Controlling the number of guests is not easy. When they arrive you can count them, then you see them seven days later when there’s a linen change or when they checkout.
Obviously guests are clever and will ensure the right number of guests when they meet the manager.
In between arrival and departure, there is no physical interaction with the guests and it is based on trust.
As more and more people use Airbnb and short term rentals other hosts have had extra guest problems. Some of the hosts live in Johannesburg with a place in Cape Town where the guest enters keyless. No one to count.
If you are an owner-manager ensure that you and your staff are aware of the number of people who have confirmed.
We send the owner and the manager an email confirming the dates and number of guests who have reserved the home. Unfortunately, not-too-honest guests will try their luck and have more people over.
How do remote hosts resolve the issue?
Various non-intrusive options are available to detect noise. Read more here. Party Squasher is another great option if only it was available in SA; it knows when there are too many people in your home by counting the number of mobile devices in the vicinity (more).
I could not find a smart noise alert device available to South Africa yet. I, therefore, suggest a relatively cheap video camera installed at the entrance (and declare it to guests). This video camera should link to the manager’s phone where she can check if she needs to. The above camera cost about an R1000 installed. In other words; if a manager has to do 3 headcount checks it would pay you back after three such visits.
Agency.CapeHolidays can go and do an extra check on the number of guests at the standard incident fee relevant at that stage. My concern is that it’s a very infrequent issue and throwing repetitive money to do a physical check is costly over time. Please send requests to check guest number more often in writing.
