbnb host is by making sure it is clearly stated in your Airbnb house rules that no parties are allowed.
Profit loss
If your Airbnb becomes damaged due to party damages or from your guests sneaking extra people in, it could result in losing profit. There are several ways that could happen. First, if your guests were to throw an unwarranted party, damage could come to your furniture or linens. Replacing broken chairs or ruined sheets will cost you additional money and time, depending on how soon you can obtain replacements. While Airbnb has some provisions in place to protect Airbnb hosts from guests damages, in an ideal world, your property does not become damaged at all. However, that is a very unlikely scenario. If you have to cancel future bookings due to property damage, this will cost you future revenue. Additionally, negative online reviews from complaints can cause you to lose up to 22% of future bookings.
How to prevent additional airbnb guests
Preventing additional guests from staying at your Airbnb is difficult, especially if you operate off-property. However, keeping an eye on your property’s occupancy while respecting your guest’s privacy is possible. Hosts can use a few methods to manage their occupancy levels; however, a room monitor is the best way to monitor your Airbnb’s occupancy levels. A room monitor like Alertify will alert Airbnb hosts to elevated occupancy levels, excessive noise decibel levels, and indoor smoking. When Airbnb hosts install Alertify, they receive notifications in real-time if they have smoking indoors, being loud during quiet hours, or bringing over extra guests. Now, hosts can intervene before damages or noise complaints occur.
After an incident occurs, Alertify will generate a downloadable after-incident report. The after-incident reports act as a snapshot of the guest violation that took place and can be submitted as documentary evidence in the event of damage deposit disputes or fraudulent chargebacks. With Alertify, you will know as soon as unwarranted guests are present within your property. Now, Airbnb hosts can prevent additional guests and unwarranted parties in their Airbnb.
