Greetings, I want to find out if a guest has left my rental property, but i want to do this without bugging them. Do they checkout with Airbnb when they leave? I often receive requests from Airbnb to leave reviews of the guests, I wondered if they send this in response to some checkout procedure.
Happy Saturday!
No, there is no procedure. Airbnb reminds you about review be ause guests are scheduled to check out
Maybe as part of your check in procedure you could request they send you a text when they leave. I think that’s very reasonable.
If you are not on site, remind them of the check out time when they check in, or say I have a booking checking in tonight, so please be mindful of my 11:am check out.
A text is a really good idea. Then you can let the cleaners know to go in!
In my home guidebook I have check out procedures and mention the check out time one more time. I also talk to the guests the day before the departure just to get the process ironed out.
The guest doesn’t have to do anything on the Airbnb site to check out.
I have several places in rules, manual, and hard copy on a sheet of paper on the bed to 'please text me when you have left". I had hoped that i would get a notice so i could get in tontheir room and clean up, etc. Well, only one in ten guests actually do this.
How do you ask or compel the guests to make the effort to text you? Or, is that too much tomask of a guest? What is a good way to make this happen… Or should imask or expect another way of notification. Fyi, these are bedrooms in my home.
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Not sure where you are located but, JMO… sometimes it’s hard for guests to text because they are on international phones.
Rolf, I see that I advised you previously to have them send a text… I take that advice back. Here’s why…
Why is there a need for them to text you anyway if you have a FIRM checkout time?
If they are still hanging around after your check out time… to me, that says you have not been firm enough about the time. Guests should not get to decide when they will leave or that will encourage them to hang around all day. 
Bottom line… Firm check -out time and there should be a need for them to text you at all.
Are you nebulous about your check out time? Check to see if that is the case. If not, and you have made it clear, go knock on the door and say “check out time! We have to clean for the next guest!”
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I have a very firm time, but i was hoping to hear about them leaving early. Some of my guests leave the house at 7 am formisntance, and it would be great to know they have gone so i can turn their room over.
That said, yes, you are right about texting being a no go.
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oh I see. Yup… Personally, I would not bug them about when they are going to leave. If they leave early it’s good, and if not you have to cool your jets until they roll out. Frankly, I would be bothered and consider it obnoxious for the host to pester me about what time I’m leaving. I dunno Rolf. If they leave early it’s a bonus. If not, then you just have to assume it’s at the check out time.
How do your guests get in - do they have a regular key or do you have a keypad on the door? If regular key, can you have them leave it in a certain basket in a common area so it signals they have left? For example have each key with a different key chain so you know which room?
Yeah…it kind of sucks because in a hotel guests actually “check out” so that housekeeping can begin cleaning. This also allows a few guests to have early check in if possible. Not that anyone needs to accomodate early check ins. But with so many guests whining about getting early, then the least they can do is let you know they have left early.
What is also listed on the hard copy sheet of paper on the bed. Is it a departure checklist? I’m just thinking you could use other “signals” that guests can leave if texting is international or costs them something.
This topic drives me crazy. I just had a guest show up two hours early, despite that I had contacted her earlier in the day to say that was not ok due to a guest checking out and when she was standing on my stoop, luggage in tow, I said, “you’re quite early.” and she replied, "That’s ok."
NO…IT IS NOT OK. The room wasn’t done, and sometimes we only get that three hour window to ourselves for days or weeks at a time.
How do you handle it? I was EXTREMELY clear about check in time and even told them that very morning in email that it was not ok to show up before check in.
The other thing about this guest is that she was not even the guest that booked. The guest that booked decided she was bringing a third person and when I refused to let them put 3 in a room for 2, she found herself another place and sent us her friend.
Would you all contact airbnb about this? We require verification for bookings and now we have a visitor who is not only starting out by ignoring our requirements, but I know nothing more about her than her first name.
Thankfully or unfortunately, we live in our space and will be living with this person for the next three days.
I made it pretty clear that I was unhappy with her arrival, but when I suggested she drop her bags and come back later, she just stood there looking at me like I was a mean person or she didn’t understand, so I said, “Ok, you’ll just have to let me clean around you”, and I did.
Anyone else have an experience like this?
This has happened to me. My very first guests. They didn’t speak very good English. They ended up giving us cash for the 3rd person and they 3rd person slept on the floor (I don’t have spare blankets etc). It was just awkward and I hated being in this position. I would never do this again!
That’s why I didn’t say yes in the first place!
Also, we have a one bathroom house, so we are sharing with the guests. It’s hard enough with two additional people and we often compromise our own comfort so that the guests have enough access etc. There was no way I was going to have 3 guests.
