How to decide on the perfect check-in time?

[Stephanie]

Hi everybody, 

Setting a check-in time is something all hosts have to do. When you think about it, there are a few things you have to take into consideration which allow you as a host to balance both our private life with a  good experience for your guest. 

Perhaps you base your check-in timings around when you are able to meet your guests, or when you think your home will be ready if you had an earlier check-out, or even what you think will be most attractive to your guests.

How did you select your check-in time? Do you think it impacts bookings?

Stephanie

[Christine1081]

I have a set check in time but always offer flexibility based on what their agenda is and how easy it is for me to accommodate based on my schedule for the day. I think just be flexible and open.

[Stephanie]

Great to hear you are able to alter you checkin times for your guest, I'm sure they appreciate it @Christine1081 . Are you on-site for checkin or do you use some other technique to allow the guest entry to your listing?

[Valerie398]

That’s exactly how I do it too.  There is nothing worse than arriving somewhere because if flight times, and having to wait 6 hours before checking in. I sometimes allow late checkout too - no extra cost. 
Time is money, but my time is my own to give or not as I choose. 🙂
:

[Huma0]

@Stephanie 

I work from home, but am quite busy, plus of course, like any other host, I have guest turnovers to think about. I need some structure to my working day, otherwise life would be chaos. So, I tried to base my check in/out times similarly to hotels.

Intially, I had a check out of 12pm and check in of 3pm, which is what I find to be the norm at most European hotels (I stay in a lot of those for work) but found that this was sometimes a bit too tight as not all guests leave on time, so I changed the check out to 11am, which is more in line with UK hotels (some of those have check out as early as 10am).

This more or less works for me, but the other thing is that I rarely let guests do early bag drop offs anymore because, unfortunately, I got messed around a lot by a few guests over this, e.g. they said they would just drop off their bags but then insisted on checking in, using the bedroom, the bathrooms etc. while I was in the middle of cleaning them and then rated me down on cleanliness! (I started a whole separate thread about that dilemma).

Whilst I would like to be more flexible, unfortunately, some guests have kind of ruined it for the more respectful ones (and you don't always know which kind of guest you're going to get). So, I find it's better to stick to your workable perimeters (SIC?) rather than go prematurely grey.

[Sarah977]

My check-in time is super flexible, as I work from home and leave myself a day between bookings. So as far as I'm concerned, guests can check in from 11AM-11PM. This has worked for all my guests except one who was arriving in town at 9AM and I made an exception for her. (She had been very respectful, messaging that she realized 9 was too early to check in and would just find a cafe to hang out in until 11).

I do, though, require that my guests give me an approximate arrival time, as I also have places I need to be outside of the home and can't just be home all day waiting for a guest to arrive. All my guests have been good about this except a few who assumed they could just go shopping or out to eat without letting me know they'd be an extra couple of hours past when they had said, and that did irritate me. 

[Linda108]

Like @Sarah977, I allow a day between reservations which allows me breathing room to allow early check in.  In my private home listing, I need to introduce guests to the dog, so I need a pretty firm ETA.   I do not want to make this "gig" to be like work as I am retired.  I understand not all hosts have that option.

[Daveena0]

I tend to follow the Aussie hotel norm which is check-in after 2pm and check out at 11am.  If I can be flexible I will, ie if there is no guest the day before so the room is ready anyway or no new guest checking-in the same day so they can leave a little later.  But, I agree with the others that is has to work for you as well.  I have a lockbox so even if I am not home it doesn't matter what time they come.  The early bag drop is a challenging one as here in Australia a lot of the international flights get in really early in the morning.  If I have guests checking out that day it's easy to say no, if I have guests checking out at 11, I'll say the earliest someone can bag drop is 12 noon as that gives me time to strip the bed etc.  It does get irritating when some guests seem to expect that Airbnb hosts would allow an 8am check-in when a hotel does not. 

[John_Mary1]

On another forum a host speculated that some guests had become addicted to early check-ins and always asked for one regardless of their real needs.  I have been following her example and asking why in the nicest way possible.

For example a guest we had two weeks ago.  The conversation went like this:

Guest

I land at 7 am.  Could I have an early check-in please?

Me

We can't check you in because the guests in your room won't be checking out until 10 am and it takes us a couple of hours to clean your room and the bathrooms.

Guest

Can I drop my bags off early then please?

Me

Yes of course.  Your options to get here from the airport are the Shuttle Bus which will drop you off at their stop which is about 500 metres from our home.  Or you could take Uber or a Taxi right to our door.

Guest

I'm hiring a car ..... don't worry about the early check-in.

[Sharon683]

I have had similar experiences.  I just tell them "No".  I will not allow it.  I have heard too many problems.

[Brian612]

I follow the typical hotel check in and check out times (3pm check in, 11am check out). Just feel most people would be most familiar with this when staying at booked lodgings.  I am flexible on request. 

[Huma0]

I totally understand why people want early check ins (or at least to drop their bags) if they are arriving in the location early. I would certainly ask if it was  possible in that situation (although I would only ask once and not press the point over and over if told it wasn't).

If guests are arriving a fair bit before the check in time, I send them links to inexpensive luggage services (£5 a day including insurance, which is cheaper than the return tube journey here). If they are going to be arriving a bit early, but not hours, then I suggest places they can stop for lunch or a coffee while I finish getting the place ready.

What I've found is that now that I've become more strict about my check in times, guests are much more likely to accept them and see them as normal. When I did offer more flexibility, people asked for an inch and took a mile.

I'm more flexible about check out time or leaving bags to collect later because, by that point, you have a sense of if the guest is respectful and responsible or not. I've had occasional issues over this but not many, whereas getting guests to stick to the check in times used to be a nightmare. 

[Sharon683]

Now I have allowed guest to leave their luggage in my garage the day of check-out.  Sometimes their flight is not until later in the evening and they want to do one last city tour.  So far I have not had any problems.

[Sharon683]

My check-in is at 3:00 pm and check-out is at 11:00 am.  I have on occasion allowed 2:00 pm check-in.  I will allow 11:00 am check-outs if requested by the guest.   I never allow guests to drop off luggage prior to check-in.  I work in the field, so it is important that I get the exact ETA so that I can rearrange my work schedule to greet them.  I do allow self-check-in when I'm not available.  I just inform the guest that I will arrive in a few hours to give them an orientation of the house and re-read the rules to them.  I have the RING doorbell so when they do a self-check-in they can show me their picture ID in the camera.

[Helen427]

Hello fellow Community Centre readers, from

over here in Auckland, New Zealand.

Whilst I've my settings for check in as 3pm and check out at 10am I offer a flexible check in option as everyone's needs are different.

It allows both myself & my guests flexibility without feeling restricted, or back at school!!

There's a few of us who live in Auckland who when we meet up we all have a tendency to be on time, "our time" so none of us are ever too late, or too early....

Thankfully most of my Guests have the same attitude & flexibility 😉

I include in my listing to advise an approximate ETA before arrival day so I can also have a life, so far it's worked well.

I also ensure guests know if for any reason their plans change, traffic hold ups, lost, or for any reason they may not be arriving at the said to time to send me a message, as I do myself.

 It's good manners and courteous to treat others how one would like to be treated.

All the best