Early self-check in

[Soleine0]

I am getting more and more annoyed by guests who don't respect my check-in and check-out hours - and what I thought were basic manners.  Since I have self check-in available, people just show up in my house hours before my check-in time, make themselves at home, without even letting me know that they come early or that they are here. Today, I went downstairs to see people I don't know - and wasn't expecting at this time - lying on the bed. They didn't even bother saying hi or getting up when I introduced myself. 

1) Do I have wrong  expectations of what self check in is ? To me, it means that guests have the possibility to check-in when I am not there. It doesn't mean that they can come in early without introducing themselves while I live in the same house. 

2) When does Airbnb send the check-in instructions to guests ?  

I'd love to hear what about your experiences with self check in in your main personal residence. To me, it feels more and more awkward to have people in my basement while I'm there too and I don't even know their names or what they look like... Especially when there's a group of people, the person making the reservation may have reviews but I don't know anyhting about the other persons. 

Thank you in advance for your inputs

[Susie5]

HI @Soleine0, I haven't had t his problem much even though I have self check-in. Usually though I just put the keybox out at around the time I am expecting them. If they come too early they don't find a key or even the keybox; the cleaner uses the same key so if it's not there, it's because she's upstairs cleaning.... You could also get an electronic check in - there are a lot of hosts who prefer those (they also tell you how many have come in, how many times, etc.). I personally haven't felt the need for this.  I have a mechanical keybox (basically like the realtors use) with a code I text them about a week in advance.

PS I grew up in Boulder and have lots of good memories! I was there at St Patricks day and had a blast!

Susie

[Matthew285]

@Soleine0 if you are having trouble with guests letting themselves in early, then a smart lock could be a big aid. Each guest gets a unique key code, and their individual key code does not begin working until the specified check-in time. Therefore, they cannot let themselves in early.

Similarly, the guest keycode stops working at the normal check-out time, which makes it harder for guests to overstay.

[Isobel11]

This sounds like a good plan. We have had guests check in to our property this morning before the cleaners had arrived to set the place up. Not happy

[André372]

Hi there, would you tell me the name of one of this smartlocks? Thanks!

[Jessica-and-Henry0]

@Soleine0

It's not that you have wrong expectations but that people are selfish and don't care about your rules or common courtesy. In their minds, they paid, they're early, they have the code, the code works......so why shouldn't I just enter a couple hours earlier? The easiest way is to physically not allow them access before the check in time using whatever method works best for you. Check-in instructions are sent as soon as the reservation is paid for and confirmed - which is why I did not include any details about accessing my home.

[Suzanne302]

I send check-in instructions 3 days before the arrival date and one of the first things I mention is check-in time. I also make it clear that their keypad code will not activate until check-in time. I also stress the need to know an arrival time window. I think those three things help deter people from assuming an early check-in.

[Miryan2]

Your understanding of self check-in is correct, but I see that guests may take advantage of it, being that the place would be available - very unconsiderate indeed. I agree, that the best way to avoid such issue is to place the key in a box around the time in your listing.

My issue is guests asking for early check-in time, when it is clearly stated in my listing, mostly people from around the area. I have made a decision just to say "no" from now on, unless they are coming from very far away by plane.

[Letti0]

I have an entire house. My check is 4 PM. After a large group showed up and just let themselves in at 12:55 PM without permission we changed how we do this. Fortunately the place was ready for them, but my cleaning crew would have been there  if it was a same day turn over which happens alot. We send the code 3 days before check in, but set the code to what was sent to them right before check in time now. We offer luggage drop off so they can ask to use that option free of charge, no more early check in without permission. 

[Stephanie365]

My listing does indicate it has a self check in option, but I also state that this is in the event that I am not able to greet them in person. I will not provide the code any earlier than the morning they are scheduled to arrive and only after I've confirmed an arrival time.

The morning my guests are due to arrive, I send a greeting and ask them what their estimated time of arrival might be.  Most of my guests do plan on arriving in the evenings, well after my check-in time (4 pm), but occasionally I will have one that will state (not ask) that they plan on arriving at an earlier time.

I respond that I am looking forward to their arrival; however, the suite will not be ready for them until around 4 pm (check in time) as I am still cleaning from the previous guest. Only when they respond with "Oh ok" or something to that effect do I provide parking and lock box information and tell them the lock box will be in place once the suite is ready for guests. 

I am off the beaten path just enough that most people aren't going to waste the time arriving early, especially after informing them the suite will not be accessible until I'm ready.

I don't take an attitude or anything. Just straight forward polite, but professional conversation.

[Jeanette37]

That's a great system you've got in place.  Anything that works!  I haven't had much of a problem with guests checking in early, just lucky I suppose.  I've occasionally rented out my bedroom when it's been a good idea and on this occasion the guest in the main room had checked in but not before the second guest had put her things in the guest room (I'd told her she was in my room and she knew the difference as she knew which one was the guest one).  In the meantime guest in main room had gone to bed, second guest had arrived much later, her things were in the main room and we were laughing trying to work out how she was going to get to her things.  I was thinking I would have to lend her a nightie at the very least!  Fortunately guest no 1 had opened her door so no 2 was able to get her things and all was well!

[Jeanette37]

Hi everyone.  I have to use a self check-in system for some of my guests as sometimes I'm not there.  At the moment I work full-time in Melbourne so if they come and go during the week they have to use this.  A recent guest of mine failed to switch one side of the electric blanket off which gave me a fright as I thought, worst case scenario it could have short-circuited and caused a fire.  I told him this and he said that he did some checks but perhaps I should have been there with him to go through it just in case on checking out.  I'd told him that he knew I wasn't going to be there so I would have thought he would know to be independent.  My question is do any hosts feel that they should be there when the guest is checking out to make sure everything has been switched off, put back in place etc? 

[JJ48]

Our check-in is at 4:00 and we don't put their codes in the front door until 4:00.  However, if you can't be there at check-in time to do that, maybe you could just let them know that you will message them their code at 4:00 (or whatever your check-in time is)?  It would make the point of what time check-in is and also prevent the selfish ones from going early. 

[Susan3433]

I do not understand why Airbnb is giving out access to our homes early.  Certainly, they can send the lock code information at the specified check-in time.  My guest just let herself in 2 hours early. Fortunately, it had been cleaned but I had not had a chance to restock it.  This is the third time this has happened, I am really disappointed in AirBnB.

[Louise0]

This is why you, and only you, should have control of that information. Do not include the code in your arrival instructions.   My arrival instructions state that guests will be sent the code at the check in time of 3pm and not a nanosecond earlier.