I know some of these guests need educating. Tye place doesn’t clean itself magically. And how do I allow someone to check in before the check out time of the guest staying the night before?
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RIGHT!. I fully agree that guests need educating. The hotel industry never really cared to do this much, instead, they took a CC and punished guests. That worked, but it didn’t alter behaviour, and we also are dealing with a different generation of people, which goes deeper than you think. for a start, 30-something millennials are often still renting, they are not homeowners. i personally love the Gen X and Boomer homeowner demo, cos they know and understand the realities of owning a property. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg!
Once guests found airbnb the old habits re-emerged, amplified by the entitlement we see in modern generations, and we don’t get any punitive measures. So what can we do when ABB won’t do a damn thing?
I’ve started mentioning in reviews that the guest asked for an early check-in, because I suspect this is a standard pattern from these types of people, and we need to call it out. Politely of course!(not that they care, but other hosts/guests will). Generally, I say “XYZ guest requested and enjoyed early check-in” … this might just stop them from asking for it every time.
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I think it’s more presumptuous than entitled. I’ve had these kind of people too, and I have one booked who requested checking out several hours late. That’s not gonna happen without an extra night being booked.
Some people think if you say no once, if they rephrase and repeat their request you’ll magically say yes. If they get there early, you’ve told them twice that you can’t accommodate them. Point them towards the nearest coffee shop and they can enjoy the local atmosphere.
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I agree that it sounds like non English language as much as entitled language.
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I agree 100x with @helsi.
The majority of my guests are fly-ins. Planes can land well before my check-in time of 4 pm. Almost invariably they ask me if they can check in early. I say that the previous guests will be in the apartment until 11am and then I need to clean and prepare the place.
I’ve never had a guest who hasn’t accepted that explanation. I tell them that they can leave their luggage with me if they wish and that I will text them if the apartment is ready early and suggest places to go.
Although the OP’s guest might only have one Airbnb review she might have been travelling for years and been accustomed to asking ‘just in case’.
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Thing is, house_plants is in the hospitality industry and it might not be the right thing for them. One google definition says: the friendly and generous reception and entertainment of guests, visitors, or strangers.
The initial reply saying; ‘I told her to cancel’ shows nothing of that …(perhaps the host in this case is the entitled one?). I would be quite wary of a host that gets back to me with this attitude.
Now what is the underlying problem? Why are guests asking about early Check In?
How does one get to the island? Driving? Ferry? Do guests have their own transportation? Perhaps the host needs to look at it from the perspective of the guest freshly arrived on the island.
I host in a beach area, so guests want to enjoy more time at the beach and come early. In cases where I can’t offer early check in, I have a luggage drop option or self check in.
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that was my whole intention… I wanted her to cancel because she was asking for something I do not provide… early check-in. I wanted her to conclude that this is not a host she should stay with. I have too many favorable reviews, so she might have given me the benefit of doubt.
I’m pretty sure the demands for things I do not provide will continue from her. I’m just going to keep saying not available.
She told me today she has a rental car and she will be coming from another accommodation. I suggested her to ask for a late check-out at the other place 
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I used to live in New Zealand, I was the representative for post graduate students-and sometimes I was called upon to help foreign students with their correspondence in English, their second language.
What I found most often was that their correspondence lacked “niceties”, such as “I am arriving in your city much earlier than the check in time listed on your site. Is there any way possible I could come earlier? And if not, can you tell me if there is a coffee shop where I could wait until check in time?”
Instead these foreign students would be brutally direct because they used the English NEEDED to convey their information, which they thought was enough-
This is my long winded way of saying the request reads like it is from a person where English is a second language or they may be using a translating app.
That’s my take!
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I read this as her asking if early checkin is available, and when you answered, “no”, she states that she can live with the “regular” checkin time. Then, after seeing it’s not available for early checkin, she just confirms that you’ll be available to check her in at the “regular” time. At least that is how I would interpret this correspondence.
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I reward people who repeatedly ask for early check-in, either show up early, or don’t check out on time with a 1 * review. I make it clear to everyone that early check-in/late check-out will not be possible. Most don’t harass once it’s clearly written to them.
If they still don’t comply, they will be rewarded with a 1* review.
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I have a guest checking in today who sends me this message at 10:30 AM.
Hello! can we do an early check in? we just landed at ABC and would be great to head there now.
No acknowledgment from the guest that the check-in time is later and how inconvenient this would be for this host and cleaning crew.
I sent him three messages previously asking about approximate check in time. He didn’t bother to respond.
Surely deserves a 1* review.
I am on the fence about this. Unless it is a ‘rule’ you listed and they are referencing the rule, then guests asking you for anything does not require mention in a review.In fact, giving them a lower star rating because they ‘asked’ is really not the way reviews are supposed to work. Just like hosts who come here and say incredulously “they said it was a wonderful stay but they gave me 4stars overall”, reviews are not for punishment… especially when asking for something is simply a request.
Also remember that while to you this is something that is annoying enough to make you think to put it in a review, there are many hosts who see guests asking for something they can provide as a plus. For my airbnb, I never have the ability to provide early etc but I certainly use the request reply as a way for the guest to feel that I am “on their side” and that they leave the interaction with a positive feeling for me as host.
You are in the hospitality business…
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Yes, absolutely. I will do what it takes to please them so they leave me a five star review!
Many times it is not a request. It is a demand. Once it is made clear, it is not available; it should stop. If it doesn’t, then it is harassment at that point.
If you want early check-in, book the night before. But these types of people rarely do that. Why should freeloaders who harass hosts, get five-star reviews?
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Wow good to know I’d avoid hosts who did this @house_plants
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Thanks. I wish freeloaders would avoid my listing, but they don’t 
So, I would mention this in the review only if they repeatedly requested an early check-in when I had said it was unavailable, or had requested an early and free check-in so early as to be unreasonable. In each case I wouldn’t characterize it, but just matter-of-factly relate it.
Our listing has a 4 pm check-in. Based on a tip I received here we say that if a check in before 3 pm is requested and available the additional charge is 50% of the nightly rate, including charges for additional guests.
However – and I cannot explain or justify my behavior here – we sometimes give the early check-in before, even well before 3 pm, if available at no charge. I think my thinking is that if a guest seems to be entitled or unreasonable in asking for an early check-in, say at 10 am., I am likely to remind them of this rule. If the guest is very nice about it, and it’s available, I’m likely just to give it to them. I really react to the tone and content of the request.
I’m not sure if this is ‘right’ or ‘smart’ hosting. I really haven’t fully thought it through, but this is what we do.
Letting you know they may check if early check in is available on the day is not harassing you. @house_plants
You asked for feedback and every host who replied suggested you were overreacting .
Seems you haven’t changed your mindset . Not sure what the point of your initial post was 
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So now I’m a free loader because I don’t want to book with a host who doesn’t seem to understand the concept of hospitality- interesting @house_plants
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In which category?..
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To me, there is nothing wrong with a guest asking, and I agree that if they continue to ask or demand when they have already been told no, that is harrassment.
However, giving a guest a 1* in all categories review, if they otherwise were non-problematic, is unfair, and misleading to other hosts (asking for an early check-in may be quite situational, such as an early morning flight, and never be asked for on future bookings) . A lowered communication rating, depending on how their other communication was, would be warranted, but certainly not 1* in the other categories, just because they were annoying about early check-in.
Asking for early check-in doesn’t fall under disrepecting house rules, IMO- following house rules has to do with behavior, not words. If they showed up early, ignoring the no early check-in rule, or didn’t respect check-out time, that would fall under the house rules category, but just asking, even if they ask repeatedly and annoyingly, is a communication issue.
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