SUPER POLL on Check IN / Luggage drop off / Check OUT / Luggage storage /

This is why I never do it.

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We live in a very large city, with it’s fair share of real dangers. The city is stretched out and people arrive and leave from different transport terminals (bus, airplane,…) all over the city, with little (or no?) place to practically and safely store their stuff. Lots of buses and airplanes arrive very early or very late. Arriving to the city for the first time must cause some kind of stress to most people.
We rent rooms in the apartment where we live. I mostly work from home or someone else of the family can be here.

If people arrive before official check in, they can occupy their room if available. If not they can drop of their luggage, it is left behind the desk in our living room. Hauling around all their stuff would put them at danger and would negatively affect their travel experience. Most guests will immediately go out after dropping off their stuff, but if all the long traveling has worn them out, they can use the living room to sit down or have a nap. I am aware that it could be weird for guests already staying, but it’s a ‘perk’ all can enjoy. It’s also a situation I don’t expect happening a lot.
Late check out works exactly the same. We don’t mind cleaning a room on a different moment.

Late or very late check in. My hubby usually goes to bed between 12am and 1am. We don’t mind getting up for half an hour if guests arrive at less favorable hours. It’s also a situation I don’t see happening a lot.

Long term luggage storage we have never been asked. Probably we would just put it in our own room, if it’s not too much.

I have travelled a lot in these countries, and I know what I want/need when traveling here. Since none of these perks inconvenience us, I don’t want to inconvenience our guests. Maybe it’s also a certain state of mind we are in. I don’t want to push guests towards hotels.

The cost of it all? Some water for an extra shower won’t kill me.

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I’m puzzled I didn’t see this excellent poll (adding my thanks to @GutHend Guthend) before today, even though I check into the forum most days…

I’ve always tended to think of myself as a bit of a doormat host as I’m very relaxed about all these things, but it’s comforting to see that in general I’m actually in the majority! On the late/early check-in/out question, we usually have a full day blocked between guests and we do our own cleaning, so we can quite easily accomodate this. Also our hosting is seasonal (May-September) so any annoyances don’t have so much time to build up as they might for year-round hosts. We’re also often guests ourselves, so we know how grateful we are to hosts who allow these extras.

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It’s good to remember that 1) most hosts aren’t on a forum and 2) when they are it’s overwhelmingly to complain. The vast majority of Airbnb hosts are doing just fine and have no problems. They don’t even know the sky is falling! LOLOL

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Like GutHend as I see this from more of a traveller point of view. I have been there with too much luggage that I wanted to carry with me …

I remember one time in Mexico in 1992…travelling by bus, bus dropped me off at a crossing in the middle of nowhere …the hike to see some ruins was really way too long to lug the heavy backpack so I left it with some friendly folks at a house at the corner …
Similar 2 years in Panama …left my heavy stuff with the hosts for a few days off to see some island and taking only a daypack … (99.5% of my guests are tourists flying in and out of San Jose or passing through)

So, yes …if it makes a guests travels easier with little inconvenience to me I have always offered to take their stuff - sometimes for weeks or months. I have flexible check-in/out because my set up allowed for it, but then that was for a private room.

It is also not anything that hundreds of guests will actually do. Did it result in better reviews …proably not …did it make the experience better for the guest - sure did.

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Yes I always find that if I agree to early check in the guest is late. Something the questionnaire didn’t cover this time is what length of check in window do you allow i.e. ETA between 5pm and 6pm? I try to whittle my check in window down to 30 minutes as I am in an easy small city location. I do expect guests to message me in advance if the ETA will change. I am not impressed if they wait until the time they’re meant to be checking in to let me know they will be late. Even if I am at home and not juggling appointments, I still want to know the ETA. I want to know when I can relax and cook a meal, take a bath etc…

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To be honest I am getting increasingly frustrated with guests around late check outs.

When they arrive I always remind them about check out times and ask them what time their flight leaves/plans for their final day (most of my guests fly in or have a train or coach booked on their final day).

The vast majority book an evening flight/coach/train. When I ask them what they plan to do with their luggage on their last day, they look at me blankly :frowning:

Recently, I had some travellers who I kindly let leave their luggage and keep their keys to return from a days sightseeing before leaving. Not only did they not thank me but left their room in a state with the duvet dumped on the floor and wet towels thrown across it. And they didn’t bother to lock the door when they left.

Now I’m going to be much stricter.

