What do you suggest when a guest wants to drop off their luggage before check-in time?

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Jim-And-Marla0
Level 1
Jamestown, NC

What do you suggest when a guest wants to drop off their luggage before check-in time?

We have a guest, who has booked an experience for next week, and they are from Alberta, Canada. We only have their first name and they have asked if it is ok for them to drop off their luggage at 8am.  Check-in time is after 5:00pm.

 

What do other hosts do in this situation?

1 Best Answer
Vanessa-and-Kurt0
Level 10
Farmington, CT

I always say yes. They cant possibly drag luggage around all day. I dont let them enter the room if its not perfectly ready so their luggage can sit in our dining room or laundry room until they check in.

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19 Replies 19
Farah1
Level 10
Seattle, WA

@Jim-And-Marla0 What I usually do is either say no, or if I want to let them drop off their luggage, the earliest will be after check-out time. So, if let's say my listing check-out time is 11am, then the guest can drop their luggage at 11am at the earliest. I always do the approach of meeting in the middle to set boundaries and make it clear that there are rules and policies to be followed to ensure everyone is going to have a pleasant Airbnb experience.

Vanessa-and-Kurt0
Level 10
Farmington, CT

I always say yes. They cant possibly drag luggage around all day. I dont let them enter the room if its not perfectly ready so their luggage can sit in our dining room or laundry room until they check in.

@Jim-And-Marla0   I usually let people drop off early, although I am rethinking this as more often than not they turn up hours later with no communication so it can be a real pain if you have plans. Plus one or two expect to have a shower, freshen up, change .  I am tightening up rules for dropping off early i.e please be on time or keep in contact and strict off drop only -  no showers, changing.  I also  give them names and addresses of local 24 hour luggage storage so they can drop off there and pick up at check-in time.  Some hosts charge for early check-in / late check-out and luggage storage.

If it were me, I'd provide information about luggage storage options - or if there aren't any options, charge a separate fee for it. But I'd say a firm NO to an 8am drop off. I'd suggest that you say the earliest luggage drop-off time is around your check-out time, and also be clear that "dropping off" luggage is exactly only just that. No quick bathroom use or freshening up allowed. You meet the guest at the door, take the bags, say "see you later at 5pm" and shut the door. 

 

Recently my guest told me she'll be "dropping off her luggage right around check-in time". She arrived, we greeted each other. She went into the guest room, put her luggage down, came out, told me "I'll be back after dinner. Thanks!" and left. This is what "dropping off luggage" means. 

 

 

Linda-And-Richard0
Level 10
San Antonio, TX

If you have room to store the luggage for a few hours, let them drop it off early.  Remind them of the normal check-in time and restrict access to the rental space based on that time frame.  They may not be familiar with the city and would be hard pressed to find another location to store their belongings.  If you were in their shoes, how would you want this to be handled? 

Linda

Kate157
Level 10
SF, CA

@Jim-And-Marla0 I usually say yes, but 8:00 am is a bit early for me. I would tell them 9:00 or something at the earliest. I have done this in the past. I don't mind them dropping off the bags, I just leave them in the front hall. But I like to have coffee and read the newspaper before I do anything else, so I would set the time to work for me.

Deb29
Level 9
San Mateo, CA

@Jim-And-Marla0, Depends on the situation. If there are guests in there, then I tell them no. If it's empty, I tell them yes. I make them understand that typically we don't do this but that I'm making an exeption for them. Hopefully, this gets their experience off to a great start!

 

Good luck!

 

Deb

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Maybe someone from AirBnB can chime in on this, but I was told that the guests and their belongings are only covered by AirBnB from check-in to check-out times. So, if they, or their things, are on your property outside of their booking, you are responsible under your insurance if something happens to them or their things (like you let them leave their stuff on your porch and it gets stolen). I tell them that they would have to book the day before for that early of a check-in (or the day after if they want to leave their luggage until the evening which is basically a very late checkout). I had a person who was arriving at 3am and asked if she needed to book that night. YES, you do.

I'm in a two-family house, and guests always want to leave luggage (usually after check-out) in the main hallway of the building (very narrow and people walking in and out will be blocked).  This is not only a pain for that reason, but on top of this, I am, my cleaner and the other neighbors are then in the position of being blamed for anything that might happen to the belongings of these guests (or even if the guest claims something happened to their belongings).  But here is the clincher:  I am very firm and make this clear to the guests beforehand, however, I just had a guest leave a poor review with low stars in retaliation for my policy about not leaving luggage.  The guest left the luggage AND took a set of keys to the apartment/building with her after check-out -- she did this so she could come back in hours later (and she tried to hide this from me -- I had to press her multiple times before she revealed that she took the keys with her).  This was completely nuts!  But Airbnb didn't have my back when I pointed this out to them -- it was clear what occured by the conversation under the booking --  Airbnb could see I made my policies clear ahead to the guest, but the guest went ahead and booked the place, then violated the rules, then she left a bad review because I didn't allow her to leave her luggage -- the very rule I specifically reiterated before she booked.  So, you can make your rules firm about this, but Airbnb does not stand by you in the end (even though, as you say their own insurance policy doesn't cover you if anything happens to the guest's belongings outside of the booking time).  So, that's a big problem.  Airbnb doesn't stand by Hosts.

 

Victoria567
Level 10
Scotland, United Kingdom

Hi@Sheila

Sorry you got an entitled guest.... Such as pain.

 

In future I would consider NOT giving guests a house key in this situation

Beth44
Level 10
Flagstaff, AZ

Your situation is a judgement call based on your convenience and ability to accomodate. I would lean to leniency if it were a guest travelling from overseas. I asked my Lisbon host to store luggage for a later night flight and her accomodation was greatly appreciated. I think the key is your comfort level with the  incoming or outgoing guest.

Marie-Et-Simon0
Level 3
Melbourne, Australia

I don’t do luggage drop off because then guests belongings are my responsibility or the cleaner’s. What happens if a guest say that something valuable disappeared? It’s their words against mine/the cleaner.

 

However I can offer a free early checkin most of the time. 

@Marie-Et-Simon0 I let them drop off early or leave for later pickup after check out, but I have a huge safe they can put their valuables in and let them set the code.

Victoria567
Level 10
Scotland, United Kingdom

Hi@Jim and Marla

If they have a car then I suggest their luggage remains inside the car.

 

If they don't have a car then I would store the luggage as a courtesy to them but I would say I will be leaving the house after I've finished the cleaning so if you need access to your luggage unfortunately that isn't possible as I don't give my guests house keys .....I mean would you give your house keys to a total stranger?