Guest wants to check in at Midnight

[Kathryn142]

I have a guest arriving on Sunday, and despite me asking for arrival times the day they booked (2 weeks ago) the have informed me today, that they will be arriving at midnight.

My check-in times are 4pm to 9pm so I have explained that this is not acceptable to me, and as my cancellation policy is flexible, if they cancel today they will not be charged.

They are refusing to cancel the booking - so what options do I have?

I will be fast asleep by 11pm let alone midnight, so what can I do now?

[Marzena4 · Accepted solution]

I suspect it is best to get Airbnb involved in it - you've got the messages to confirm it, @Kathryn142. Contact Airbnb Customer Service - use Twitter or the form: https://www.airbnb.com/help/contact_us#/

[Todd-and-Reese0]

Yes. Looks like you do not want them as guests at this point. Call ABB and tell them they guests are already breaking your rules before they have even arrived and you need them re-homed.

[Kathryn142]

Thank you for the link Marzena - I have sent Airbnb a message now.

I have been very lucky to date with guests but as Todd says - these guys are already breaking my rules so you then begin to wonder what they will be like as guests!

Thankfully 99% of guests are grand and make the experience a lot more pleasurable 😀

[Jerry5]

It is always better to have options.

This option to give yourself the freedom to let your guests in from anywhere or use a code to let themselves in.

Remote management.

You dont have to use it if you don't want to but if you need to, it will be there.

Please ask if you have any questions.

https://www.007systems.com/landlords-lounge.html

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

@Kathryn142 please let us know how it ended, did Airbnb canceled their reservation? 

[Terri38]

Yup.  I get a fair few of those requests for a rather inconvenient check in time.  Like you, when I get the booking, I ask for an approximate arrival time - Hey: Air BnB didn't this used to be a 'must tell' thing?! - and remind them of my check in time.  Sometimes that's when they mention the midnight arrival. 

I have now written a standard "Here is a list of the hotels near the airport with 24 hour check in faciliites" document which I copy and paste into the Air BnB messages.  I also add this little gem "Please do not arrive at my home after 9pm as there will be nobody there to let you in."  So far, this has worked for me.  And it covers my butt if the guest complains to Air BnB.

Could you add something to your house rules (and remind them when you acknowledge their booking) stating that you require them to send you their flight/train number (or approximate arrival time if using their own transport). 

As an aside, the phrase "If you send me your flight number, I can watch online for any updates, so that you do not need to worry about trying to let me know of the changes." has the double benefit of removing the stress from the guests and for the hosts, it is a subltle way of saying "Don't try using the old My Flight Was Delayed excuse for a rediculously late arrival!

Good luck with that guest arrival!

[Edwin57]

One it comes with the territory no matter the time you put in , I have a cheack in time and cheack time still things happen I have guest that come to early,and some come why to late but I still welcome my guest things just happen 

[Joanna85]

This is super, super, super common to me.  I am not shocked to know others have the same issue.

I moved my check in time....which is early now...so instead of 1am or 2am or whatever, I get 9 or 10pm, which is way better for me. I find people want to check in whenever it suits them.  I had a stretch there for a while where people wanted to check in at 10am or something crazy--while I still had guests here, trying to strong arm me...so I charged for early check in.  That worked.  Maybe you should think about accepting past 9 but charging extra.  List it clearly in your listing....then when they tell you they will be past your check in window, remind them there is a charge of XYZ.  No airbnb guest wants to spend more money--they are trying to save money, which is why they are not using a hotel, and you should use that to your advantage.  If they have to pay a little extra to inconvenience you, they won't do it. Once I started charging for early check in, I never, ever had a request for at ime that was ridiculously early, and my guess is late check in will work the same.

I don't recommend self check in for safety reasons if you live in the home. 

I am curious to know what Airbnb said to you..my guess is they told you to stick with it and let them in or you'd be cancelling on them, thus being fined.

[Mary-and-Alex0]

Kathiryn you have to be very careful and vigilant with those types of guests that want to check in so late. Although 99% of my guests have been good ones. The issues I’ve incountered with guests violating house rules by giving parties and destroying property all started by them checking in very late.  It’s usually a sign they are not the ones on reservacion and intend malice again not all but yet all issues I’ve had.  This is a Red flag.  Sadly guests who really need to check in late lose out because of it. I’d either meet them to verify and let them know that or cancel them. 

[Kathryn142]

Hi Alex

Thank you for your response.  I quite agree and it does tend to be those that try to push boundaries from the start that are considerably more challenging during their stay.

Thankfully they are few and far between and the majority of guests are a delight.

[Marzena4]

I will share more than two cents on this topic with fellow hosts. It is a fresh real-life story from last week. The site through which the guest booked was not airbnb.

In August a Russian guest booked a room in my place for 4 days. Within hours after her booking I sent her a message with the instructions how to access the property, including the full address. The guest only communicated in Russian, myself - in English. Two weeks she filled the ETA form, stating it would be 21-22. I informed the guest that my check-in ends at 22.

Last Monday, the day of her arrival, I waited till 22. No message from the guest. It was only 23.15 that I received the first phone call. Then a text message demanding the address, which meant she had not read any of my messages. I picked up her third call only to hear her shout in Russian. I politely told her that she had arrived one hour and a quarter too late. She shouted she would sleep in the street. Trying to stay calm, despite the fact that I was boiling inside, I told her she could do what she wished. I waited till midnight for that magic red button "mark as no show" to appear. The next day booking.com reps called me, asking for the explanation. I told them the above. The next day I saw in the system that I was awarded the cancellation fee (the first night rate). This incident has definitely increased my confidence as a host.

[Victoria567]

Hi @Kat0heryn

Red Flag!

Nothing worse than the entitled guest who changes the goal posts AFTER the booking contract, has taken place.

My advice phone AirBnB asap, explain the situation and get air bnb to quickly cancel this booking without ANY financial penalty or penalty to your Superhost status.

[Yulianna0]

Funny, I have very special time of check in/check out. I do accept late guests, but from 9 pm. How many are trying to convence me to open the doors in the morning or afternoon! Some crazy are even using IB without reading the first sentence of description! No way. My guests have the right to be at home till 7 pm. No early check ins! 

[Russell49]

This is easy. Just tell them they will be at your home by 9pm, or marked as a no show and get no refund.