Can someone else meet for check in?

Hello Everyone! I am new to the forum and fairly new to AirBnb. My boyfriend and I just started hosting in May and we are still working out some kinks.

I was wondering if anyone else was experiencing the problem of the guest who booked the stay not being present upon check in. I had someone book a stay one day in advance who was planning to pick up the keys around 5. A few hours after the initial messages he said his girlfriend would be picking up the keys in his place because of picking up a shift at work and that shed check in around 7-8. His girlfriend then texted me and said she’d be there by 5:30 but I explained the earliest the apartment would be available was 6:30. When I texted her to say I was ready to meet she waited a half hour to respond and say that she wasn’t on her way yet. It wasn’t until over an hour later that she showed up to get the keys. So frustrating! I had been at work all day and hadn’t had dinner yet because I was waiting for her.

My question is, is there anyone else who has had similar experiences and any advice on how to avoid having people come for check in without the original Airbnb user present?

Thanks in advance for any advice!

Is this an entire apartment you are renting to them, or are you on site?

It’s the entire apartment, a studio.

Are you onsite, or will you not see these people again?

Once they receive the keys I leave the guests to their privacy. I live in another apartment offsite, about 5-10 minutes from the rental. I don’t typically see them throughout their stay unless there is an emergency.

99% of my guests are couples and it’s happened quite a few times that one of them has checked in (or collected the key) and the other has arrived later. It’s never been a problem.

Maybe it was just paranoia but the whole situation seemed strange to me. I have had other guests do this in the past but this time it just rubbed me the wrong way.

You could always make it one of your house rules.

Thanks for the advice :smiley:

You could always look at making self check-in available and then setting a time where you’ll come by, introduce yourself, and show any specifics after you know they’ll arrive. We’re on-site and do self check-in often so it’s easier to sit around and do stuff around the house while waiting. If I was off-site I think I’d do mostly self check-in with a meet-up time with me later.

There was another thread on this very topic, but in that situation, it went very badly. I don’t want to upset you, but in that case it was a sex worker.

I would keep a close watch, drive-by if you can, even stop by with “Hi! Just thought I’d stop by to make sure everything was ok”.

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The reason I asked if you would see these guests again, is because there have been prostitution scams through Airbnb. Someone creates the account, maybe using a stolen credit card. Then the “female worker” picks up the keys and uses your place.

It could be nothing at all too. Is it common in your market for the girlfriend and boyfriend to drive separately to your location?

My boyfriend or I always meet with the guest for the key exchange, our listing is in an apartment complex so we are meeting someone face to face every time to show them how to access the apartment. It was just that the last minute booking and then several changes to who would be picking up the keys and the arrival time had me very concerned.

@cabinhost @dcmooney That is definitely something to pay attention to. Most of the time couple arrive together, but I’d say about 3 times in the 20 completed trips I’ve had this occur. It was even stranger this time because it was only a one night stay. Luckily my boyfriend went to the place to clean it for our next guest and he said although it wasn’t in the best condition we have had after a guest left it wasn’t the worst either. We got lucky this time!

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so glad to hear it!!

I would never hand the keys over to anyone other than the person who booked the place.

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