This forum is dedicated to connecting hosts with other hosts. Sign up to get the latest updates and news just for AirBnb hosts! Note that we are not affiliated with Airbnb - we are just passionate hosts!
Hello all!
I just had a guest check out and leave a 4-star on “Check In”. I’m kind of miffed about it because she didn’t have any trouble checking in, she just wanted an insanely early checkin and when I said I couldn’t accommodate, she still arrived a half-hour early. Please see the conversation we had below. I’d like to see some of your early check-in policies/ pricing so I can be clearer and avoid headaches like this in the future.
*Here is what my listing states:
If you have any specific requests for amenities or need a different check-in/out time, please ask! We’ll try to accommodate your requests to the best of our ability. Unless otherwise arranged prior to your arrival, check in time is any time after 3pm and check out time is no later than 11am to allow time for cleaning before the next guests arrive. Please message or text us when you are checking out.
*To be honest, I do not specify what timeframe the phrase “prior to your arrival” means. (This shall be rectified!!)
*THE CONVERSATION
She messaged me at 7:57am the morning of her check-in saying: “Good morning. Just curious, would it be ok if I checked in around 11 or 12?”
I responded with the following (I edited out some other communication within this message, as it does not pertain to this issue):
“Unfortunately, we will not be able to accommodate an early check-in today. (However, if the request were made earlier, there are times we would be able to accommodate such a request.)”
The guest arrived at 2:30 (STILL EARLY) and messaged me: “I’m here a little early, but we’ll just walk around the property until 3, if that’s ok”
Ugh. I bit my tongue and told her: “Welcome! Go ahead on in when you’re ready.”
Soooo… I’d like to clear up my listing to perhaps accommodate (extra)early check-in for a fee (maybe $30?), BUT I don’t want to really encourage people to think it’s a definite option, as sometimes I will need that time for a quick-turn. Could anyone share their verbiage/policies what work well?
Thanks!
I’m sorry this happened to you. I know it is really, really annoying for some of us.
To hopefully put a smile on your face, my second ever guests (nightmares all round) arrived an hour early. In her review she stated " we arrived early and the hosts were still eating lunch. We felt like we were intruding…" There was worse, but not relevant here, and a 2* rating that still impinges on my overall, despite whatever is supposed to be wiped out over the years.
Since when, I have always been very circumspect about early requests for check-in, and usually refuse. If it’s asked for in advance over a busy month, I won’t know whether I have a fast turnover.
If I’m in a quiet period, and ready to go, I may say yes if asked without a sense of entitlement attached. Otherwise, I tell them to go and wait in the Inn next door.
We had a guest greatly abuse early check in/late check out and basically got an entire extra day for free. After that I implemented our new “policy”; if guests request an early check in or late check out IN ADVANCE we will do the best to accommodate with the following:
Our normal check in time is after 3pm while check out is 10am. Guests can request arrival at 2pm and can check out as late as 12pm free of charge if and only if we are able to accommodate. Anything outside of these parameters warrants a $25 “convenience fee” that I settle with the guest via the resolution center.
I don’t mention exact parameters in the listing but say that if an early or late check in/out is wanted, that guests check with us in ADVANCE and we will do our best to accommodate.
I actually have a guest checking in tomorrow that requested an early check in weeks ago. They are getting in around 8am, significantly earlier than 3pm. She was happy to pay the extra fee. There are guests that will grumble at it but it’s our home and our business and that’s the policy we have chosen to implement for all guests. I’ve had some annoyed guests change their tune when I explain that we were taken advantage of so badly that we had to put something into place.
I’m not sure where you are located, but a lot of cities have bag concierge services now! BagBnb is one that someone on this site mentioned a couple of weeks ago. A lot of hotels will also let you keep their bags at the front desk for a small fee even if you aren’t staying there. Perhaps something you could suggest to guests if you are unable to accommodate them…they could explore while they wait!
Personally, the entitlement some guests have with check in and check out times really irks me. I don’t usually like comparing Airbnb to a hotel but also…would you expect to be able to check into a hotel HOURS before your check in time? No…
If you’re going to put it in writing, don’t leave it open-ended. For example “early check-in from Noon to 3pm is available by prior-approval only for $30. Check-in before Noon is not available.”
Yeah, I felt yucky writing it, but I tried my best at wording, as I CAN be fine with some sort of early check-in, but you just can’t spring it on me 3 hours before you want to arrive. Even the day before would have been sufficient.
Thank you for your wording. To clarify, my unit is in a very rural area, and our guests (driving mainly from a metro area 1 hour away) are there to relax. Many don’t leave the property their entire stay. I definitely would not want any guest to drop off bags early. The unit needs to be ready before the guest enters the driveway or I’m a basketcase.
I don’t mention early and late checkin/out in my listing or Welcome letter anymore. It just invites more requests which = more hassles for me. I’m booked pretty solidly, so can really offer early check in on days blocked off or early departures. When when I do accept early check-in, I’m gracious but in a round about way I make it known that I’m going over and above for them! I’d love to charge an early check-in fee, but I really don’t think it would fly, with the current market here.
I feel like this is one of those areas where hosts shoot themselves in the foot. We want to sound flexible, but the realities of checkout times and cleaning chores are inherently inflexible. The suggestion of flexibility makes it an expectation for some guests, so I don’t even touch it.
My check-in time is 3pm. If someone is paying for the night before, they’re entitled to check out as late as 11am and we need those few hours before check-in to ensure a proper cleaning.
