Early check-in/late check-out

[Leah502]

Hello all, I am new to hosting and this is actually my first post in this community.  I have found alot of helpful advice on this forum but haven't been able to find the exact answer to this question so my apologies if it has been asked already.  I have been asked several times already for an early check-in/late check-out.  Where exactly would this fee be added if a guest requests it?  Can it be added AFTER a guest has already booked/paid and if so how do they pay it?  I see several fees that can be added but those are not listed.  

TIA!

Leah

[Richard531]

@Leah502 Most guests will ask for early/late check in/outs.  Once you actually start operating at a reasonable level, you will not want to be in the business of feilding these requests every day.  

If you want to grant them for a fee, you simply have the guest agree to the fee you outline, then "change" the reservation for that additional amount and the submit it back to the guest for approval/payment.  You absolutely want to do this before check in day.

[Leah502]

@Richard531 I did attempt to do just that..."change the reservation for that additional amount and submit back to the guest for approval/payment"....but I could never seem to figure out how much the guest paid total for the stay (that includes taxes and their fees).  I could only find what I was going to receive in a host payout.  Seems like once the guest has checked in I am able to see all that information, but not prior.  Of course, I'm so new to all this perhaps I just don't know where to go to find the right info. 

I'm guessing if they have already paid and checked in and then don't check-out at the agreed upon time, we as hosts are just out of luck?

[M199]

@Leah502 

We no longer allow early check-in or late check outs.

We have in the past and never had a good result from guests.

By accommodating these requests, it just sends a message that the hosts can be taken advantage of.

[Gordon0]

I allow (for free) when it suits, @M199, and can assure you I am not taken advantage of in the slightest. Maybe you have a different breed of guest over that way. 

[Huma0]

@Gordon0 

I can see where @M199 is coming from. I currently have three guests staying. Two did not ask for early check in (nor early check out for the one leaving today) and have been delightful. One did ask and she has been a real pain in the backside.

Of course, asking for early check in is not a crime. It's something I might well ask if I am arriving after a long journey and I've had guests who asked and have been delightful. It's the way the guest asks that is usually an indicator of whether they are the type to push boundaries or not. And if they ask again after being told it's not possible, that's a major red flag. 

I am very strict in my house rules about no early check ins or luggage storage. That's not to say that I never offer it, but I found I had to really spell it out because I was having so many issues over this:

https://community.withairbnb.com/t5/Hosting/How-can-I-stop-guests-ignoring-the-check-in-time/m-p/304...

Being strict about it has definitely helped. I've not had any surprise early arrivals for years now and guests might ask to come early, but they don't push it when I say no.

[Irene1085]

I do not allow late check-outs, but a recent guest said they would not be able to leave on time and that was that. How do I get them out??? I know they wouldn't agree to a fee change.

[Mark116]

@Irene1085  I would tell them that they don't have a choice.   It is unfortunate if they somehow misunderstood the terms they agreed to but the check-out time is X, and if they will not agree to pay a late charge, then  you and your cleaners will be there at X time to begin cleaning and turn-over.  Go there at the check out time and video tape everything.  

[Sudsrung0]

Some will push it and it's normally in the early days of being a host then you get wise to it, OK Im flexible not when guest say my flight is not till 10 pm, Sorry not happening you should have booked an extra day then you can go when ever you want or can we check in at 7 am, no sorry.

My apartment is in a project that is half hotel so Im a private owner and they are really strict with check in and check out times, Plus we have to work around when our cleaner is available.

[Anonymous]

@Leah502  There's not a straightforward way to append a charge for early checkin/late checkout. You can request payment for this or any other extra services at https://airbnb.com/resolutions  , but the guest must approve the charge for it to go through. Things could get complicated if, say, they pre-pay for early check-in but then wind up arriving later and want the money back.

My experience has been that early check-in requests are extremely common. Most people don't pay attention to the check-in time on the listing when they book; they seem to imagine that the home is sitting empty and idle all day with no outgoing guests or cleaners. There's nothing wrong with saying no; it tends to go down better than saying "yes, but for an extra fee." 

Late checkout is not as commonly requested; more often, guests just overstay without asking first (not always intentionally). To help avoid this, I recommend sending a reminder on the last night of the stay along with any pre-departure instructions you have (e.g. where to leave keys and deposit trash).

[Huma0]

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@Anonymous wrote:

There's nothing wrong with saying no; it tends to go down better than saying "yes, but for an extra fee." 

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I suspect you're right. I don't offer early check in for a fee. I think it would just create issues. I do offer late check in (up to a limit) for a fee and have only once had an issue with this (guests left without paying it and didn't respond to me or Airbnb and Airbnb said they could not force the guest to pay). Otherwise, guests have agreed to it in advance and paid on arrival.

What I found it useful for though is as a deterrent, i.e. to stop guests from thinking they can pitch up whenever they felt like it. I am not talking about people arriving on late flights or those whose flights or trains are delayed. I'm talking about the ones that confirm a check in time and then go AWOL because they decided they would go out partying instead and they don't care that they have left you waiting for them. Introducing a fee for any arrivals after 9pm nipped that behaviour in the bud. It's never happened again.

[Anonymous]

@Huma0  I haven't tried that one, but mostly because I've always tried to have all discussion of money over and done with before the arrival date. 

My deterrent against these wild abuses of check-in times is to schedule the arrival window as an appointment, and say that if they arrive outside that window there will be nobody home to let them in.

[Huma0]

@Anonymous 

I do the same. I've never had a "pitch up anytime between 3 and 9pm" approach. It doesn't matter if I'm going to be home or not. I have stuff to do. 

So, like you, I schedule a time with the guest. I will stretch to a check in window of half an hour. If it's an hour, say between 4 and 5pm, then I will require an update before that's more specific. This works overall.

The guests who rock up hours late because they just don't get it are a minority luckily, but they do not respond to the above. They can't seem to comprehend that my time is worth anything. Ideally, I would avoid accepting bookings from people like that in the first place, but sometimes there are no earlier red flags and they slip through the net.

What I have found does work with them is ££££. I am not usually hosting guests with a lot of money, or at least not ones who want to spend lots of money on an Airbnb, otherwise they would be staying elsewhere. So, most of my guests are keen to avoid any additional charges if they can. 

One girl who was supposed to check in at 3pm turned up six hours late because she decided to go to Wimbledon for the day instead and not tell me. She did eventually respond after several messages, to let me know she would be there 'before 9pm'. Not ideal, but I can guarantee you that she knew she would be charged if it was later than 9pm and that, if there was no extra charge, she would have pitched up significantly later. I am pretty sure she was drunk when she arrived. That was the girl who insisted she had booked 'the pink room'. I don't have a pink room. But, she was sober enough not to want to pay more!

[Sophannara0]

Dear All Valued Host

Greetings from Siem Reap, Angkor Wat in Cambodia, Kingdom of Wonder.

Great to know all of you here.

[Sybe]

@Leah502 Welcome to Airbnb and to the Community Center! I hope you received a lot of useful replies here. 😃