Early check in and late check out

Zacharias0
Level 10
Las Vegas, NV

Early check in and late check out

I am always happy to accomadate a guest that tells me in advance that they need to check in early and check out late by sending them either a request for money or modifying their reservation with a new amount. I grow increasingly frustrated when they state they can't see the request or fail to approve it before they arrive and then show up early anyway. Dear guest, no you will not be gaining access to my house for free at 0800 and/or dropping off your bags. I sent you the request for money, but you chose to  ignore it to save a few dollars. I already have a guest here and I'm not waking up to let you in and get comfortable.

 

Then they check out, take the keys with them, leave ALL entry doors unlocked and leave their crap in my house in a spot I never thought to look for an unknown period of time with no communication about they fact they left stuff in my house, when they plan to pick it up and offer me no money. What is wrong with these guests!!?!! Had they paid $10 for a late check out I wouldn't have cared at all and I wouldn't be writing this, but thats not the case. The host is left figuring out their thought process. They have tons of questions for me about my location, but fail to communicate their plans about arrival and departure and baggage storage which are pretty minor and easily addressed if they would just communicate. Why do guests refuse to lock entry doors at AirBnBs?

 

I've removed 3 out of 5 of my listings so these guests are few and far in between nowadays, but they still cause more issues and frustration than necessary for such a simple transaction.

10 Replies 10
Kimberly54
Level 10
San Diego, CA

@Zacharias0, if your "Dear Guest" letter is any kind of example of the way you actually communicate with your guests, this is most likely the--or part of--the problem.  Right?  You're angry/annoyed, and it is oozing out of every sentence.

 

Come on, Dude!  You're a level 10!  (And I don't think I've yet read anywhere that guests refuse to lock entryway doors at AirBnBs.)

 

What happened to kindness and clarity in communication?

 

🙂

Kim

@Kimberly54

In Zacharias' defense, Las Vegas Airbnb hosting is TOtALLY the exception to every rule known to man.  I have had a lot of guests who are seasoned Airbnb travellers with great reviews and they have all seemed to have gotten off the plane from wherever they are from and lost their darn minds.  People stay out all hours, come home at 5am and expect us hosts to accomodate the fact they lost track of time at the casino or the nightclub the night before.  I had guests this weekend- pretty much did the same thing- messaged me they had just gotten their rental car and were on their way. Even getting lost, I am not more than a 20 minute ride fro the rental place at the airport. Then two hours later messaged me again saying they stopped off at xyz and forgot what time it was and realzied that I had been waiting.  The finally get here then go out until 430am....not biggie except they weren't leaving right when they were supposed to, left every light on, the water in the bathroom sink running and the door unlocked.  Yes, it does happen...ALL THE TIME here.  Vomit all over the toilets, weird things left behind, etc etc.  Yes, they are all good people but are here for one reason:  to just have the time of their life and stay at an Airbnb place to save a buck. Every guest is the same for me and I imagine Zacharias' experiences are not too far off from mine.

Being a host in Las Vegas is not easy.  Zacharias has been doing it longer than I have but after like 120 guests for me since February, yeah...I can say it's common.  

@Kimberly54yes that's exactly what I say to my guests! Apparently youve never heard of hyperbole or associating with another hosts issue. I dont post topics for other hosts to tell me how I feel or to tell me how I should act. Get off your high horse. I post to get suggestions or see how other hosts have handled the topic. Being a 10 in these forums has nothing to do with the character of a host it just means I like to associate and assist with other hosts issues. Just like being a Superhost has no baring on how great a host is, its a brief snapshot in time of thats hosts ability.

 

Kindness and clarity go out the door when the guest fails to be clear in their intentions and fails to follow the house rules. At some point you gotta get over how people should act and face reality.

Hi @Zacharias0 and @Joanna85... I had no idea.  I DO realize that Las Vegas is quite the different planet in so many respects, but wow.  Please accept my apologies!

