Check in Instructions shared with guest too early.

[Alison564]

Hello all,

I have keyless entry to our outside apartment building door and the suite door which I change the codes to before each new guest. I always inform the guest when I accept the booking that I will be updating the codes prior to their check in. Then the day prior to check in I remind them I have updated the codes and they will be able to access this info from their Airbnb confirmation email under trip itinerary amd I ask them to confirm they have received this information.  

I am not sure what is happening on the Airbnb side if they send a link for the check in instructions to the guests once booked? My concern is that the new guests are looking at the check instructions that are not yet updated with the new door codes. My guest checked  in yesterday and couldn’t access the suite as he had looked at the check in instructions prior to me updating them and had the wrong code. My previous guest had not checked out until the day prior so I wait until they have checked out before I update the codes in case they need to access again. 

This is the second time recently that this has happened and with the previous guest it was a few days prior she let me know she had received the link for the check in instructions but I had not yet updated the codes. 
I have not had any problems before this in the 2 years we have been hosting so I feel there has been a recent change on the Airbnb side.

This is also a huge security breach that the new guest can access the check in instructions with the present guests door codes. All I can think is to go in and blank out the code once the guest has checked in but the guest may forget the code and want to access again to confirm it. Possibly I should not include door codes in the check in instructions and just send via inbox messages before check in. 

I have contacted Airbnb support about this but while waiting for their response I would like to know how other hosts are coordinating their check in instructions and when the new guest should be able to access their instructions. 

Thanks,

Alison 

[Colleen253]

 @Alison564 I’m not sure what may have changed, if anything. Airbnb does have a frustrating habit of not keeping hosts abreast of small tweaks that they make, and the platform is subject to an insane amount of bugs and glitches. To my knowledge, access to check in instructions is granted 48 hours prior to the start of a booking. My guest codes are always the last four digits of the phone number on the booking. This makes it easy as the check in instructions don’t need updating, and guest will never forget the code. Code is removed at checkout, and new one is input just before checkin. 

[Alison564]

Thanks @Colleen253, great idea using their phone number. I could do that for the Suite door but our outside door is a different keyless lock and unable to pick numbers for that one. 

[Clara116]

@Colleen253 @Alison564 I read recently that a guest had gone away and her abusive ex found her there ----- he knows that many hosts on Airbnb use the last 4 digits of the phone of the person as the door code. She had the same phone.....He got in with the door easily and was able to go after her again. 

So I no longer use last 4 digits of phone for door code. I use random numbers....Security first always....we know there are some crazies out there and we have to remember this. Its an easy thing. Could keep someone from getting killed. 

Just my take on it these days.

[Lisa723]

@Alison564 @Colleen253 I believe Airbnb sends the link to check-in instructions three days before check-in, and always has. I would/do not put key codes in those instructions because there is no way to link them to a specific reservation. Any guest who has received the check-in instructions link can access it at any time, so any past guest could see the current code if you do it that way. I send codes separately, and the check-in instructions just say that the code is in their messages.

https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/1926/how-do-i-add-checkin-instructions-to-my-listing

[Alison564]

Thanks @Lisa723, I just removed my codes from the check in instructions. Not sure why Airbnb doesn’t include that advice in their link above and I should of realized this before. Always learning something new. Appreciate the advice, thanks! 

[Lorna170]

@Alison564   I have never trusted the door access codes to an OTA website as I have no idea as to when they would make those codes available to the guest (or their guests).  I change the code for each guest when housekeeping changes over the property, and I send that code in PDF that is emailed to the guest with our welcome information.   It does mean that housekeeping has to know what to change the code to, so I add that to their cleaning calendar.  

P.S.  Older guests tend to read the welcome email and print out the driving directions and door access codes.  Younger guests will ignore the PDF and even if they make it to the cabin, have to drive back down the road until they have phone service to call me and get their code.  The App entry says to read and print the Welcome Package PDF I sent.  READ....what a concept.

[Lisa723]

@Lorna170 PRINT... what a concept. As far as I can tell most people of my children's generation do not own a printer. I do but I still don't want to carry paper around with me while traveling.

[Lorna170]

@Lisa723  I send it as a PDF so that the guest can "print" to their phone (i.e., save it to their files and not to the cloud)  if they do not own a physical printer.   The PDF informs them that cell phone service will be spotty while driving to the cabin and that until they connect to the cabin Wifi, they probably won't have phone/internet/GPS service.  So save or print out the PDF.  They still have to READ...

Reminds me of the teacher who told the students taking a test to read the instructions.  Only one student read that they "did not have to complete the test,  just deliver the paper to the teacher and leave the "exam" with an A".  

[Alison564]

Hi @Lorna170thanks and yes I have had a few that do not READ any of the info in the check in instructions until they are at the door trying to get in. I have now deleted my codes off the check in information and will send each guest their code once they are booked. We are fortunate with these locks we can remotely change the code and set dates and times to them so they will not work 30 min after check out time of 11 am. 
I don’t think the check in instructions are open to all as will be provided only to confirmed guests and I change the codes with each guest. I didn’t realize the new guests can access the information 3 days prior to check in so that’s where the problem was in they were seeing the codes from the previous guest. 
Glad I am getting some very good answers from the community, no answer from Airbnb support as of yet. 
Thanks everyone! 

[Lisa723]

@Alison564 I will send you a DM showing that check-in instructions are visible to anyone who has ever received the link, regardless of whether they have a current reservation.

[Lenore22]

That's crazy.

[Barbara83]

The information you put in the trip itinerary is a general description that every guest has access to. I wouldn't put the codes there, but send the updated code in their inbox before the check in...

[Alison564]

Hi @Barbara83  thanks and that what I plan on doing now. Not sure why I started putting them in the check in instructions. Initially I used to send the codes via in box message. 
I appreciate the all the help, thanks. 

[Lenore22]

This is what I do as well and it allows me to hold back until they've paid extra pet fees/deposits, etc