Wow thanks for all the comments and reassurance. To summarise : We all agree extra guest not okay without asking/booking. But you don't like the fact that I was woken by her bedroom door and bathroom door opening and closing at 1 am 2 .30am 3 a.m and 5 a.m and sent her a text to see if she was okay.
Here's an update. She has checked out this morning, left me a plant , a note and £10 for the extra person charge. Room immaculate.
I'll respond to some comments now - 'scuse not getting all the names in bold - I haven't slept well this week ;-)
•sizeofFalentil• Its not a hotel its Airbnb thats the whole point!
Yes, there are loads of hotels but some people like staying in a house with others, having the use of kitchen, sometimes local knowledge required and its cheaper too. I have been an Airbnb guest and always pick self-contained /ensuite.
About 'monitoring' her bathroom habits- It was being woken up through the night that was bugging me. Then i thought she might be ill.
There is a basin in the guest bedroom so after being woken up a few times (and maybe I didn't even hear all the times) I supposed she was using the loo through the night and I really thought she might be ill. If she had a 'condition' she would've chosen a place with private bathroom wouldn't she •RiverRuns*? Besides, my place is one of the more expensive ones in this area so she didn't choose me for low cost.
By 5am I was fed up with being woken up.
•ImFuckingSpartacus• Its not how many times she pees, its the noise of doors opening and closing waking me up
•Essential• •Arsenal• My text was three words "Are you okay?" Remember, I hadn't met her and was concerned she might be too shy to ask for Alka-Seltzer or Immodium or something!! *WaegUk•
Of course, now I know there were 2 people using bathroom hence double traffic plus they had probably been out for a sherbet or two. Or they may have been feeling ill. I didn't ask again because she didn't reply.
•expatinScotland "you 'jump' if someone comes or goes during the day".* •WaegUK•
Yes, Its my home. I'm quietly working. I am used to being in house alone. My former lodgers/son/friends always say hello when they come in. Does that mean I am anxious if a short-term Airbnb guest appears at my elbow like a Ninja? Or if I hear noises upstairs when I thought everyone was out? Okay, you got me!
I like the Bed and Breakfast part of the deal ;-) but not the come-and -go 24 hours part. Hence my asking other hosts who offer rooms in house about giving guests a key . MissmOuse •Hemlock• what do you do about keys?
I have been lucky that most of my guests are visiting lecturers/ research students or on business and like to sleep at night and go to work during the day. My Listing is worded to reflect that the household is rather traditional.
It hasn't put me off being a host.
•Scoobydoo• I have had lodgers in the past but that means I have no guest room for my own friends. An occasional Airbnb guest has worked really well for me - I usually host 5 or 6 nights a month and earn about half what I would with a full time lodger- I have met great people and still have my guest room for friends to stay.
•TheoriginalLEM* - its all sorts of accommodation - both hosts and guests create a profile and register their card details. All booking transactions are done by AirbNb which I feel reassured by - they take a fee for this (insured, reviewed, ID checked).
It started out by young Americans offering a sofa or air mattress to friends and travellers and then evolved into offering a spare room in someone's home and has now become a business for some hosts where they let a load of apartments through the site. However, its certainly not like staying in a hotel.
•kmc111• the Airbnb system requires both hosts and guest to submit reviews before they are published so you can't wait to see theirs first. Some guests never leave a review which is a shame since it is about building a reputation.