Blargh. I believe I may be experiencing a bit of guest burn out. I’ve had a string of doozies.
Has anyone else noticed that the less you charge, the worse the guests are? I suppose it makes sense…but the ones that pay the least, turn out to be the most obstinate and most critical.
I really hate some of airbnbs features. It seems like whenever they add something new, it is worst than the last.
Like encouraging guests to criticize…“How can your host improve?” Screw that! If I have to hear about dust one more time! I dust the room. It gets dusty again while they stay. We live in the city.I am not a chamber maid.
And then, after they compel the guests to think of something to criticize they ask them to rate with stars like we’re resorts staffed with servants paid to do nothing but make the experience perfect, rather than people sharing their homes with strangers, who should be GRATEFUL for the opportunity to share in a personal, less expensive experience. It’s creating an army of tyrants!
And with airbnb’s new feature of price suggestions, the prices in my town have been going so low it’s almost not worth offering the space. Some folks are letting very nice places inside of New Orleans proper go for as low as $35 per night! You can’t get a room in a by the hour shithole for that rate. And because they keep suggesting it, some hosts are going for it and it just keeps getting worse and worse.
I’ve adopted this boarding house routine as my lifestyle. It’s suits me, and I’m typically a gracious host who genuinely enjoys making people comfortable. But airbnb is our own worst enemy. They keep fixing it til it’s almost broken.
Hi Kimfabulous,
When you sent the girl an email letting her know it was not okay to show up…did she reply back? If not, it is the classic stunt guests try to pull. I had one guest do this and boy did a heated argument ensue. He was asked to leave the property and come back at the correct time.
Guests will push and push. Did you ask the girl if she received your email when she was standing on your door step? If she said she didn’t look (obvious lie) then next time just tell the guest “I am sorry but check in time is not till blah blah blah.” I am sorry but I do not allow bags to be dropped off inside. You are welcome to leave them outside but be aware that I am not responsible for them getting stolen. BTW - did you not read the listing which clearly states the check in time??
No need to even be nice. The reason she texted you right beforehand to let you know she would be there early is so that she can justify to herself that at least she told you. Do you notice NONE of the guests who plan to pull this stunt ever ask before they book?? They never ever ask beforehand. You’ll be prepared next time. You can also just say that someone is sleeping in their room right now - no need to explain anything. Just tell them prayer study is going on or something and no one allowed in.
I don’t know who pays attention to their suggested price. yesterday I rented out one room for 79$, suggested price was 43$. That’s almost half!
I’ve slowly come to that realisation! they were suggesting £30 for a Saturday night… that’s my busiest night!
Never ever accept a guest who is different from the person who booked. It never ends well. It defeats the purpose of the whole verification process. Concerning the awkward “that’s ok” moment, just say: your room will be ready at 3. Did you have a question or need recommendations on what to do until then? No? Okay…see you at 3!
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Kim… Do you have a guest document that you send out with all the rules? My first statement on my document says, “I cannot accommodate early arrivals. Check in time is at 4pm.” If they do get here early (rarely happens), I tell them the room is not ready but they can leave their bags in the carport and head to the beach until 4. I also give them a few ideas for things they can do in town in arriving early.
Kim, you could have refused any guest that’s not on the reservation and you should have. Put that in your rules as well. “Only approved guests in your registered party are allowed on property.” So that if you had a guest break this rule, you could have canceled without penalty.
As for attracting higher quality guests, ask for a cleaning and security. People willing to pay these are generally more conscientious and responsible.
But I do I hear Airbnb burnout in your post and I get that. Try firming up all the rules and guidelines, send out a customized PDF at the time of confirmation and raise your price. Nordstrom and Needless Markup are not competing for the same customers as Walmart and Dollar Days.
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I had a guest cancel the second day of their stay. The guest did not communicate with me nor did Airbnb notify me. I saw and chatted with this guest at 3:30pm as her and her partner were going back into my home. Everything seemed fine.
I didn’t see that they had cancelled until 8pm that evening and when I messaged her I got no response.
4 days of calls and messages to Airbnb to try to get the money owed to me for the time they stayed along with a reason for cancelling and the time they cancelled.
- Airbnb paid first night but not cleaning fee.
2.Guest cancelled bc they could hear us talking and were allowed to even though it states in my listing that we live in the house and they should expect to hear common sounds like cooking, talking, etc… - Heres the kicker. The guests cancelled at 9:45am. I witnessed them going back into my home at 3:30pm. Is this legal?
Neither the guest or Airbnb communicated with me regarding the cancellation. Airbnb says it is the guests responsibility to notify the host. Doesn’t seem quite right does it?
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