Museums are the best bet nowadays. Some of them still have the big lockers, but almost all have bag check for a reasonable price.
(We rent 3 separate rooms in the apartment where we live.)
Our checkin is 2pm because if another guest is leaving we can only guarantee the room being ready at that time. People can however arrive from as early as 8am and make use of the living room or leave their bags. (Consider it the hotel lobby.) And they can occupy the room the moment it is ready, at latest 2pm.
We can’t put flexible on the checkin hour, because that would mean that people would expect to occupy the room from 6am. No, that would not work… even for us 
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I consider being as flexible as possible a part of the hospitality business. I don’t want people losing their precious travel time in a boring airport or on dangerous streets. And if our ‘unexpected’ flexibility gives us the edge over other hosts that is exactly what I want 
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Oh yes, people can also stay until 8pm 
. Maybe AirBnB should give you an “inflexible” option 
.
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I guess the guest does not understand the expense of maintaining a home, thus in her thoughts this can be done at any price.
This may be a semantics issue around the word “flexible”.
The definitions of “flexible” that I am using are:
- able to be easily modified to respond to altered circumstances or conditions.
- ready and able to change so as to adapt to different circumstances
In your scenario, “flexible” means “check-in anytime” but that isn’t what it means to me (if you look at the defintions above, you may be able to understand why).
I’ve stayed at places with flexible check-ins and check-outs and it means you coordinate the time with the host. Plenty of listings use “flexible” and then make a note about it. Something like “we’re usually ready by 2pm for sure but contact us if you need an earlier check-in because we are flexible when it is possible”.
When traveling, I keep an eye out for these listings because I find them convenient at times (early flight or late flight, etc). So, if you are indeed flexible, then it’s a perk to offer and to advertise it. In some situations, I have browsed purely by check-in or check-out time because I am a responsible traveler. I am not going to book someone with a “3pm - 10pm check-in time” if my flight gets in at 11pm (or 11am for that matter).
I truly understand this concept of flexible check-in times because I have them too. My check-in times are actually flexible at the late end and are listed as such, e.g. “Check-In: 4pm - Flexible”. Consequently, I get a lot of people who arrive very late in the evening/wee hours of the morning, which works for me, so I advertise that. But still no one has ever assumed it was okay to check-in at 2am even though I list it as “flexible”. They always say, “I won’t be there until around 2am, is that going to be okay?”.
They did! It is “4:00 PM”. There is nothing about “4:00 PM” that implies flexibility.
How can you tell a Canadian? They say “I’m sorry” if you accidentally step on their toes. Seriously, I once counted the number of times someone apologized to me when shopping in a Canadian supermarket one day. Five. People apologize if you are walking down the aisle with your shopping cart and pass within half a meter of them.
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That’s nice and all, but many guests don’t understand that “flexible” means “we need to coordinate a mutually agreed time”. Some see it as “whenever I damned well please and you can’t tell me otherwise”. And Airbnb doesn’t have a good track record of supporting hosts in that situation.
And then you get dinged in the ratings.
No, thanks - I’ll keep my “after 3pm” time and flex when I can.
I am a host but sometimes a guest. There are some flights that just get in super early! If I am up all day, then flying all night, all I want is a shower and a bed at 7 the next morning. On those trips I tend to book a big modern hotel with loads of staff and will call from the airport and tell them I am coming in early and that I will take any room they can get me. Virtually always works, then can change rooms the next day…
For somethings AirBnB is not the answer. Really for most stays under 3 or 4 days a hotel is just easier. Come in early they can hold your bags, leaving town at night same deal. Breakfast can be included or delivered. Feeling under the weather, room service. I often suggest to guests who are unhappy about the cleaning fee, or that there really isn’t food delivery in my area to go to a hotel with room service. Lots of folks haven’t learned that an AirBnB isn’t like a hotel but like being a guest in a friend or relative’s home while they are away. It comes with a higher level of care and some limitations But also many many benefits!
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I learned the hard way to say NO. I once had guests who asked if they could leave their bags early at my Airbnb. When they arrived, they left their bags in the dining room as directed and then asked if they could just have a peek of the room they’ll be staying in. I told them that I was in the process of cleaning their room but they were pleasantly insistent. Upon showing them the room, they looked around displeasingly and asked if there were other rooms. “Sorry.”
When they came back at the scheduled time, the woman let me know in a sharp tone that the room looked much better. But, because I had given them leeway, so to speak, they continued to be difficult guests and left me my first 4 rating.
Now I’m a master at saying NO and pretty good at skipping SORRY.
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That’s true. I like to offer early checkin when I can.
