Do you have a specific Check In and Check Out Time for guests?

[Eileen462]

Hello Hosts!

What are your designated times for Check In and Check Out and why?  Do you allow early Check In and Late Check Out?

Thank you for replying and likes!  Hostess, Eileen

[Title updated by Community Manager for relevancy]

[Tomekia0]

Check in is 3pm

Check out is 11am

This gives me/cleaners ample time to clean and turn over the home. 

I do allow early check-in (no earlier than 1PM) if it won't put a strain on anyone. The same can be said for late check out (12PM).

[Robin4]

@Eileen462 

This question came up in our local Airbnb group yesterday and this is how I answered it.

This whole STR business is about, good reviews! Good reviews are money in the bank, poor reviews are a short-cut to pain and financial oblivion.

My designated check-in time is 2.00 pm and my designated check-out time is 11.00 am. I do regularly allow early check-in but it involves contact on the day to ascertain what check-in time might be achievable.

If the listing is vacant the previous night I will allow a check-in as early as 7.00 am....which I have done previously.

If a previous nights guest checks out at 8.30-9.00 am there is no reason why I can't have the listing ready by midday....and this works well for some of our guests.

Within limits of course we need to accept that our guests are going to be a mixed bag! Some will be great, some won't. Some will be more than happy with what we offer, some will push our boundaries! But, we need to be as flexible as possible to 'buy' that good review rather than stand our house rules ground, and the way we handle a guests check-out is of paramount importance.

If, it's at all possible, I allow my guests plenty of latitude as far a check-out time is concerned. I am even happy for them to sit in the garden, have a coffee, or leave their bags with us while I get on and prepare for the next guest. I have even had previous nights guests, not still in the listing but, still on the property when the next guests have arrived. There is no conflict and nobody has ever got upset by it!

Now it's easy for me because my listing forms a part of the property in which I reside and I can personally control it. I don't have an answer for those hosts who host remotely except, to give some thought as to allowing for a late leave strategy.....work out a protocol with the cleaning crew to work with the guest and around them.

The emphasis of my response here though is the importance of the check-out in the guests perception of the stay, and how it will have more of an effect on the review process than any other single aspect of the hosting.

I can't tell you how many hundreds of reviews I have read from guests who disliked the hosts attitude, many instances saying how rude the host was at check-out. They gloss over the fact they ignored the hosts house rules, they just took exception to the hosts attitude. That is why I answered the way I have.

Remember, that last impression the guest gets of you will be their lasting impression. No matter how well you welcome them, they will remember you by how they felt when they left! I am prepared to put myself out there for my guests, particularly at check-out.....and to this point it has worked well for me.

Cheers........Rob.

[Eileen462]

@Robin4   Hi Rob!  Thank you for your awesome as usual reply!!   Eileen

[Robin4]

@Eileen462 

Hi again Eileen, I note that my response has for some reason doubled up, I hope the moderators will remove one of the responses.

I can be boring enough with one take let alone 2 nibbles at the same 'fruit bun'!

Cheers........Rob

[Eileen462]

@Robin4 I dont mind reading twice!  lol  Helps it sink in more!  Cheers back to you my friend!

[Breanna]

I think we got it @Robin4! Don't ask how many times I scrolled up and down the page to make sure it wasn't there any more 😅 

[Robin4]

@Breanna  Thanks Breanna, I am not sure how that came about.

On reading my answer after posting, I edited it to remove a spelling mistake and when I went to  re-post, the answer doubled up.

The irony of it Breanna, my original answer is the one that remains with the spelling mistake in it, "...and this 'woks' well for some of our guests.

Never mind, nothings perfect, @Eileen462  knew what I meant!

Hope all is good with you Brea.

Cheers.......Rob 

[Breanna]

Nothing like a good blip on a website @Robin4 😂

I got the spelling changed in that one for posterity as well. Cheers!

[Lenore22]

Check-in: 4pm

Checkout: 11am

(Our 4 bed/2 bath house typically takes 4.5 hrs to turnover)

Early check-in/late checkout is usually approved on a case-by-case basis .  I've considered writing a fee in our description to encourage timeliness, but it hasn't been an issue.

[Eileen462]

@Lenore22  Hi Lenore thats alot of time and effort!  May I ask what your cleaning fees are and do you do it yourself?  Eileen

[Cheryl772]

There are things to consider:

How many rooms do you have? How many sets of extra linens, etc that you need to wash are available? How much time do you need to switch the unit over?

I do a 3 p.m. check-in and 11 a.m. check-out. With 5 rooms I need the time cushion in case I have several rooms swapping guests. I have 3 extra sets of linens to swap out (we have 2 washers and dryers). I need an hour per room minimum to prepare the unit.
I always allow early check-in if the room is going to be ready (frees up my day!) and later checkout (12-1 p.m.) if the room isn't booked that day. We are in a very touristy island area and nearly everyone has the 3 p.m. check-in and 11 a.m. check-out times here.
We also have a guest lounge area where they can put their luggage if they are early and the room isn't available until 3. 

[Sarah5000]

I designated the time for check in and check out from the hotel's standard as it is most common sense and general idea, but I do offer the earlier check in or late check when the previous day or late day is not booked or the next guest check in at night. As long as the guests give us in advance their estimated time for arrival and departure , we will work out for our guest needs.