Late Guest Check Ins

[Simon690]

Looking for some feedback on this rather frustrating set of circumstances - 

Reservation - 11 nights, 2 guests, Monday - Friday the following week.

Contacted Sunday afternoon - we cannot arrive Monday due to family emergency, hope to still check in either Friday or Saturday, will contact you the day before to let you know.  Is this OK?

Er, not really, as this is my main residence I have obviously had to make my own accommodation reservations for the duration of your reservation.  I will also be 200+ miles away, and as I do not offer self check in (seriously, who would give out information on how to access your property to someone you've never met?) I will then need to come all the way back to do the final preparations and check in.  But this is a 'family emergency' so what can I say but 'OK'.

I send messages to them on both Thursday and Friday enquiring about when they will be arriving, but hear nothing back until my 3rd message on Saturday - they now want to check in on Monday, but will confirm on Sunday once they have flown back into the UK.  Worries of vaccine status and quarantine come into mind here.

Sunday 9pm they message me - we have decided to cancel the rest of our stay, sorry for the inconvenience.  Grrrr!  But, OK, now I am no longer in limbo, as I had been for the whole week, unable to make firm plans in case they were checking in the following day - I can now commit to Monday to Friday elsewhere, returning for a new guest's arrival on Saturday.

On Tuesday the guests make contact again - they have changed their minds and would like to now check in on Wednesday.  Er, no, I say, you have cancelled the reservation, although, my error, they have not actually cancelled the reservation in Airbnb's system (I didn't see the need, to ask them to do so).

They then are very rude and accuse me of not be understanding to their family emergency and taking their money for nothing - strewth, I have offered them 4 different check in days, have spent a week in limbo, have lost a week of my holiday, and they accuse me of not understanding!

To my mind this is a blind spot in Airbnb - what do other hosts do who rent out their main residence?  Where do they go?  Airbnb says the guests have the right to check in on any day in the duration of their reservation, but for me this misses out on any additional costs a host might incur, additional travel expenses from changing existing bookings, having to drive back to the property, or finding someone else to prepare and check the guests in.  Were the property an annex or granny flat to a main residence, or a buy to let, then the circumstances would be different, but this is my one and only residence.  Surely, any additional costs incurred as a result of late check in can be charged to the guests.  And how many dates can the guests say they will check in and change their minds before you say, enough, you're messing me around, I am not here for your beck and call, I have my own plans that cannot be changed on your whim?

Thoughts?

[Emiel1]

@Simon690 

Your circumstances are implying you have to be more strict to the guests and yourself, which means asking them to change the reservation ("change" option). The first time it should be shortened by a 4 or 5  nights . The second time the announced cancellation was not performed and also no second change was requested.  It's one or the other !

You are not resposible for "family circumstances" of the guest, they can have travel insurance for that and better cancel the whole trip before check-in.

[Judith459]

Some people are just highly inconsiderate. I have one jerking me around in a similar way right now. Book, cancel, reserve, then awaiting payment for a week, then asks to extend, all while she hasn’t paid, then changes arrival time. Wants to check in 3 hours before check in time, then wants to hold the extension while taking two days to decide. Now the night before her reservation ends, she’s still of two minds whether to extend or not. Oh after she arrives, she invites her husband, so there are now two people in my home, for a single guest’s booking. Getting my money for the extra guest? I’ve been awaiting payment for 3 days!!! Meanwhile, the fee for the early check in is not even being mentioned. All this trouble, for a two night stay!!!!! And with constant text messages and phone calls to hold her hand along the way! 

Totally not worth the trouble. Now I’m becoming more careful and more alert to the flags in the conversation with such time wasters! It’s so exasperating! Meanwhile, they’ve blocked other people from accessing those days on your calendar, and potentially costing you money!