Do private room renters get keys to the front door?

[Stacy24]

Check in 7-9pm checkout is 8am.  We got some multi day bookings and now wondering do we have to give them keys to the front door of our home?  We weren't expecting people to be here while we are at work.

[Jamie69]

Hi Stacy,

Generally, yes. Unless someone is there 24/7 to let people in and out, or you don't have locks on the front door.

You should fully expect your guests to be able to let themselves in and out at will.

If you want to avoid keys, a good alternative is an electronic lock. You can assign a unique code for each guest and erase it after they leave. I do that, and it works really well.

Jamie

[Cynthia-and-Chris1]

@Stacy24 Good advice by @Jamie69 above.  Even though you don't "expect" your guests to be home when you're at work, you can't exactly lock them out of the house either.  They should have free access to come and go as they please.  We give a key to all our guests, but will be installing the electronic lock soon.

[Gordon0]

>>Do private room renters get keys to the front door?<<

Yes.

>>We weren't expecting people to be here while we are at work<<

And I wanted to win yesterday's Euromillions lottery. 

[David126]

Yes

Why would they not be there during your work day?

[Stacy24]

Because I Have a 8am check out.

how do I make it clear that this place is just for sleeping in and not hanging out during the day?

[David126]

Only accept one night bookings?

[Stacy24]

Perfect thanks!

[Cynthia-and-Chris1]

@Stacy24  In addition to limiting your listing to 1-night reservations, I would also make it crystal clear in the description.  This is not generally how Airbnb works, so many guests may be confused.

[Stacy24]

Thank you.  I was wondering if what I was talking about was wildly out of line considering the feedback I received and was contemplating updating the profile.  Your post is the tipping point for me, I am going to make it clear in the description.  

Thank you!

[David126]

The listing makes mention of facilities that are not likely to be usuable if someone is there just to sleep.

[Stacy24]

The facilities close at 9pm and open at 6am. 

I guess I should list that in the house rules too 🙂

thank you

[Helen3]

@Stacy24 You will severely limit the amount of people wanting to stay with those sort of rules.

I have never heard of a host having an 8.00 a.m. check out and telling guests they can't use the accommodation during the day during their stay. Saying 'checkout every day' doesn't cover it. You have to say something like. We don't allow guest access to the property between the hours of XXX and XXXX.

The whole point of Airbnb is that it meant to be a 'home away from home'

I'm not sure from what you say if Airbnb is for you.

[Jamie69]

Stacy, as others have said, this is generally not how Airbnb works.

That said, you can make your listing however you see fit (within reason).

There *are* people who are just looking for a place to crash for the night. Several of my guests have arrived late in the evening and left early the next morning, just like you'd like. But they are the exception. Most Airbnb guests plan to stay for at least a couple of days.

If you choose to post your listing, I'd recommend making it VERY clear that it is just for quick overnight stays. When you get a booking, I'd suggest repeating your restrictions by email to confirm that's what the guest is looking for.

You can make it work. I wouldn't expect a lot of bookings, and be prepared for guests that didn't read and are confused and possibly mad that you expect them to leave so early. But if you play it right, it could work.

Jamie

[Annette376]

Thanks for the comments. I feel I should make it clear in my listing that the room is primarily for sleeping, whether the guest is a night worker or not. My listing is my home, not a separate unit,  or a hotel room, so I feel that it is incumbent on the guest to make explicit their intention and politely ask their host for permission.