LATE-CHECK OUTS....I'd like to share wording I use :)

I just thought I’d share what I started writing about LATE-CHECK-OUTS

LATE CHECK OUT OPTION: In order to prepare our property for the next guests, housekeeping has been scheduled to arrive promptly upon check-out. If you would like to stay until 11:30 AM, we will be happy to accommodate your party with our “late check-out” option for $75. Since our properties are on INSTANT BOOK this will be required to take place after your initial booking. To secure a late check-out, just send us a message immediately after booking so we can can coordinate our housekeeping schedule and modify the reservation.

LATE CHECK-OUT FEES: “Un-scheduled” late check-outs not only affect this property, but other properties, booking calendars, housekeeping schedules and futures guest reservations. In the event a guests stays beyond their original scheduled check-out time, they will be charged a rate of a one night stay based on the current nightly rate. We appreciate your understanding.

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I really don’t see how this is workable since you have no idea at the time of Guest A’s booking when your next guests will be arriving. So Guest A pays you $75 for a late checkout at 12:30pm, but your next guests. Guests B, plan to arrive at the exact moment that you have posted your checkin time, do you actually have time to clean the place properly?

Or even worse, guest A doesn’t check out before their agreed upon check out time, but you are booked that night, so you are charging twice for the same night [will AirBNB back you up on this?]… the original problem just hasn’t been solved. How do you clean the room for Guest B?

Late check out is until 11.30 am. My guess is check in is probably around 15.00. And my guess is also this is a deterrent … $75 is a hella lot.

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Maybe it costs $ 900,00 per night, in that case $ 75,00 isn’t that much.

@razberriez What is the normal check out time? The extra of $ 75,00 does seem steep, but if you don’t want late check outs at all it will probably do the job.
I don’t see problems in your text.

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It seems to me (and I’m not thinking about any particular host/s here) that late check out is a problem for many when it just doesn’t have to be. TALK to guests!

These days, it seems as though we want rules and regulations plus extra changes for no good reason and yet avoid communication with guests. This is understandable because we are so accustomed to internet communications and I worry that we are losing the art of face-to-face conversations. :slight_smile:

I know that this is easier for me because I’m onsite but if I wasn’t, I’d be sure to have a capable manager who could deal with guests and issues such as late check out.

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@jaquo In our experience, sometimes problematic guests will still give you a hard time about check out even if you ask them face to face.

More of a problem if the request to check out on time is done over a phonecall. I once had a guest mention in his less-than-stellar review that I called to remind him of the check out time and apparently that pissed him off.

The “fine” that @razberriez imposes for a late check out will definitely be a deterrent but I’m not sure I would use it in my own listing.

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check-in is at 4 pm, therefore 11:30 would still allow for a cleaning

I used to be flexible on check-outs but then they would still stay even later. My housekeeper would show up, not be able to clean then have to re-schedule for the ext day and then I would lose that night for a booking. Which has also caused a problem because it set her back on cleaning my other property. It’s also not fair to her when she scheduled her whole day/weekends to clean.

Also, I am open to suggestions to make it sound nicer :slight_smile:

they have to notify me immediately upon booking that they want to check-out late. To be honest, I wanted to make check-out 10:30 but AIRBNB doesn’t have that option

My check out time is 10:30. I chose 10:00 for AirBNB’s listing since, as you say, you can’t select 10:30. And then in my House Rules, I state 10:30AM. No one is confused by this. Not sure why I don’t have a problem with people overstaying their welcome. Perhaps it is because I am onsite.

@razberriez

LATE CHECK-OUT FEE: Check-out is by ______ AM. Housekeeping is scheduled to arrive promptly at that time. If you would like to stay until 11:30 AM, the late check-out fee is $75. To secure approval for a late check-out, you must contact us immediately after booking so arrangements can be made.

UNAUTHORIZED LATE CHECKOUT: If a guest stays beyond their scheduled check-out time of ______ AM without prior approval, there will be an added charge of a full night’s stay based on the current nightly rate.

(P.S. How would you collect on any of these fees?)

This is how I would word it:

UN-SCHEDULED LATE CHECK-OUT FEES: An un-scheduled late check-out affects future guest reservations and housekeeping schedules for not only this property, but other properties as well. While we understand the desire of some guests to stay beyond our standard check-out time, please also understand that we need ample time to prepare our property for the next guests. As such, housekeeping has been scheduled to arrive promptly upon check-out at 10:30 AM. In the event a guest stays beyond their original scheduled check-out time, we will be forced to charge a late check-out fee equivalent to one-night’s stay based on our current nightly rate. This fee will cover the re-scheduling of our housekeeping staff, and potential lost income from missed bookings. We hope for your kind understanding on this matter, and we truly appreciate your cooperation.

EXTENDED CHECK-OUT OPTION: If you would like to extend your stay until 11:30 AM, we will be happy to accommodate your party with our Extended Check-out Option for $75. Since our properties are on Instant Book, this will be required to take place after your initial booking. To secure an extended check-out time, just send us a message immediately after booking so we can coordinate our housekeeping schedule and modify the reservation to reflect the additional extended check-out fee.

