Are you looking for ways to increase your short-term rental income? If so, you may want to consider charging an Airbnb extra guest fee. This optional fee allows you to cover the added costs of hosting more people and offer value for people traveling alone or in small groups. In this blog post, we will explain how to set up this fee and start generating more revenue from your short-term rental listing.
Host Tools provides an automated, unified calendar for short-term rental hosts, allowing you to seamlessly list on all major channels. Start your free trial today!
What is an Airbnb Extra Guest Fee?
The Airbnb extra guest fee is an optional charge that hosts can add to their listings. This fee is designed to cover the added costs of hosting more people, such as additional laundry, cleaning, and wear and tear on the property. Airbnb explains that this fee should be “competitive with what other guests would pay for similar accommodations.”
Why Would You Want to Charge an Airbnb Extra Guest Fee?
There are a few reasons why you might want to charge an Airbnb extra guest fee:
To cover the added costs of hosting additional guests
As we mentioned above, this fee can help offset the additional costs that come with hosting more guests.
To offer value for solo travelers or small groups
If you frequently get inquiries from solo travelers or small groups, this fee can help make your listing more competitive. Some hosts will only accept guests if they are traveling in a group of two or more, so offering a reduced rate for smaller groups can be a great way to stand out from the crowd. Plus, it makes those guests feel like they are receiving an exclusive deal.
To generate more revenue
Of course, one of the main reasons you might want to charge an Airbnb extra guest fee is to simply generate more income from your listing. This fee is entirely optional, so it’s up to you whether or not you want to add it to your listing. However, if you’re looking for ways to increase your short-term rental income, this is a great option to consider!
How Do You Set Up an Airbnb Extra Guest Fee?
If you’re interested in adding an Airbnb extra guest fee to your listing, setting it up is easy! Airbnb allows you to set a different price for each person that books your listing, so you can simply add the extra guest fee as an additional charge for bookings with more than one person.
To set up an Airbnb extra guest fee:
- Log in to your Airbnb account and go to your listing page
- Click “Pricing and Availability”
- Select “Fees”
- Scroll down to “Extra Guest Fee” and click “Edit”
- Enter the number of guests that will be charged the extra fee (e.g., two or more guests)
- Enter the amount you want to charge per night for each additional guest
- Click “Save”
And that’s it! Once you’ve added the extra guest fee to your listing, you’ll start generating additional income from your short-term rental property.
How do you set up an Airbnb extra Guest fee with a property management system?
When you connect your Airbnb with a property management system (PMS) like Host Tools, the process of adding an extra guest fee slightly different.
You can easily adjust all of your settings on Host Tools if you choose a full connection when linking your account.
To edit your Airbnb settings, click on your profile picture in the upper right-hand corner and choose “Settings” from the drop-down menu.
Click “Airbnb” next to the listing whose Airbnb settings you’d like to adjust.
This will open up a pop-up where you can customize all of your Airbnb settings. From here, you can edit the “price per extra person” as highlighted below:
Here is the full article how you can edit Airbnb settings within Host Tools.
Tips for Charging the Airbnb Extra Guest Fee
Now that you know how to set up an Airbnb extra guest fee, here are a few tips to help you get started:
Consider offering a discount for longer stays
If you’re worried about deterring guests with an extra guest fee, consider offering a discount for longer stays. For example, you could charge a higher rate for one-night stays and a lower rate for bookings of three nights or more. This will give guests an incentive to book a longer stay while still allowing you to generate additional income from your listing.
Communicate with guests before they arrive
Be sure to communicate with your guests and let them know about the extra guest fee. This way, there are no surprises if they show up with an extra travel companion. You can add a note to your listing description or send an automated message to guests before arrival.
Be flexible with your pricing
Remember, the Airbnb extra guest fee is an optional charge, so you can always adjust your pricing if you’re not getting the results you want. If you find that you’re not getting many bookings, try reducing the fee or offering a discount for longer stays. On the other hand, if you’re getting a lot of inquiries from solo travelers, you might want to consider increasing the fee.
Final Thoughts
Overall, the Airbnb extra guest fee is a great way to offset the additional costs of hosting more guests, offer value for solo travelers or small groups, and generate more income from your short-term rental listing. If you’re interested in adding this fee to your listing, it’s easy to set up, and there are a few different ways you can structure the pricing.
Be sure to communicate with guests before they arrive, so there are no surprises and be flexible with your pricing if you’re not getting the results you want. With a little trial and error, you’ll be able to find the perfect Airbnb extra guest fee for your listing!
Host Tools provides an automated, unified calendar for short-term rental hosts, allowing you to seamlessly list on all major channels. Start your free trial today!