When guests ask for an earlier check-in I either offer them a discount on the night before or tell them that we’ll text them as soon as the place is clean and ready for them, but that it’s usually not much before 2pm.
When the room is free the night before, I offer early check-in to whatever guests are arriving that day, regardless of whether they asked. “Your suite is clean and ready, so you’re welcome to let yourselves in whenever you get to town today”.
Because they never considered early check-in an option, my offer becomes a treat.
For these reasons, I don’t even offer early check-in anymore. I found guests started to expect they’d be allowed to come early, even though I never said it was guaranteed and it has to be arranged a day in advance. Then the guest gets upset and it starts their stay off on a negative note if I have to reject their request for early check-in.
I’ve played around with offering early check-in for a fee or just being firm and not offering it at all. When I have offered it, I state that early check-in may be possible if arranged 24 hours in advance, and for a fee of $25. I never specified in my listing how early a guest could check in for the $25 and would work it out on an individual basis, but never earlier than noon (3 hours early). When my listing was set this way, I would get many requests for early check-in, but once I reminded them about the fee, most would just decide to come in at the official check-in time. Now I say in my listing to please not ask for early check-in or late check-out as it is not available due to the time needed to clean between guests (but I still get requests). I don’t even offer luggage drop-off because I don’t want the liability of watching someone’s luggage in case they claim something was missing from it.
It’s nice to know well in advance, but I let the guest know that I cannot guarantee the “if and when” until the day of. I’m not in the habit of asking current guests when they will be checking out (Rude IMO, they’ve paid to stay until noon.)
Incidentally, my first 4 star review came from - you guessed it - an early check in guest! My “I’ll just park in your driveway and block your garage” guest was a four hour early check-in (your welcome) but did not leave a review.
Hmmmmph. I think I’ve just talked myself out of doing early check-ins at all!
We always charge for early check-in or late check-out because getting in early entails the additional use of electricity/gas and other ammentities as well. Airbnb can be a deal if you are a hassle free traveler. If you are not, but insist on traveling this way, then most likely Airbnb would not save you much money. That’s how I see it.
Well, people are invited to ask, so they’re going to ask.
Guests often ask for early check in and if I can accommodate them - in other words if the previous guests have been very clean and tidy and I only have the one turnover that day - then I’ll let them check in when the rental is ready for them which is usually about an hour before the regular check in time.
I have a five hour turnover window but normally only need four - or less if the departing guests have been super-clean. This allows me to give guests an early check in at no charge.
If they want to leave luggage then I either direct them to a local place that charges a small fee or take them into my own apartment.
Half an hour early isn’t too bad and I’m okay with letting guests sit admiring the view from the dock if necessary.
I often find that guests who ask for an early check in sometimes like the idea of it but then change their minds and spend time elsewhere and arrive at the regular time anyway.
My policy is that check-in is at 4:00 pm. It says it right there in the listing.
I resent guests asking for an earlier time. It is my guest pet-peeve. I do sometimes accommodate an early check-in anyway (putting the ho in superho) I always tell them that I won’t know for sure until the other guests check-out (11 am) and will let them know at 11 am - this is actually true but also has the added benefit of reminding them that they aren’t the only people in the world.
I’ll do 3:00 for someone who is polite or who I feel like especially needs their ass kissed (ho) but will only muster 3:30 for entitled rude guests. If they are granted an early check-in and then don’t show up for it, well, that really ticks me off and I deduct Communication stars for it.
Sometimes, I will let guests (who didn’t ask for early check-in) know that the apartment is ready early for them, as @Allison_H mentioned, as a treat - but you only get a treat if you don’t impose yourself first
This is key! I can’t believe the requests (or sometimes even demands) I get from guests who say their flight arrives at 8 am, as if there’s not another guest staying in the room currently.
“Great! So you’re arriving nice and early so you’ve got loads of time to enjoy some of the fabulous facilities we have locally before the 4 pm check in time. Would you like me to recommend places for you? What sort of things do you like to do? Looking forward to meeting you at check in time later!”
I message guests 7-days before check-in and 24-hours before check-in. In both messages, I tell them to let me know if they need an early check-in as soon as possible and I will try to accommodate them.
I have flexibility because I have set a 1-day preparation time, but guests don’t know that. This is what I’ve settled on:
If a guest asks for a check-in up to 3 hours early, I tell them I’ll do my best and let them know when it’s done. I always make sure it’s done in time, usually the night before, but I don’t tell the guest until I know it’s actually done, which is always morning of check-in.
If a guest asks for a check-in more than 3-hours early, I tell them I will guarantee it for $40, otherwise, there’s no guarantee and they’ll have to wait until I tell them the listing is ready.
I’ve had only 2 guests ask for more than 3 hours early. One paid and checked-in around 9am, the other took their chances and checked-in after noon.
The extra money isn’t the motivator. My goal is to not allow guests to take advantage of me but also to improve my standing with guests while trying not to create unrealistic expectations of other hosts.
I don’t charge for early check-in as I consider it good karma is stuff goes sideways. Internet down, hot water problems, ect… Evens out if the guests have a problem.
Also, rightly are wrongly, some guests will think you nickel and dime them with an early check-in charge.
I always tell them that I won’t know for sure until the other guests check-out (11 am) and will let them know at 11 am - this is actually true but also has the added benefit of reminding them that they aren’t the only people in the world.