It’s a perk for the guest.
Another guest who has yet to come has requested a very early checkin and I have said he is welcome to do so if no one is leaving that day - and if they are he will have to wait until the usual checkin time. I suggested he book the previous night to make sure he gets his early checkin, alternatively he can leave his bag if someone’s there.
He hasn’t replied and so far no one has booked before him . So we wait and see.
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Early check in may be helpful, but it’s an added service that should be billable—- which would probably annoy the guest. I want that time for clean up and repairs and a little break between guests. I’ve had people show up several hours early with no notice or request, so I spell it out in my house rules.
Left luggage is another thing that comes up and has been a pain for me. I need to be present and guests invariably want to enter and see their rooms, which may well be occupied or in the process of being cleaned. So if I’m not cleaning, I need to sit around and wait for them to show up and they are never punctual. Likewise picking up luggage. I refer them to luggage storage services in the tourist areas downtown and just no thanks.
It can be billable, no way it SHOULD be billable. I am a host and I allow early check in for free when possible.
And you don´t offer to keep the luggage? Even Hotels do that. I would not book at your listing for sure lol
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I’m not running a hotel. I don’t have room service, daily cleaning, or other hotel type services either. They have secure storage and 24/7 staff too.
I need to be present when they drop off the luggage an they have invariably arrived late. Then they want to come in with guests still present or cleaning in progress, use the bathroom, etc. Same problem picking up luggage. I don’t need the added intrusions on my time and space. There are some liability risks involved too.
If they want to visit the main tourist spots, they need to travel to my more suburban location to drop off and then travel back to the city center. They can drop their bags off at several locations in the tourist areas for $5/bag size so there are alternatives available.
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You sound like fun host with great hospitality 
When I show up somewhere very early this is what I need, a referral to where I can leave my luggage. It doesn’t have to be free. Early checkin would be a wonderful bonus in the exceeds expectations category. If the host answer is more of the “I have no idea what you should do with your luggage but you can’t leave it here” that is when the 5 star review is in jeopardy.
Sure we are not a hotel. Nor are we a landlord. We are hosts. That implies we can help our guests with their travel questions.
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There are lots of different rentals and different hosts. I have neither the time or space to store luggage nor provide early check-in. If I get the room done before check-in time I send them a message with the door codes, not before. For $60/night in a town where most 2 star hotel rooms start at $200 in the high season, they’re getting a bargain. If they want more, they can book elsewhere.
People give me great reviews for hospitality, and I’m a SuperHost with a 4.95 rating. You can do what you want, and I’ll keep on doing what works for me.
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Every situation is different. If your house is $500 a night you surely might be willing to do more, for $50 I probably am not going to put myself out.
Had a guest who stayed a week and wanted more but place was booked. So they wanted to comeback in a couple of weeks after the next guest had left and stay for 2 months in the winter where I would be lucky to get a weeks rental. You bet I arranged for them to leave their bags. After they booked the two months…
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That’s my case. I put my efforts into amenities. There are chocolates, extra toiletries for those who forgot a toothbrush, razor, etc, extra towels, pillows and blankets, a whole library of local guidebooks, wall maps, fresh milk and cream for the coffee and tea provided, and more. My place is clean, quiet and safe. I have free parking too.
I provide a suite with 2 bedrooms and bath with private entry, microwave and mini, fridge, dishes, coffee and tea for $59/ night for 2 guests. But I don’t offer early check in or left luggage. There’s a limit!
My reviews are at 4.9 stars and I had a 91% fill rate for last year.
How do you offer this early check-in for a fee? When they ask for it? Or so you have this somewhere in your listing profile?
I don’t offer a swimming pool and many hotels do that. Are you going to expect me to have a swimming pool even though I don’t list swimming pool as an amenity?
“Luggage Dropoff Allowed” is just another amenity that can be offered (or not) on the listing. I do not understand the fuss over it.
It is no different than any other amenity that, we as hosts, go in and tick the box that we offer it (or don’t).
If “Luggage Dropoff Allowed” isn’t listed as an amenity, then there is no reason for anyone to expect it (anymore than a swimming pool if it isn’t listed as an amenity).
It is not about hospitality. I am sure that you don’t offer every single amenity on the amenity list. And I am sure that you have your reasons for why you don’t offer every amenity. Hosts who don’t offer “Luggage Dropoff Allowed” surely have their reasons.
I would hope that you are being a responsible guest and only booking listings that have “Luggage Dropoff” as a listed amenity, if you need that as an amenity.
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Haa, love it. 
Sorry to be over the top. 