 

Also, @Zacharias0, I did not intend to infer anything against your 'character' at all.  I was truly only pointing out the tone... a lot of folks don't even realize that there is another way, but you obviously do!  Again, my apologies.  You guys really do have your work cut out for you! =-(

 

 

Kim

I always get a bit jealous when I see all these people in here at the Community Center with great experiences and become friends with Airbnb guests...they do dinner or people leave them gifts and they have an actual cultural exchange, like was the intent of Airbnb.  I find that people just use my space and try to get the most bang they can...again, I really do contribute all this to being Las Vegas.  Probably Zacharias and me could do a reality show on "What Happens in Vegas, Stays in an Airbnb...." lol.  I am a sweet and nice and more than happy to help a traveller, but most of the time it's this feeling of entitlement from a guest and that gets annoying.  It is no longer cheap to vacation here and lots of younger people (younger than me) want to experience Vegas but forget I'm not a hotel and people LOSE THEIR MINDS...!!  it does wear a girl (or guy) out!  

Paul154
Level 10
Seattle, WA

Sorry I can't help with demanding and cheap guests.

I can suggest a door lock replacement though.

I have great luck with Shlage code entry. It automatically locks everytime.

It is not the deadbolt lock, but the actual door handle.

No more unlocked doors  (You will have a problem of guests locking themselves out and forgetting the code however...)

Marzena4
Level 10
Kraków, Poland

@Zacharias0 @Joanna85 Uniqueness of a place will always attract ALL sorts of visitors. But now show me who at Airbnb will finally see that the world (of hosting) is not full of ideal guests, but very often chameleons who, when faced with the host's remarks on their poor performance as guests, will treat them badly (leaving poor erroneous reviews) in revenge? 

Unless Airbnb changes their policies, there will be more and more frustrated hosts. I wonder whether they will be replaced forever. My location also attracts such 'dear' guests - relatively cheap place for partying for most of Western Europe (about the city) and a good transit spot (about my place and all those with checking in early and leaving late in mind).

// "The only person you can trust is yourself"
J-Renato0
Level 10
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

I lament to say on this matter, I do not have words of comfort or support to offer.

 

With all due respect, in my honest opinion, if one are in the accommodation business, one have to deal successfully with the early checkin and late checkout expectation.
It is part of the business.
Yes, Airbnb is not a hotel, but it is part of the accommodation business sector.
Most of the hotels, from the cheapest to the most expensive have a room (or same space) available to store guest's lugage when they have to leave the place after checkout time or when they arrive before checkin time.
Many hotels let the guests have early checkin when there is availability.

 

From the guest perspective, it is not an absurd to expect an early checkin when there is availability or to ask to store their lugage when they have to check out long before their flight time.
There are not perfect guests that always arrive in a city in a pefect time for checkin and that find a perfect flight that better suits checkout time. The world is not perfect, everything in the world is more complicated than easy.

 

In my honest opinion, if the host are having frequent problems with late checkout and early checkin, there are 3 alternatives on what the host have to do:
1- Give up hosting
2- Find a solution instead of complaining about guests. Do what hotels do, arrange some place to store lugage.
3- Change your policies and prices. Raise the nightly rate and block one day before and one day after each stay.

 

By doing that (2 or 3) the host may have happy guests, less stress and probably better reviews.

 

Just my honest opinion.

what does blocking the days before and after have to do with it - it's not worth the booking if the guest abuses the checkin and checkout times - they rented a room, they didn't rent your life or your personal time.  If you have to have your sleep for health and job reasons then breaking those rules can't be purchased.

Branka-and-Silvia0
Level 10
Zagreb, Croatia

ooo @Zacharias0 welcome back! we were missing you 🙂

 

I've never been to LV but any host with a common sense knows that hosting there is totaly different then anywhere else in the world. Smart house may solve some of those problems but it is unpossible to beat human stupidity I am affraid.