[Since guests will be paying $75, I would be a bit more flexible and move scheduled extended check out time to 12noon or even 12:30pm since your check in time is 4pm, but that’s just me]

Curious to know how would you implement/charge the late check-out fee though? Would you do it through the Airbnb resolution center or just charge them upfront in cash? Also curious to know if Airbnb allows this and if they would support your claim should the guest not want to pay up if you opened a case in their resolution center?

Not in my experience. All it takes is a little forethought. For example, our check out is 11 am. Check in is 4 pm. and the place can be ready in three hours. So I can accommodate late checkouts and early check ins if necessary.

I get lots of people who are staying here for a week or so before going on a cruise. I know what time the cruise lines allow passengers to board so can let the guests know that I can say something like ‘please don’t feel that you need to leave at 11. If you leave here by 11.30 you’ll get to the port just in time to board’.

The local airport website shows departure times too so I can do a similar thing if the guests are flying out. If their flight is a later one, I suggest places they can go to in the meantime. If they don’t have a car, then I offer to look after their luggage for them so that ‘you can make the most of your time here’.

Guest management, :slight_smile:

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Hmm, I get the feeling you’re implying that hosts always have control over guest behavior if only they would manage them properly. Or if only they would have a proper conversation with them. That’s not always the case.

We’ve been doing Air for a long time and all I’m saying is that there WILL be the occasional guest who will still be problematic about check out despite face to face conversations with them. Despite us offering to keep their luggage for them while they wait for their flight. Despite suggestions we make, messages we send, conversations we have. We do all of the things you say you do and we still get that one group of guests who insist on overstaying. Sometimes people don’t know how to manage their time, or worse, some are deliberately disrespectful.

Oh, and we host big groups of people, sometimes upwards of 10 guests, and at times it is more difficult for the lead guest to get everyone from his party out the door on time. So there’s that, too.

We also have accommodated quite a number of late check outs and early check ins, if necessary, and depending on how the guest requests it… so it’s not like we’re stingy on that.

You are lucky that you haven’t had difficult guests or haven’t had a single overstaying guest. But just because some of us have, doesn’t ​mean we aren’t practising proper “guest management” or haven’t given it enough forethought.

Don’t get me wrong, not all guests are horrible and I I know that. I’ve hosted wonderful, wonderful people on Air and other platforms and they are one of the top reasons why we love what we do as hosts and are still here, doing what we do. :slight_smile:

Apologies, I wasn’t suggesting that you weren’t a good host or that you can’t manage your guests. I think the problem lies with the fact that you host large groups whereas I don’t. The largest groups I have hosted was five (many years ago) but in our current rental, we only accommodate two, max.

But truly, ever since I started in this business, I’ve never had guests who have over-stayed without permission.

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I just think all of it is too confusing. It’s too much to read or process. Why not simply disallow late check out all together.

Sorry, but absolutely no late check out. I have must turn the property over for an incoming guest and must start cleaning promptly at 11:00. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation!

I don’t think enforcing paying for another night will work. I don’t think anyone will pay $75 to stay late. Just keep it simple for guests. No late check out.

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Considering the fact that most guests hardly read anything at all I would say your late check out message is a bit wordy. I know exactly what you are talking about and I can barely comprehend it.

And it doesn’t even cover early check ins!

Believe me, clueless guests do not care about your scheduling problems.

The place I rent out is in a drive to destination at the USA Southeast coast beach. I get guests from up to about 1000 miles (or more) but usually from 500 miles or less.

I do get guests who want to arrive early or depart later.

I state:

Check in 3:00PM, check out 10:00AM. No early check in or late check out without written permission.

See? Two sentences and if they are interested we take it from there.

If they are interested I message them: Guaranteed early arrival or late departure, if available, incurs $100 fee." (or whatever fee depending on the season) If they want to take a chance that it’s available, I’ll give it to them but that is on them, and it has to be discussed beforehand.

If they don’t opt in and are not out on time and I have a turnover situation, I am on the phone telling them to pack up and get out and my cleaners are told to hang out in the parking area and then barge in around 10:30 or 11 and get started. (This has only happened once.)

Anyway, keep it short and sweet and then do what needs to be done.

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3 PM is pretty early to allow check-ins, and on the other hand, 10 AM is a pretty early check-out time compared to hotels and other accommodations these days. I would shift both of those up and recommend at least 11 AM as the checkout time, but make the check-in time as late as 5 PM if you need to when there were guests the night before.

If anything, people tend to be running late for things rather than early. It’s always easier for guests to plan to arrive after a certain time than it is to get them to leave early in the morning.

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For me anyway, the problem is that when hosts aren’t strict about their check out times they are ‘training’ guests to be inconsiderate towards other hosts. If they get away with it when it’s their first time using Airbnb, they think that a late checkout is normal.

I really think that hosts should consider future hosts when they let the guests get away with stuff.

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