Anyone else think a 9am checkout is rather early?

[Robbie54]

I have a get away booked in Cornwall this summer and the property has a 9am checkout and 5pm check in.  It's not a major issue, however asking guests to be out by 9am is, to me, rather early. I did ask the host for a 10am check out which was turned down stating the early check out is for covid cleaning, where the windows need to be left open for 1 hour prior to cleaning. Even though I respect the wishes of the owner they would still have 7 hours to clean the ( not very big) property before guests arrive.  I myself have allowed 5 hours for cleaning, although it generally takes 3 hours for a good clean. 

Like i said it's not a major issue, just a disappointing one to where a family of 4 would have to be out by 9am. 

[Alexandra316]

@Robbie54 Did they only let you know about the checkout time after you booked? If it was disclosed ahead of time, why did you agree to it if you feel it doesn't work well for you? Why book, then argue with the host about whether or not it's too early? Presumably this host knows how much time they need to get the property ready for the next guest and have scheduled accordingly. 9 am does seem a bit early, but I personally love that hosts can put almost anything in their listings: rules and terms are so diverse. The guest decides whether or not it's a good fit, and listings that have unmarketable restrictions probably won't survive. 

Also, put yourself in your host's shoes. You're a host yourself: you put the all of your property information on the site at the price you want to charge. Guests review the listing and decide whether or not it's a good fit. If it's not, they presumably keep looking until they find something that does work for them. How would you feel if the guest went ahead and booked then started asking you for exceptions to what you were offering? 

[Robbie54]

@Alexandra316 yes the check out time was disclosed, but like I said it’s not a major issue, hence why I booked, and I have no intention of turning it in to one. My question is do other hosts feel a check out time of 9am is too early, that’s all. 
“How would you feel if the guest went ahead and booked then started asking you for exceptions to what you were offering? “ it’s not unusual for guests to ask for either an early check in or late check out, which is all I have done. 

[Alexandra316]

@Robbie54 my point is that there is no such thing as "too early". Guests vote with their bookings. If it works for them, guests will book. If it doesn't, they won't (hopefully). 

[Matt7586]

I fully disagree with this. Guests do their best to find a place that fits all their needs (washing machine, booking flexibility, location, number of rooms) … Blaming the person who booked for not seeing this one detail and then having feelings about it feels … kind of mean. I think 9 am is AWFUL, 10 AM not great and 11 AM standard. When I hosted, I always allowed guests until noon to have a relaxing morning. My cleaning requirements before the next guest shouldn’t impose on the former guest’s experience.

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Robbie54 Our guests often struggle with our 10am out, 4pm in rules. I personally think this is enough for a 3 bed place but could be tight if a) the place was bigger and b) the hosts were trying to do all the laundry and ironing during these hours.

I agree a 9am start is going to be very rushed for guests and would not be the last impression we would want to leave them with.

[Robbie54]

@Mike-And-Jane0  Thanks for your opinion. Your times seem perfectly reasonable for a 3 bed property, I’d be happy with that. We ourselves have a 2 bed property with a 10.30 check out and 3pm check in, however our property is smaller than yours and it seems to work well.

My impression from the host in Cornwall is they’ve increased the check in and out times because of COVID, and most of the reviews reflect a time before COVID where the check out time would’ve been later. 
Personally I think 8 hours to clean a smallish property is overkill, but still looking forward to a get away 🙂 

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

@Robbie54 

check-out time depends of many factors, it could be they use a cleaning agency and have to adapt to their schedule (all STRs have turnovers somewhere between 9 - 17h) or because they need to air the unit for 1-2 hours and then perform enhanced Covid cleaning or the host has to go on work but wants to be present during check-out.... or wants to clean before going to work... 

Private hosts have other errands and things to do, Airbnb is rarely their only job, and usually, it's only 1 or 2 people running it, it's not like we have staff on the payroll as hotels do.

Diversity is the beauty of Airbnb

[Angelica-Y-Jorge0]

@Robbie54 

I would be extra happy with this arrangement. Although early you know the place is being properly cleaned and the host is committed to cleaning. We have a 10 am check-out and 4 pm check-in. When we have back-to-back guests we need to have 2 cleaners in to finish on time and do a proper cleaning. 

My point is the inconvenience should be reassuring you are getting a healthy and clean space.

[Patricia2526]

Hi @Robbie54 

I believe 9 AM is a bit too early for most guests, that’s usually when they’re just starting to wake up and ease into the day! At our property, we typically offer check-out times of 11 AM or 12 PM to give guests a more relaxed morning. Check-in time is at 3 PM, and we’re happy to be flexible when possible, especially if we’re not expecting another guest right away. We always try our best to accommodate everyone’s needs to ensure a comfortable stay.

But yes, every host has their own unique way of hosting. As long as certain things are clearly stated in the listing description and house rules, it’s usually fine and helps set the right expectations for guests. What works for one host may not work for another.