Baggage/Luggage storage

[Matthew-And-Sherne0]

Hello fellow hosts! Recently we've been getting requests for luggage storage pre and post flight before and after check in/out. It is becoming detrimental for guests to have a place to store their luggage if they arrived before check in and the prior guest hasn't checked out. Does anyone have any suggestions?

[Gerry-And-Rashid0]

@Matthew-And-Sherne0

We do this all the time for guests - setting the scene in advance helps. So we say, by all means come at 8am, your room won't be ready, but you can pick up a key and start exploring the city. Likewise on the last day, they know they need to check out and remove their bags from the bedroom to the hall by 11am,  and they can come back when they need to, pick up their cases and head home. Guests like this, but whether or not you can offer it is the question. Do you have a place where guests can leave their luggage? We also offer them use of a bathroom - not to shower but just freshen up etc.

Put yourself in the guests shoes - if you were going somewhere for a few days and arriving early, you would probably ask the host if you could drop off bags. If the host said no...how would you feel.

There is of course an alternative that may be available to you - is there any left luggage facilities near by? If so, then in your description and communication with the guests you can highlight this.

[Matthew-And-Sherne0]

Thanks! We do this as well with our private room. I completely agree with you.  We also co host 2 properties that are the entire listing. We don't want to infringe on other guests when 6 people enter the house they rented at 8am to drop off bags. We thought about a storage shed in the backyard with a keypad but wasn't sure if anyone has tried this successfully or had suggestions. Thanks guys!

[Huma0]

I think that if it's an entire listing rather than a shared one, new guests should absolutely not be entering before the previous guest's check out. The current guests have paid for the listing up until that time and it's both an infringement on privacy and a security risk (to both parties - what if the current guests steal something from the new guests' luggage?). Unless you have a separate and secure spaced for it, I wouldn't risk it.

Here in London (and in other major cities in Europe), there are a number of websites/Apps that offer very cheap luggage storage at around half the price of traditional left luggage facilities, and that includes the insurance. Many of my guests have used these and seemed happy with the service.