Am I correct in thinking you have to have a whole day free both before and after a booking?

[Jamie52]

Hi there,

I am a new host just published my listing yesterday and got my first booking.

Looking at the calendar both of the day before and after the booking are unavailable to book, so do Airbnb require you to take two entire days off per booking?! It seems a bit over the top to me, please tell me if I am correct? Also it explains why so many people have a minimum two day booking!

Thanks Jamie.

[Lilian20]

You got it wrong. Make it easier for yourself , think in terms of nights. There are seven nights in a week that you can sell to 7 different people. 

It is strongly recommanded that you set the minimum to 1 night, so that you get lots of comments. 

[Elena87]

You can customise your listing to include preparation and notice time for guests. To make seamless bookings possible without gaps follow-

Go to 'my listings' then select > calendar and more 

Here, along the top,  there is a black bar and select > availability settings

Next select > advance notice ; here you can select 'same day'  (other options include up to seven days notice )

and also select > preparation time : here you can select 'none'  (or if you wish gaps inbetween bookings you can choose the other options available.)

[Jamie52]

Very helpful, thanks.

[Cheryl47]

It is an option or default option you have set up in your listing. Go to your listings, edit listing, go to availability settings, click reservation preferences, preparation time, select NONE or 1 night

[Steve143]

Hello Jamie,

I rent a double room in my house and have my availability set up as Elena describes and do get bookings on consecutive days.

My checkout time is set to be well before the checkin time to make sure I a few hours to prepare the room.

You can see this by going to Host->Calendar then clicking the 3 bar icon in the top left then selecting Check-in

You can also set the minimum number of days notice you require by going to Host->Calendar->Availability settings->Reservation preferences.

Steve.

[Jamie52]

Thanks Steve.

[Andrea9]

@Jamie52

I have a 2-night minimum booking because the amount of preparation and time for preparation isn't worth it for the price of a one nighter. And since my mind needs a breather between guests in my home as well as not wanting the huge stress of room prepping for a new guest the same day one checks out I have chosen the setting to have one day before and after each booking. This means that the system only blocks one day between bookings. But if you choose 2 days bocked before and after a booking the system goes into overdrive and in fact blocks a total of 4 nights between single bookings.

[Jamie52]

Thanks for all your help!

[Lilian13]

Jamie52,

I have the same concern.  The other replies don't explain this: Guest leaves 10am 25 Aug and next one arrives 4pm 27 Aug. Airbnb have blocked 2 nights in between , 25 and 26 Aug.

[Sarah977]

@Lilian13  The one day before and after prep time setting actually only blocks one night between bookings. The day after a booking doubles up as the day before the next booking.

But if you have a booking that checks out on the 25th, and another that starts on the 27th, of course it would show the night of the 25th and  26th as blocked- if it didn't, you wouldn't have 1 day's prep time between bookings.