How can I block the day before and after a booking?

Kay55
Level 2
Cairns, Australia

How can I block the day before and after a booking?

I can't find any option to block day before and after bookings.

14 Replies 14
Alexandra316
Level 10
Lincoln, Canada

@Kay55Go to Edit your listing, then go to Availability. It's under Reservation Preferences. Under the Preparation time dropdown menu, choose Block 1 night before and after each reservation. Hit Save and you're done!

Andrew157
Level 10
Windermere, United Kingdom

You can do as Alexandra says but that means the calendar will always block the day after a stay and the day before. Thus always 2 days between bookings.

 

We now booked out the days ourselves 

Stephen788
Level 2
England, United Kingdom

I don't have the same experience as you Andrew157.  I used to block 2 days between bookings, which resulted in a 4 day gap (2 after one booking and 2 before the next).

 

So I switched to blocking 1 night before and after each booking. However, AirBnB now allows people to book with only one day's gap, which is not enough as I have to travel a long distance to service the property. Why doesn't it block 2 (1 before and 1 after) as it used to block 4 (2 before and 2 after) previously?

You may have to change your setting back to 2 days, as it gives the option in the drop down menu.

Sarah977
Level 10
Sayulita, Mexico

Like much of Airbnb's wording, this availability setting doesn't do what it sounds like it does. "Block one night before and after" does not result in 2 days being blocked. What it should say is "Block one night between reservations," because that is exactly what it does. The "day after" can double up as the "day before" for the next booking.

double day block.jpg

 

As you can see, IT DOES BLOCK 2 CONSECUTIVE DAYS! so I could've rented my place on Monday the 19, since all I need is 1 day after! Airbnb should just let us block in betweeen and make it clear; not just block both days!

Now I have 2 days of prep time! which is too much,  I think airbnb should give us flexibility on this. Anyone has any ideas?

@Carlos1002 This is working as it should. If you had been able to rent on Monday 19th then you would not have had a days prep time before your Tuesday 20th guest arrived.

Carlos1002
Level 3
Mazunte, Mexico

Yes, but I need only 1 day after the reservation, not before. I think airbnb should give us the choice to automatically block ONLY 1 day after, or ONLY 1 day before, on top of the other options. That's all I really need. 

@Carlos1002 Let me try and make this simple:

You have a booking checking out on Sunday 18th so Monday 19th is blocked as you want.

Now if Airbnb allowed Monday night to be booked then there is no way that a day can be blocked out after it before your Tuesday 20th check in. SO THEY HAVE BLOCKED THE MONDAY NIGHT AS WELL.

 

Do you see?

@Carlos1002 further to the below by asking for 1 day booked after each reservation Airbnb have to block the day before a reservation as well in case another guest tries to book the day before a reservation in which case they wouldn't then be able to give you a night free after this new reservation.

@Carlos1002  You are not understanding. Ignore the wording "one day before and after"- it's very confusing. That setting only blocks one day between bookings, not 2. In the screenshot you posted, yes, it looks like it had blocked 2. But it didn't.

 

Jennifer booked the nights of the 16th and 17th. Adrian booked the nights of the 20th and 21st. The 19th couldn't be opened up because if someone had booked the night of the 19th,  you wouldn't have had one day prep time before Adrian arrived. 

 

I have no idea when these guests booked, but for explanation purposes, I'll pretend that when Jennifer booked, all the dates after her booking were open except the night after, the 18th. The 19th and after would have shown as open for booking on your calendar. But because Adrian booked the 20th and 21st, the night of the 19th can no longer be available if you want one day prep time between bookings. If it was,, the guest who booked the night of the 19th would be checking out on the 20th, and Adrian would be checking in that same day.

 

(BTW,  I stayed in Mazunte almost 50 years ago when there was nothing there but a little rustic sttore that sold coca cola and a few canned goods. The turtle factory was still in operation. I camped on the beach there for 3 weeks.)

 

 

 

Fred13
Level 10
Placencia, Belize

I used to block one single day manually when someone did a booking, but once went to a 4-day minimum,  locking  every 5th day way ahead gives 4-day slots for guest to fall into nicely.

Brad800
Level 2
Sioux Falls, SD

I was confused at first but what it essentially does is stop check-in and check-out from occurring on the same day.