Hey everyone! So I just had an inquiry from a woman who will be running a race in the area ask me if there’s flexibility regarding checkout since they ‘won’t be able to checkout at 11’. Our checkout time is noon. I told her she would have to book an extra night to do that since it seemed like she was basically asking to have a day for free in our house. I know some people do allow late checkout for a fee but it seemed like I would have to block off the entire day on my calendar since who knows when they would plan on checking out! Has this ever happened to anyone else ?
Did you ask her why they can’t check out at 11? She might say (for example) that they have a flight and have to be at the airport at 1 pm. That’s quite common with our visitors. I’ve left a five hour turnover window when I actually need three so I can be nice (!) and let guests stay for an extra couple of hours without a fee, especially if the incoming guests have told me they are arriving on an evening flight. Sometimes I agree to a late check out ‘as long as you can do me a HUGE favour and leave the place totally spotless’. 
3 Likes
My standard checkout day message sent by 9:00AM :Thank you for staying with us I hoped you enjoyed your stay, just a reminder that checkout is 11:00 however a late checkout (1:00) is available for $45. Should you require a late checkout please let me know ASAP so I can reschedule the housekeeper (me)
RR
3 Likes
So 1:00 is your limit as far as late checkouts go. Have you ever had anyone try to overstay that? I feel like whenever I give an inch people try to take a mile, lol.
1 Like
Well I do not **give ** _ an inch I rent it! So far so good, I would go later if no bookings and a different fee. Once they know its pay to play they are usually out by 11.
RR
5 Likes
Sometimes I have guests who will be arriving pretty late in the evening or (rarely) in the early hours of the morning. So I’ll give the outgoing guests a late check out if they want. But very often guests have to
leave at 6 am or a similarly unearthly hour.
3 Likes
Yeah if it were that situation it would be ok but we don’t have any bookings yet for the day they are supposed to check out. So if I said yes and then someone books that day we could be in trouble if the bookings overlap.
Love your outlook on things.
I hardly ever get same day bookings which lets me allow later check outs. Sometimes I’ve told guests that they can stay for an extra hour or two as long as I can remove the stuff I have to launder.
I also tell guests to let me now if there’s anything they might need to help them get the place ready for checking out - vacuum cleaner, extra garbage bags etc. - just to let them know what’s expected of them! 
2 Likes
We get them fairly often, especially on weekends when there are events in town. We had one this weekend actually where we had three hours to turn over the rooms. Checkin time for us is after 3:00pm. We could of course change the checkin time to something later I suppose.
1 Like
I personally think charging extra for late check-out is a little tacky. But that is just my opinion. I think you went about it fine. I offer late check out if it doesn’t mess up my cleaners schedule. Sometimes I have a break in days booked and the cleaner comes a day or 2 after check out.
2 Likes
When we get asked about late check-out and we don’t have a booking for that day yet, I tell them we’ll let them know about a week before they arrive (we never get last-minute bookings). If we get a booking, I may tell them they can stay an hour or two late, but they MUST let our housekeeper in to start cleaning no later than the official check-out time. It’s a large house and is never an issue having her work around them for a little while.
1 Like
I still not let late checkouts if I don’t have booking yet. I am like you can be booked one hour before arrival . But if we had a booking already and know my guesta will arrive later I do allow late checkouts . If they need to leave bags that’s fine but i ask to not hang out in my living room.
1 Like
If someone has a good reason, say catching a flight which doesn’t leave till evening and even allowing for 3 hours to the airport they would want to leave my place at 4pm I have no problem with that so long as no one is coming till the next day. I often tell my weekend guests they can check out up till 2pm on Sunday if no one is coming Sunday night, which is rare. I don’t tell them this till Saturday evening so most have already made plans to check out by 11am but appreciate it not being a hard limit if they are running a bit late. My normal checkin is 2pm and checkout is 11am (“unless otherwise agreed beforehand”)
As far as people overstaying even with a late checkout you still need to agree a latest time eg 2pm and say you have people coming that evening so will need to start cleaning then so they must be out promptly.
1 Like
For some reason that’s always when i discover they haven’t emptied the bin.
We I get these I allow them to pack up and have their things ready for check out at 11 and let them leave their bags for the day if no-one’s coming after them.
I don’t mind storing their baggage when they have a late flight but I always make sure to ask when their flight is and what time they would leave so there’s confusion.
Sometimes its not possible if my cleaner cant make it etc and I tell them and show where they can store their bags. Also if the guests are utter twats, I just decline and say I have people coming in
1 Like
The last time I did that I got dinged for value. I’ll really be wary of bargain hunters. It could be an isolated experience, but many hosts here have warned about cheapskate guests!
1 Like
Funny. I do it all the time if there’s room for it and I always get 5 stars in all categories.
Might be coincidence, cultural or simply luck or maybe it’s my blue eyes and wonderful charm 
5 Likes
I am almost always booked so I do have to keep in mind when the place can be cleaned. Most of the time, it’s me so I have to fit it into my work schedule. When it’s my cleaner, she has to arrive by 10:30 am so it’s a no unless they want to pay a $25 rush fee. Same with early check-ins.
What I do tell the guests is that if they don’t want to pay ($25 rush cleaning fee) to guarantee an early check in or check out, I can let them know a day or so before the date and give them an extra hour checking in or out. This gives me a better idea of what my schedule looks like so I can tell if I can accommodate them.
I never let checkout beyond 12 pm. It just doesn’t work for me. My check in and check out and policies/fees are clearly written in my house rules so I feel that guest should have understood what they were getting. (Yes I know guests don’t read 
I used to be more flexible but it always seem to be that when you give an inch, they take a mile.
4 Likes
Thank you everyone! These people are coming from within the state so it’s definitely not a late flight. I think they’ll just be out running the race and maybe wanted somewhere to leave their stuff. I will definitely keep it in mind to have a limit for late checkout if a legit need for it arises so that I don’t get people who hang around for the entire day for free.