How should I handle early check-in charges?

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Sue5
Level 3
Auckland, New Zealand

How should I handle early check-in charges?

We live in Auckland, NZ and we have many guests arriving into the country at very early hours (from 04:30 - 08:00am) from Nth America & Europe.   Most of these travellers have flown non-stop and are, understandably tired after their long flights, so I am often asked about the possibility of early check-in.

My check out time is 10:00am and checkin time is 2:00pm

In the 3 years that we have been Airbnb hosts we have happily accommodated early checkins (where we can) so long as guests don't arrive before 08:30 / 9:00am.

Currently, there is no way to set and charge an early checkin fee which I think Airbnb have sadly overlooked.   When we travel, we often ask about early checkins at hotels and do expect to pay a surcharge.

 

We recently had a problem with an Indian couple who asked for early checkin and while I was showing the husband around the bedroom and bathroom, the wife started to help herself to the cereal contains that I have in the small lounge/kitchenette area.   Husband then joins her and says that they both want breakfast and where is the toast bread?!    I said that breakfast is served one hour before descending into Auckland and did they not have breakfast on the plane.   "No, we chose not to.  We decided to have breakfast here".    I told them that I had agreed to an early checkin but that an early checkin did NOT include breakfast.    Meanhile, Mrs is almost finished her cereal and Mr tells me that it's only a small request.    Gritting my teeth I went and got the bread.    Then I was told that they like to drink lots of warm milk and the small container of milk that I left in the fridge for tea/coffee would be enough.  As they had a rental car I suggested that they might like to go and buy the extra milk they need as I only provided one litre of milk per day.  But, sure as eggs, the next morning at breakfast they claim they have run out and need more for their 'breakfast'. 

It didn't help that this couple were quite demanding and clearly expected 7* service from my humble abode, however, my main gripe is the expectations surrounding early checkin.

 

Has anyone else contacted Airbnb requesting an update to their pricing options?

It wasn't even worthwhile having a discussion about an extra charge (one they had arrived) for breakfast as I could see where that potential discssion would end, but what have other Airbnb hosts done in the past with this kind of scenario?

 

As a footnote, this same Indian couple wrote a scathing review of a fellow Kiwi in Queenstown - he told me that although his website clearly states no breakfast provided, this couple demanded and argued the point with him!  

I'm pleased to say that this couple was the only bad experience I have had with Airbnb so far, thank goodness.

Sue

 

1 Best Answer
Maria-Lurdes0
Level 10
Union City, NJ

I'm not sure if it's available across the board, but I have the ability to " charge for extra amenities".  At least I did last month, now that I'm saying that I'm not even sure if it's still there.  But in any case, you can either charge for an extra amenity (early check-in) OR you can alter the booking to add an extra charge.  Say that you agree in advance to allow an early check in, which could mean blocking the calendar the night before meaning you lose revenue - you could agree with the requesting guest that early check-in is at half-day rate, and let's say you agree to charge them an extra $100 to ensure the apartment is available for them to check in at 7am.   Then go into their booking, chose "change or cancel" and DON"T HIT CANCEL BY MISTAKE ha!   Go into the field where you see the dollar amount, and make a change to the new rate (so in this example, adding $100).  Once you hit "submit" then the request goes to the guest and they either accept or not.  Once they accept the new charge is set as the confirmed amount.  If they don't accept, you can tell them - don't forget to accept the alteration to the booking so that we can confirm your early check-in. 

 

Anyhow, that's what I'd suggest, and how rude that couple was.  I don't like them on your behalf 🙂

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45 Replies 45

Making the 'change' sounds like a good option, but I do think that with so many hosts providing a basic breakfast AND being asked for an early checkin that AirBNB should make provision for a specific 'early check-in' pricing option and/or adjustment.  

Once you have made the 'change in price', does that mean that you will definitely receive the extra payment??    What happens if the guest disagrees or disputes?

 

I did actually make a complaint about this couple to Airbnb and they phoned me to discuss.   As a result of this particular experience, I also made several recommendations on the phone and via email but no one at Airbnb has advised whether they would follow up on any of my suggestions.

 

I agree, the cost of  2 x bowls of cereal, 4 -6 slices of bread, milk, tea, orange juice, coffee & jams for one additional breakfast session won't bankrupt me but thats at least $5 less from my income that I shouldn't have been spending. 

Furthermore,  we do this because we enjoy meeting so many different people (and the accumulative income is our travel fund) - the experience we had with the couple mentioned was one that I would rather forget!!

Thanks.

Sue

 

Maryam-Al-Fakheer0
Level 10
Ma'an Governorate, Jordan

@Sue5 - To be honest, for me it would not just be about the costs of the extra breakfast, but about the rudeness and taking each and every opportunity to take the maximum advantage (and beyond) as some guests tend to do that. 

 

Besides the costs you also have to think about the extra work and time: preparing the breakfast, serving, cleaning up after them and do the dishes.  I am not a servant and not a maid. 

 

Some do airbnb for fun, but a lot do it to make ends meet.  For those:  we are not a door mat. 

 

Hi Maryam,

Since hosting Airbnb customers we have seen the other side of the coin.

