LATE DEPARTURE help please

[RiverRock]

@peter1

No i was not happy about the overstay but very little anyone can do

Yes there is a solution, do not allow it. KNock on the door tell them it is time to go.

[Ritz3]

This happened to us a couple of times. I texted them and told them that the cleaning was waiting outside. 30 mins later they still were not leaving, that’s when we knocked on the door carrying the cleaning supplies.

After the second incident, we decided to block two days in between. We now do 5 day min and block two days. It was causing us too much anxiety.

[zillacop]

I usually have a prep before and after each stay which is really good for me. I don’t like being stressed out about getting it done.

That being said, for the first time at this rental I let someone book the same day someone was leaving. Fortunately they left 2 hours ahead so know I can do this, but will not make it a habit.

[peter1]

Not in this case RiverRock - he had gone off to work !!

[peter1]

Thank you for that - constructive.

One other thing i have become aware of is that as a third party booking i should have refused it, as AIRBNB does not allow them other than very specific cases.
I have had quite a number of these before so AIRBNB seems unaware/does not care that it is going on. It is only a issue for the host when their is a problem.

[muddy]

If a booker has a For Work account, do you know if that is visible to hosts? Is there wording like that on their profile? Or is it a matter of having to contact Airbnb to find out and hoping the CS rep is telling you the truth?

[aelilya]

@muddy I’ve read a ton of material on this and looked back at my own “corporate” bookings. I noticed one profile (definitely a personal profile but person was booking for a group from her company) has verifications that include “work email”, which is required for an Airbnb Works account or for an employee to link to their company’s Works program. I’d never paid attention to that before but I will now & ask if they are part of a company Works program. Do post if you find out anything else out.

[casailinglady]

@dpfromva

Please review these guests accordingly so I don’t let them book at my property! Your negative review will have a longer term impact on them than they had on you by giving a one-time pile of grief.

They checked out 3 hours and 20 minutes late??? Please review them with 1* across the board and “would not host again.” I don’t want them.

@muddy

Other hosts have told you they remind guests of check-out time the day before.
And you can pack up the guest’s stuff, remove it from the guest room and start cleaning

this

Especially since, like my listing, it’s a shared home listing. YOur home, your rules.

@jaquo

@peter1

the 3rd party

You live in the same house but expect Airbnb or your guest’s employer to do your job for you?

@peter1

I think it poor that you basically have to remind guests when they are leaving but from peoples comments you do seem to have to do this !.
I do not expect AIRBNB to do my job just back me up when someone overstays !!!

Yes, you have to do YOUR job, which is to remind people that check out time is XXXX. Your basic hotel will send you a message and slide the bill under the door the night before you’re leaving and someone at the front desk will ask if you need anything before you leave.

YOU need to do this, too. We all do it.

Air is a booking platform with some arbitrary rules on their end. The rest of it is up to HOSTS to manage.

@jaquo

And before you accuse me again, of being hostile, bear in mind that everyone here who has posted has the goal of helping you and other readers.

Unpaid, volunteer work. And @jaquo has been in the biz and a moderator here for years and offers very blunt, real, and valuable advise for FREE.

[peter1]

What you have put here is very useful so many thanks.
There is nothing to suggest the 3rd party was a legitimate AIRBNB business booker - apart from the reviews (2 in total which both mentioned the person staying was different to the booker) With hindsight i should have said no but it was a last minute booking - the man was in my house within an hour of the booking being made.
And yes i have learned not to accept last minute bookings - they seem to come back with a nasty bite !.

[muddy]

One of the issues with last minute bookings I know some hosts have had, is that there isn’t enough time for Airbnb to really confirm the guest’s payment. So hosts have had last-minute bookings arrive, then gotten a message from Airbnb that the guest’s payment didn’t go through and that the booking is no longer supported.

It could be a stolen or maxed out credit card issue, or something innocent like the guest typing in the cc number wrong.

I would imagine this wouldn’t happen with guests who had a good history with Airbnb, but with new accounts.

I know that last-minute bookings are some hosts’ bread and butter, depending on their location, like if they’re close to an airport, or a highway, where people on a road trip might wait till last minute, because they don’t know exactly how far they’ll get when they decide they want to stop for the night.

[JohnF]

@muddy

there isn’t enough time for Airbnb to really confirm the guest’s payment.

We have had a few last minute bookings, but not via Airbnb.

TBH, if there’s doubt about payment then they’d have to pay by CC before I’d check them in. Happy to refund if Airbnb come through, but if there is the slightest doubt then sorry, take it up with Airbnb if you’re not happy.

Trust level with Airbnb regarding many facets of their processes is fairly low, so not prepared to expose ourselves to a potential loss.

Hard on guest? Yes, sadly.

JF

[courgette3]

Nowhere in this screed have I read that the host even spoke to the guest. If he lived in the same house as the ‘let’ then surely there was some communication between them? I TALK to my guests, it solves so many problems. They are people, I am a person, we are not robots.

[courgette3]

I meant communication when he first arrived?
Surely that is when the length of stay would be discussed?

[muddy]

Why? I’ve never discussed the length of stay with guests when they arrive. I assume they know how long they booked for and they always have.

[Jefferson]

Absolutely. Good communication avoids many problems. A good lesson learned in this case.
.
We always communicate with our guests shortly after they book, and well before the check-in. For many reasons: validate size of booking party, confirm they read house rules and to show some hospitality (in case you have not visited our area before would you like recommendations on X, Y, Z).

[FTP]

What I’ve learned is to leave a day free between guests just in case of “surprises” which could be any number of things including what happened with your guest.

I know this isn’t feasible for everyone but it reduces the stress of being a host.

And as to communicating with your guests there are some who just don’t pay attention no matter how detailed your instructions.

In this case, pass the fee on to the employer for the late departure.

[amywyo]

This is why I absolutely don’t do 3rd party bookings.

(From googling AIRBNB third party rule)
Booking for friends and family

We’d love to welcome your loved ones into Airbnb. But to help maintain transparency and trust throughout our community, you can’t book on their behalf unless you’re staying together.

Why?

We require all personal travel reservations to be booked by the guests themselves because Hosts rely on reading their profiles, reviews, and other verifications during the approval process. If your friends and family aren’t on Airbnb yet, here’s how to get them started.

(There is a way for people booking business trips for others but they have to be enrolled in the program
“AIRBNB FOR WORK”

Booking business trips for others

If your company is enrolled in Airbnb for Work, you can designate people to book trips on behalf of others.

[peter1]

Well, I did actually tell AIRBNB on the phone when they called me 2 days after the guest left that it was clear the person making the booking was booking on behalf of his employees. 2 out of the 3 previous reviews mentioned the person booking was not actually the guest but the employer. There has been a further review since again mentioning it as a 3rd party booking. The conclusion - AIRBNB still do nothing when told the gentleman booking should really be told to convert his account to a business one. It seems quite a fuss so i can see why the employer cannot be bothered to do this and of course it is the host who is at risk if he accepts a guest inadvertantly. I suspect most hosts do not realise 3rd party bookings can cause complications with any insurance claim with AIRBNB.