Can a Hotel Kick You out for an Extra Person in the Hotel Room?

So, imagine you have checked in to a hotel room and, later, decide to invite a friend- or two- to stay over. Do you let the front desk know that you are adding extra people to your room?

Likely, reporting this could result in charges for these additional people, but there is also the chance that your friends may be declined accommodation due to hotel rules, which means they will be asked to leave the property.

If you simply let the friends stay without notifying anyone, what is the worst that can occur?

 

If you have an extra person in a hotel room, can a hotel kick you out?

A hotel can kick you out if an extra person is in a hotel room. The real question should be whether it is worth the risk of sneaking an extra person- or two- you’re your hotel room. First, the number of occupants could present a safety and/or security issue, and furthermore, the hotel needs to know the exact number of guests in the event of an emergency. As to whether you could be kicked out, the answer is yes, but you also know that by breaking hotel rules, you could be blacklisted by the hotel and not allowed to stay in the future.

Keep reading to learn more about when and why a hotel can kick you out!

Extra People in the Room

When you check in to a hotel, you basically are entering a contract with this business. There are terms and expectations on both sides of this arrangement.

The hotel expects a specific number of guests that will leave on a certain day, while not damaging the property in the meanwhile.

You expect clean and comfortable accommodation for the contracted period. The problem comes when the terms or rules of the property are broken.

For example, if you make too much noise after a designated time or if you bring extra people on the premises or in the room.

By engaging in this, you are in essence breaching the contract. You may wonder ‘who it hurt?’

Actually, no one, but the hotel has a right to know who is on their property, particularly if an emergency or disaster situation should occur.

While you likely won’t get caught or reprimanded, you could be taking an unnecessary risk when all that you need to do is let the front desk know that you have an extra guest in the room for the night.

You may not realize the hotel staff is savvy when it comes to these things, and they have been trained to identify when a rule is being broken. Be courteous, polite, and tip well- and perhaps they will overlook your extra guest.

 

Defrauding an Innkeeper

There is an old law on the books in the US regarding this very issue, and that is aptly called the Defrauding an Innkeeper law. Violating this can get you kicked out of a hotel, or fined, and here is what the law says about this.

“A person who, with intent to defraud, procures food, drink or accommodations at a public establishment without paying in accordance with his agreement with the public establishment is guilty of:

A felony punishable by imprisonment for not more than ten (10) years, a fine of not more than ten thousand dollars ($10,000.00), or both, if the value of the food, drink or accommodations is one thousand dollars ($1,000.00) or more; or

A misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for not more than six (6) months, a fine of not more than seven hundred fifty dollars ($750.00), or both, if the value of the food, drink or accommodations is less than one thousand dollars ($1,000.00).”

While this seems to address dine-and-dash scenarios, hiding an extra guest in a paid lodging could also violate the Defrauding the Innkeeper law. Is it worth the risk?

 

Frequently Asked Questions About If a Hotel can Kick You Out if an Extra Person is in the Room

 

What happens if you get kicked out of a hotel?

If you are kicked out of a hotel, generally a manager will come to your room and ask you to leave. If you seem belligerent or dispute leaving, the manager may come back accompanied by local law enforcement. You will be given time to gather your things and escorted off the property, usually.

 

Why would you get kicked out of a hotel?

You would likely be kicked out of a hotel for damaging their property, causing a disturbance, threatening staff, or making too much noise. There are other reasons, too, but these are the most common.

 

Can a hotel refuse or eject a guest?

Certainly, a hotel can refuse a guest, usually for reasons related to liability issues, safety reasons, and risk of harm to other guests. The hotel can also ask you to leave the property for a wide range of reasons. An innkeeper has the legal right to resort to reasonable force to eject people from their property.

Conclusion

So, will you get in big trouble for letting a couple of extra friends crash in your hotel room for the night? If they are quiet and mild-mannered, probably not.

However, hotel staff is trained to identify when there are more people staying in rooms than are checked-in to these accommodations.

Why risk it? Check-in, pay the extra fee if applicable, and sleep well knowing you are not going to get an unexpected knock on the door in the middle of the night.