What costs us money and what we did as (ignorant) clients - even when staying in hotels-to unthinkingly push up expenses (I even have taken some toiletries because they were free!).

On that note, we put out the BIGGEST bottles we can find, so that our guests are not tempted to pack them in -it also creates a feeling of plenty for the gusets (which is a good thing too).

The bottom line for you is maybe to accept that as hosts we perceive a very different side of the coin to what our (unthinking) guests do.

 

Pasek0
Level 4
Ubud, ID

Wonder if this was the same Indian couple who stayed with us and sent me a message, with their breakfast order, which woke me up at 7.30am - even though it clearly states on the menu in their room that breakfast orders are taken from 8am to 10.30am.  The wife then asked our staff for an extra drink and when that was taken to her, immediately, the husband then asks for an extra drink too (we were a little surprised that they couldn't have ordered at the same time) and then they wanted more toast.  Then, the day after leaving us to go and stay in another Airbnb, they called to ask us to arrange a driver for an hours time - at this point I informed them that our driver was busy and suggested asking their new hosts for help.  

I think this must be cultural.

Sue5
Level 3
Auckland, New Zealand

Thank you for sharing

Cultural differences are one thing, but terms & conditions are clear enough at time of booking and (as most of us do) a copy is also provided in the room.   This couple had an excellent level of written (and reading) English, so no excuses.  

Furthermore, they simply lacked any kind of respect or good manners.

I have travelled to India with Indian friends and stayed with several different families - none of them were as demanding as this couple.

We aren't their servants, we are hosts to them in our own homes.

Jennifer464
Level 4
Puntarenas Province, Costa Rica

I think it’s also important to differentiate between early chrckin, which may come across as full access to amenities vs baggage drops (leave you back and go explore) 

Gabriela55
Level 1
Oceanside, CA

Yes! I totally agree about early check in. All of my guests have requested early check in and its hard sometimes to get the home ready in time. It would be great if there was a early check in fee. 

Debra70
Level 1
Geelong West, Australia

Its usualy the demanding ones or the ones that have done something wrong that write bad reviews.  Funny that.

I am also looking at charging a fee for early check in and late check out as it puts us under enormous pressure to have our place ready.  Not sure how to go about processing this .... Any ideas ?

Yes @Debra70, I just wrote in the "other things to note" section that I will charge xxx dollars extra fee for arrival beyond the normal check in time. And I'll use changes or special offers to practially enforce this. Hope it would work.
cheers.

Jennifer464
Level 4
Puntarenas Province, Costa Rica

I'd say 75% of my guests ask for an early check in or to drop their luggage. I charge very little for the room, $40 a night in a prime location in Philadelphia so earmy check in is very annoying and inconvenient to me and the guest that is here the night before. I just started charge $20 for early check ins and it has completely ended the early check in process. This is a business for me and not free service. It seems that many of these guests try to get as much as possible for free. 

Yes, many guests try to get as much as possible for free. I had breakfast included in my listing for just 24 USD a night. Most time I had to get up as early as 5.00 - 5.30 a.m. to cook/prepare the breakfast. I changed my listing and made breakfast optional for 3.50 USD. Since then suddenly really nobody need or asked for breakfast at all.  Makes you wonder.....

 

You need to raise your rate!

Daniel1507
Level 2
Edmonton, Canada

Hello All,

I have a very nice and convenient location for my room rental and most people are either passing through to visit the mountains or on their way to work up north. Unfortunately this leads to a lot of early check in requests. Officially I put 4 pm but am getting more and more asks for noon or close thereafter and it makes it difficult to come home at lunch and spend my whole lunch period cleaning and changing the room over and having to meet the guest and check them in which causes me to be working later later to get my work done. I do not want to hire someone as my place gets booked up fast due to location but is there a way to charge an early check in fee

Huma0
Level 10
London, United Kingdom

@Daniel1507

 

There is a response earlier in the thread that explains how you might be able to add on a fee for early check in under added amenities, but the guest has to agree to the request for the additional amount. It would be much better if there was an on the booking system to add on an early check in fee. It would make it look more official and less like the host is just trying to squeeze more money out of the guest, which is how some guests might take it.

 

I also constantly get requests for early check ins/bag drops. The ones that drive me crazy are the ones that will repeatedly ask even though I have already said no several times. Even worse are the ones who agree to the check in time and then simply turn up early and demand to be let in. I've had people do this and show up SIX hours early! 

 

I tried putting on my listing that early check in/baggage storage might be available for an additional fee, but guests chose to just read the "available" and ignore the "additional fee". Not a single guest has paid extra for these.

 

If that fee was there plain as day as an official option that cost X amount, then it's like them asking to bring an additional person when there is clearly an additional fee for that. No one tries to argue with me about paying for an additional person because they have to book for two if they want two to stay.

 

 

Rebecca160
Level 10
Albuquerque, NM

@Sue5 Guests arriving before the sun is up are not early arrivals, they are really late to check in! An early arrival is someone wanting to check in sometime after check out time for the last guest and before regular check in time. These guests that are admitted a bit early get coffee, tea, water and snacks, but no breakfasts.  Just say a polite no. 

For those wishing to impose on your good graces,  just tell them that they will need to book another day. This separates out the good from the abusive guests very quickly.