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Oh Helsi, not you? Somehow it is sort of comforting that a seasoned host, such as yourself, still gets their tail pulled.

No longer will I allow left luggage, early/late check-in or out. We had a lovely couple re-book directly for another w/e, at the last minute from London. They were expected at 7.30 pm, then 10.30 pm, then they hadn’t left, then he had to go home to change his wine-sodden t-shirt at 11.30. When they said they we’re just leaving, at 11.30 pm, would be with us in an hour and a half (1 am), I told them to bugger off; I’m neither a hotel or concierge.

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Ah thanks, there are hosts who are a lot more experienced then me on here :slight_smile: I’ve only been hosting a few years.

Most guests truly don’t read joining instructions or booking details.

If they were staying at a hotel or B&B they wouldn’t assume they can stay as long as they like.

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This happens to me as well in 90% of the cases when guests ask for an early check-in. Recently a guest asked for an early check-in, didn’t inform me that he changed his plans, and showed up an hour after the check-in starts. I got 3 stars for check-in.:face_with_raised_eyebrow:

Did you say something to him about it?

I did, I asked him for an explanation in general as his feedback and stars were completely crazy and contradicting. I wrote about it on a different topic. As for the check-in, he said that my mom (who was welcoming them) said that she loves animals, but doesn’t like to pet them, and this ruined the impression for them, as they came with a dog. I was speechless.

I had a fellow show up two hours before my earliest check in time. He also did not reply to my Airbnb message about check in. Lucky for him the room was ready. I was home and saw him pull in and went to greet him and I told him a few things about the room but I also mentioned he was two hours early. I interpreted the 4 stars for check in to be due to me greeting him/having the nerve to say anything about it not being check in time yet. A lot of people can’t take any kind of challenge/correction/scolding. Especially men being told things by women. So in retaliation he gave 4 stars. 100 people before him and 100 people after him gave 5 stars for check in (not exaggeration) and they had the exact same check in experience. So the only justification I can think of is that one. If I had been away from the house and he rolled up and went in two hours early I’d probably have gotten 5 stars.

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I’m not GutHend, but I offer baggage storage. I have a detached garage with a lockbox on the door handle. Guests can put luggage in there and lock it up. It’s also handy for the few times guests have brought bicycles.

@GutHend - this is a fabulous survey! (and I say that as someone who used to write them professionally)

I found it interesting how many people charged for the extras. I host in one of the most expensive Midwest destination towns, so often guests are paying close to $300/night for the upstairs of my little old house. I may have some guilt about this! At any rate, I suppose they could knock over a glass of wine or flush the toilet a few extra times in the couple hours before or after their official reservation, but it doesn’t seem enough to fret over so long as it doesn’t create extra work for me.

I’ve also been burned by people asking for early check-in who don’t show up for hours later. When I’ve really busted a** to get them in early, that’s super irritating. Now I just offer if it’s getting close to the reservation date and I know the room will be cleaned the night before.

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This is key. If I could get $300 a night for my space I wouldn’t have a second person charge, I’d leave snacks and wine and more.

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I think that was an issue too. But imagine the nerve to nitpick and downgrade someone after they let you check-in 2 hours earlier than they’re supposed to. Or my mom being scolded for such a harmless remark, after she cleaned late the night before so that they could check in early, and preparing the barbecue fire for them when they didn’t know how to do it. I wouldn’t have the heart to downgrade someone for that, even if some sentence did rub me the wrong way.

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Absolutely. It really is all about knowing what works in your home and area.

We’re hell and gone from the highway and I almost never get last minute requests, so I’d lose my shirt if I tried copying what works for you!

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Sadly this is why I had to become stricter. It could be a gross stereotype but perhaps the ones who look at you blankly are not organized in other ways, such as thinking it is a hotel where they are used to leaving a mess.

I’ve told the story of the pushy guests who kept pushing me for constant favors including late check and then when that was a no, checking out, then leaving their luggage, borrowing the snorkel gear, returning it late, and then being clueless enough to ask if they could take a quick shower and use the bathroom when they got back, even though it was 4pm and the room was clean and I was already expecting the next guest. The guy was already down the stairs and on his way into the room when I had to physically stop him. No sorry, the room is clean, you can’t go in!

What part of check out and leave do you not understand? Didn’t say it but thought it.

Then zero thanks or review. So yeah. NO.

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Did you email him to ask why he had done so, given it was himself who was late?

I did, I replied a few posts above.:wink: