Room available, but I'm not

[Kaitlyn6]

I host a private Studio in Rome. I work from home so I'm available to greet guests at their convienience 99% of the time. 

Now I know this is crazy... but *sometimes* I actually like to live my life and make plans to do something besides wait around at home to greet Airbnb guests. 

How do I deal with the situation where the aparment is available, but I myself personally am not available to greet a new guest?

So for example, lets say it's my brother's wedding on Saturday. The apartment is empty on Saturday. I could host a group who want to check-in on Friday and stay all weekend. But I have no way of being there to greet a new guest who wants to *check-in* on Saturday? 

Or how about if I'm planning a vacation myself for a long weekend in January. I'm hoping for a month-long guest (what we normally book in the low season). It's unlikely, but not impossible that the long-term guest will ask to arrive while I'm out of town. If I bock even a single day in the January Calendar, that makes a long-term booking impossible. 

I don't think there is a way to mark the apartment as available for sleeping but not for a new checking-in -- correct?

Request for feature?

Since I lead a pretty boring life and almost never have such a conflict, I normally leave it open. And on the small chance that someone tries to book a check-in on a day that I'm not available -- I reject them. The people are always 100% understanding of this exuse but...

(1) We now have to give reasons to *Airbnb* for rejecting any guest. There are very few options, and my own lack of availablity is not an option. The closest is that I want different dates. This auto blocks the dates for the whole rejected reservation. 

(2) Also, I suspect that Airbnb punishes Hosts after rejecting anyone by pushing my listing down in search results. Though this is only a theory.

So I ask the community...

How are you all dealing with this?

-- Do you just keep youself on call 24/7/365 to Airbnb guests? That seems unresonable for 35-55 Euro a night I'm getting paid =/

-- Do you block any date that you are personally busy? That seems rough to force the place vacant. There is almost certainly someone who wants to sleep at my studio that night but check-in on an earlier day. Do I really need to take my listing off the market for someone who might want it?

I'm truly confused about how to handle this. And I'm not new to Airbnb. I've been hosting since 2013. 

Thanks in advance for any tips or advice! Happy travels!

[Fred13]

"How do I deal with the situation where the aparment is available, but I myself personally am not available to greet a new guest?" 

If you have no one else to greet the potential guess that ~might~ show up, and considering you are only going for a short time, and the fact someone booking your place for a long stay (your main concern) will not show up instantly but make plans beforehand, and you probably like not to worry about your place while away >

Block those days on the calendar and have fun.

[Helen3]

1. Restrict when people can check in - this is what the majority of hosts do

2. Have an automated check in process - lock box or electronic key lock.

[Zoe34]

@Kaitlyn6 yes, have a lockbox for your key.  I have that - I just allow my guests to check in whenever they want and I normally don't even meet them at all.  I have a lot of 1 night stays, so it's just easy.  Plus, a lot of people like to check in before 5pm, and I'm usually at work until then.  I just got a lockbox on Amazon and I give the guest the code the day of checkin.