Checking in after hours

[Andrew447]

I've had several check ins after hours, sometimes even 2-3am.  I'm wanting to put an end to this and wanting to know how others are handling it.

I've seen the pre-qualification questions and checked the question asking what time they check in.  And to make sure, I've added a custom question asking if they confirm that the latest check in time is 10pm. 

I have instant booking turned on.  Do I need to turn this off in order to make sure that the questions are confirmed?

If it turns out after they do an instant booking, they still inform me that they will check in after 10pm, how do I cancel so not to pay a cancelation fee?

Let me know how you handle these situations and what other options I may have.  Hate to turn off instant booking.

Thanks!

[Vinay7]

Hi @Andrew447, you have a beautiful villa. Its well decorated as well!

I have seen that you have a check in range from 3PM to 10PM. I would to guests that you are flexible with the check in time. Try to have the check in time as 'At 3PM' or 'After 3PM'. 

I don't think you need to turn off instant booking. And cancellation is not treated kindly at Airbnb. 

I hope changing the check-in timings in the listings help to set the expectation right with the guests.

[Rebecca181]

@Andrew447 Somehow you need to make it clear that checking in after 10 pm is not an option. Since we know that few people read our listings beyond the summary, you may have to put it in the summary. To have any chance of Airbnb cancelling the reservation for you if you learn their check-in is past 10 pm, you need to put your check-in cut-off time in your House Rules as an additional rule right at the top of the list. Sounds like you already have it in the 'Guest Requirement' section. If you allow for self check-in, people reading your listing quickly might assume a late check-in as okay; so find a way to make it clear that guests cannot enter the rental if it is after 10 pm, if that is how you want it to be, or make it clear there is no self check-in available. Those are my initial thoughts.

[James93]

Hi Andrew - I really get your frustration coming through in your comments.  I completely understand how frustrating it is having late check-ins.  I am in New Zealand and used to be meeting guests coming off flights from Australia at midnight - 1 am.  After 18 months of that I switched to a system where guests did a self-check in by collecting a set of keys from a lockbox which I installed in my mailbox.  This system works brilliantly. About 10 days before guests arrive, I email guests a boilerplate set of information that gives them the number to open the lockbox, and explains how to find their way to our apartment on the eighth floor. I make it very clear to guests at the time of booking that our apartment will be available from 2 pm onward on x day.  If they then choose to arrive very late at night, it is very simple for them to collect the set of keys and let themselves in.  I 'sell' this process on the basis that self-check-in means that guests can arrive at their leisure.  I also say that if they have any issue with gaining access to the apartment that I'm on call 24 hours a day and they're welcome to phone me.  To date I haven't had one phone call. 

If you go with the self-check-in, make it clear that you do not meet guests on their arrival (or at any time during their stay unless something goes wrong that requires your attention).

You don't need to turn off your instant book. Keep it on!

All the best with solving your problem with late arrivals.

Best regards

James

[Barry-and-Lera0]

We use a digital keypad lock for the door of our studio. It doesn't really matter what time they check-in since there is no key to exchange, so if a plane is delayed or something happens en route for them it doesn't inconveniece anyone (me) and they don't feel rushed to get there at a certain time. The keycode is programmed with the guests last four digits of their phone number (easy for them to remember) and it also takes a lot of things out of play like a guest making a copy of the key or losing the key after a night of drinking (we have all been there). After they leave, I delete the keycode.