Do you let them stay during the day?

[Sarah315]

Hello All

Interested in your thoughts or usual practice on this one - I've been doing AirBNB for around 10 months now continuously while not working and at home most of the time, with about 40 bookings completed.  I'll be working again soon and plan to honour the AirBNB bookings I already have.  Some bookings (mainly longer term ones of 5 days or more, say) stay at home during the day - hanging out in the kitchen or their room.  Is this a practice you experience or are happy with, or do you expect people to leave in the morning and return in the evening - as the name suggests?  If it's usual that they leave or you expect this, I'd find your advice and tips on how to be clear about this, yet pleasant (!) really helpful!

Thanks in advance! 

[Cynthia-and-Chris1]

The short answer:  YES, OF COURSE!  You can't lock them out!

This previous post might help:  https://community.airbnb.com/t5/Community-Help/Do-private-room-renters-get-keys-to-the-front-door/m-...

[Hilary-And-Ed0]

I have thought about this too, although I am still new and it has not come up yet.  I do not feel that I could prevent people hanging around.  However, when I am communicating with people prior to their booking, I have made sure that they are coming to this area for a reason (tourist, children graduating from college, professional conference, medical rotation), language course.  That way I have been able to ensure that people tend to be busy during the day. 

So I guess the best you could do is screen for their purpose for being in the area.

[Zacharias0]

Some people provide absolutely  the least amount of details about WHY they are coming. Its a bit frustrating, but they stay for two days and it goes by fast.

[Hilary-And-Ed0]

Yes, I could imagine that.  I would likely not accept a request from someone who is coming for no reason at all (or one that they did not  want to divulge..)

[Zacharias0]

Youd run a lot of people away with a house rule stating your guest must be out of the house between certain hours. They are paying per day not per hour. It may be wise to put travel guides in the room or give them ideas of what to do to keep them out of the house.

[David126]

Traditional B&B's were somewhere you booked on your annual trip ro the seaside, and you were expected to be out in the morning and not back to tea time, pretty sure that era has long gone.

[Mark26]

My listings are all fully self-contained apartments.  Guests come and go throughout the day at their leisure, and it really doesn't matter to me what they do or what time they do it.  Some come here to visit family and friends in the local area, others just to get away for a few days.  Whether they are sitting inside watching TV all day, sitting outside in a rocker reading and drinking adult beverages, or walking to the beach with a chair and umbrella in hand is immaterial.  All that matters is that they have a good time.

There are three "Traditional" Bed and Breakfast operations within a mile of me. One of them is right next door, and their guests tend to do exactly the same thing.  They come and go all day long.

[Paul154]

Sarah, YES OF COURSE, you can do anything you wish.

This is Airbnb. It is your house, your rules.

You will be at a disadvantage to other hosts, so you would have to make it up with pricing and incredible marketing.

You would have to be very upfront about your expectations and methods to enforce ( no wifi 8 - 5?, No heat?, No water?)

One guy only accepts one day stays and has a late checkin and an early check-out. Very intrigueing.

A less formal way to get them out of your house is to make your house more inhospitable. No TV. No kitchen access. Host a book club. Practice the piano.

Have you every noticed how no one ever uses a hotel's lobby sitting area?  They make it "seem" attractive  with out it being hospitable. And like other people have suggested, supply them with activities nearby.

I have been blessed with guests who stay many days and never stay at my house during the day.

[Robin4]

@Sarah315

Sarah, generally guests who book for multiples of days do expect that they can spend some 'down time' during those days without having restricted access. You can imagine that having been out for the morning they would want to have a snack for lunch before going out again, maybe have an afternoon nap before going to an evening show. There are all sorts of reasons why reasonable hours access is really a pre-requisite of any accommodation. Certainly set a night time entry limit if the listing is a private house, but during daylight hours is going to offer some problems for you, and I can't see a way of doing that which will suit both you as the host and the guests. About the only way I could see that working is to only take multiple day stays from students or workers who have a regular daytime regime!

I can't find it written in the rules where guests who are staying for longer than one night have restricted occupancy hours but I imagine it would be against the spirit of the Airbnb hosting agreement to say that space they have paid for for consecutive days is in fact only available at certain times over those days.

I guess there is nothing to stop you from saying, unfortunately access to the property is only available between the hours of........... but you would need to display it very prominently on your listing page or else I can see you getting a complaints from irate guests.

Cheers....Rob

[Kelly149]

@Sarah315 @Robin4 I'm thinking I saw once @@Andrea had a listing that said this ... I work from home so my listing is best for those who have plans to be out exploring during the day...

i don't think you could spring this on pre-existing reservations but might set proper expectations going forward 

[Robin4]

@Kelly149 

You are right Kelly, now that you bring it up I do remember seeing that.....aren't you the one with the good memory!!

But @Andrea's statement is implying that she wants them out of her hair and her workspace during the day, and is the basis for a reasonable comment to the guest. She doesn't want the guest messing up that exquisitely crafted jewelery during the course of fabrication!

@Sarah315's situation though is a bit more difficult in so much as, what she is infering to the guest (and no offense to you Sarah)....she doesn't want them or trust them being there when she isn't, and possibly guests may find that a bit offensive.

I think Andrea's comment is straightforward but Sarah's needs considerably more tact, and I am going to give that some thought!

Cheers....Rob

[Kelly149]

Yes @Robin4 you're exactly right, I read that backwards. @Sarah315 Said if I'm gone I'm nervous they're around. 

I think any shared space host needs to develop procedures that make them feel good about guests being in while we are out: locks for private spaces, etc. surely there have to be moments if a stay where you as the host need to go out? I'd feel utterly trapped if I wasn't going to be able to leave the house at all during a guest's stay

however 

[Kelly149]

However, I think Andrea's language of "listing is best for those with activities planned" or similar is reasonable regardless 

[Andrea9]

@Sarah315, hi,

Just noticed this thread. I'm the Andrea that's being talked about 🙂

Now, if you're afraid they'll go through your stuff, try to remove sensitive things to a more secluded spot and maybe even lock the door to your bedroom/office.

If it's because you need some personal space, then it's important to communicate this clearly in your description. Feel free to check out my listing about this. I normally get mostly 2-4 day bookings to sightsee or work. Personally I've noticed that it's mainly the really young ones who usually don't have their own place yet and want to really savor what they booked. The others are out and about.

I don't have IB on and for every inquiry or request I first send a friendly message thanking them and usually (unless I'm not sure) tell them they're welcome to book/stay and in their interest want to make sure it's what they are looking for, hope they've read in my description the bit about the stairs (a weak point guests often miss), the room type (it's a kind of luxury 'tent', and want to be sure they don't miss it), and the fact that I mainly work from home during week days 11-17h?

Works like a charm.