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

[Rita662]

Hi there everyone,

My check in between 6 am and 7 am. It may seem like a strange timetable, but I work and make the check in in person. All of this is explained in a very explicit way in the house rules, and to this day, nobody has insisted on other types of requests.

I already had guests who said they would arrive at 9 pm or 7 am, and ask if I'm available to check in. As they talk about a specific time, and give all the information about the flight or the bus, I make an exception.

[Jocelyn47]

Rita,

What an amazing check in rule to match your needs.  Guests traveling from one city to your place need to wake up before daylight to make your schedule?  Do not think your accommodation would work the way we  enjoy to travel.

[Trevor243]

We have multiple properties and have a standard check-in any time from 3pm (access by key safe) and check-out by 10am - most other hosts here have similar times. It works. Our cleaners have time to do the changeovers. Guests can let themselves in even if they're late.

Occasionally someone requests an early check-in - if it's an hour and if we can swap the order of cleaning, we might say yes, but always with the caveat that it depends on previous guests checking out on time and leaving properties in good condition, so we never guarantee anything.

[Jenny1058]

Our times are 4pm (or later) for check-in and 10am for check-out.  This seems to work well for most of our guests.  We have allowed early check-in, but we always check with our cleaners first.  We've also allowed late check-out, especially when a guest is just there for the weekend and we don't have the next guest until Monday.  

[Yulianna0]

I have very special check in frame: from 8 PM till 2 AM, check out time is 1 PM. Shure that it is very convenient for those who have arrivals at late hours. There are not so many options for them, so most people are happy.

But on the other hand there are many, many people that clearly show me that they even did not read the title. Easy to recognize problematic  guests:) 

[Ahmed340]

I always welcome the.host 24 hours 😉

[Lisa1247]

Hello everyone,

I am in the US and have been hosting nearly 2 years.  Let me tell you that I work nights.  I do allow a day in between, which I have to have, because of where I work nights, I sleep until 3pm quite often, and then clean, so it can be quite late.  Hubby is up and around if there were any problems with people not checking out (never has happened).  I intially had a check-in of 3pm, and a checkout of 11am.  I found that I had many early arrivals, often surprising me or even beating me to the space, as I attempted to finalize the preparation - turning on heat, music, and so on, upon just waking up!  So I've changed check in time to 4pm, and that has helped a lot, and if they are a few minutes early, I don't mind.

I did have one couple who didn't read ANYTHING about the listing, -- there is always somebody who messes it up for everyone, isn't there?!  The couple didn't send any messages prior to arrival, where I ask them to send a time they might arrive, and didn't get any response at all.  The folks called my phone early in the morning on arrival day (I was asleep - I work nights), then sent several messages, asking if I could take their bags early.  They would have known that I didn't, if they had read the listing.  They would have also known that I work nights, but... you know... then they simply showed up!  At a very early hour for me!    They patrolled all over my property, going up to what would eventually be their door (at 4pm) although they didn't enter, walking all around, and then moving their car from that driveway over to mine, and finally banging on my door, which did wake me up, although I did not get up at that time.  Waking me up so early made not feel well for that whole day so it really wasn't welcome at all.  It took me a couple of days to get back to myself.  I didn't know what it was until later upon viewing my Ring cameras and seeing the messages.  I wasn't at all impressed that the guests were so rude to have ignored all directives after I had sent messages that went unread, so it was a tense stay 😕 

Otherwise I have had lovely guests.

[Amber1]

The perfect check in time is whenever the guest feels like showing up. They completely ignore check in times because Airbnb treats this more like a hotel room rental with a 24/7 staff than a single indivdual sharing their spaces. 

Might as well get rid of check in windows since there are no consequences if they miss them.

[Ale113]

Check out: 12pm

Check in: 3pm-flexible

Early checkins 15-25€ extra charge. 

[Wendy684]

I have flexible check-in and out times. I think it's set to check out before 11 and check in 2-10pm. I have had both earlier and later. However I ask guests to let me know when they are arriving approximately. Because I am not home all that time. I set a wide open flexible check in time to convenience guests and because I am around and about and often home so can accommodate such. But I am not home through out the whole of those times.

Unfortunately while most guests are good at letting me know about their plans a few are not. I have a post in help about just this. Guests failing to inform on when they will arrive and expecting me as a host to be there the entirety of time between 2 and 10pm like a hotel reception. One even rating me down falsely claiming I was late -because after she failed to tell me when she was arriving I told her I would be home at 4pm.  

So yes this is an especially interesting topic to me. Very Pertinent. Good to see how others manage. 

Personally I don't want to stop being flexible since most guests are good with it.