How do you make yourself available for guest support?

[Marcos760]

I’d love to hear how you all deal with this…  

We all know it’s totally normal for guests to have questions during their stay. But it’s also VERY common for them to ask things that are already in the check-in instructions, houserules, or are pretty obvious 

Sometimes it even feels like the host is expected to be a 24/7 hotel front desk.

How do you handle this in practice:

Do you reply anytime a guest messages you?  
Are you available 24/7?  
Do you set specific hours to respond?  
Do you inform guests about your availability in advance?  
Or do you just respond based on urgency?  
Have you ever ignored “less reasonable” questions? 

My experience:  

I usually reply quickly, even when the answer is already written somewhere and the guest could easily find it.  

But honestly, sometimes it gets tricky…  

I’ve received a message at 1:00 AM asking how to turn off the balcony light (when the switch is right next to the door ).  

Another time, at 3:00 AM, a guest asked whether they should take out the trash at check-out… even though check-out was only at 11 AM.  

So… how do you balance being responsive without feeling tied to your phone all the time?  

[Vahid29]

I answer anytime that I see their message and answer their calls anytime.

[Victor4758]

Normally if i available or wake up already, will nicely to reply any questions. Because i wish my guest can give 5 star reviews for my airbnb business 😆

[Joanna818]

We’re actually in a different time zone to our portfolio (+6 hours), so guest messaging has to be really intentional.

What’s worked well for us is splitting coverage across the day so there’s always someone available during key guest touchpoints, especially check-in windows. That way response times stay tight without one person being “on” 24/7.

In practice, we’re covering most of the day between us, and prioritising check-in days so guests are never left waiting when it matters most.

As we scale, we’ll likely bring in a VA to support evening coverage, more for balance than necessity at this stage.

[Shanna159]

If its a question already within the instructions I screenshot the instructions and then answer their question but let them know it's also on the instructions and to please check them. 

I do not answer anything after i go to bed, i will answer in the morning. 

If there are more than a few questions i would ask them to review the app for any further questions. 

[Yasmin545]

I always respond to guests provided it is within a reasonable time frame. If a guest messaged me at 1 or 3 a.m., they would have to wait for a response the next morning. I always make sure that everything they need to know is in the guest handbook.

[Oriana275]

This is a good approach.

[Uliana1407]

You can write a template message and schedule it to send at the time of booking if you want , something like : “if you have questions regarding the property before or during the stay we are available to answer between hours of 8 am to 8 pm, if it is an emergency call emergency number at”

[Sandra-Lúcia0]

São situações delicadas, mas assim que recebo meus hóspedes me coloco à disposição, digo que se precisarem de algo me enviem uma mensagem e se for algo urgente me liguem. Desta  forma consigo ficar mais tranquila caso eu esteja ocupada, numa festa/evento ou dormindo...

Procuro atendê los sempre! Embora tenham as exceções, pois existem os "sem noções", que abusam - rss). Mas considero que são pessoas que procuram o melhor lazer ou a melhor experiência ou um ótimo local para o trabalho ou quem sabe se sentir em casa numa cidade diferente...e eu como anfitriã tenho responsabilidade em atender essa expectativa.

[Venkata29]

In my case, I’m available 24/7 since I stay opposite my Airbnb property, which makes it convenient to assist guests whenever needed. However, I haven’t faced issues with late-night or unreasonable queries so far. I primarily host families and working professionals, and I maintain clear house rules, including not allowing unmarried couples or alcohol. Because of this, my guests are generally respectful and don’t tend to contact me at odd hours unnecessarily.

[Senthil27]

Hi Marco, 

   I always respond to the guest message ASAP in the normal working hours. If I am engaged in some other work when I cannot attend, I arrange alternative people to attend their needs. But I always ask them to call anytime if there is any issue which have to attend immediately.  Otherwise during off hours like 11 PM  to morning 6 AM I don't reply. It is understood by the guest that we are sleeping during this time. Yes, some guest ask some questions like do we have to keep the trash out, do we have to switch off lights, which we have mentioned in house rules, we have to be patient to reply them to those questions again.

Happy hosting, cheers

[Bamidele7]

@Senthil27 please how can you assist me with co hosting 

[Escape24-Vacation-Homes-Rental0]

Hi @Marcos760 

For me, it really depends on the type of message if it’s an urgent issue (lock problem, no AC, safety, check in trouble, then we need to be responsive right away, even late at night. But for non-urgent questions, especially things already covered in the check-in guide or house rules, I usually reply the next morning during normal hours.

I’ve found this keeps guests supported without feeling like I need to be a 24/7 hotel front desk. Clear instructions and automated messages help a lot, but some guests will still ask obvious questions, and that’s just part of hosting.

[Alice1947]

Hi @Marcos760 

Great question—and this is exactly where treating hosting as a structured business (not 24/7 hotel service) makes all the difference.

In my case, I solve this by being very clear in advance about communication rules and availability.

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1. I set communication hours upfront

I explicitly inform guests:

“I am available from 10:00 AM to 10:00 PM (local time). Messages are answered during this period. Outside these hours, I only respond in case of real emergencies.”

This alone changes guest behavior a lot.
When expectations are defined early, guests stop assuming you are a 24/7 front desk.

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2. I define what counts as an emergency

I also make it clear (directly or indirectly) that:

• Emergency = safety issue, major malfunction (water leak, no electricity, access problem)
• Not emergency = how to use lights, trash questions, instructions already provided

This avoids the classic 1:00 AM “how does this work?” messages.

---

3. I reinforce self-service

If something is already in the instructions, I simply redirect:

“You’ll find that in the check-in guide 😊”

No long explanations, no rewriting the same content.
Guests learn quickly.

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4. I align with Airbnb standards (without over-serving)

According to Airbnb best practices, hosts should:

• Be reachable
• Provide a way to resolve issues
• Offer support when something is wrong

But this does NOT mean being constantly available for non-essential questions.

So I make sure:

• Guests have clear instructions
• They know how to reach me
• Urgent issues are handled quickly

That’s enough to meet platform standards without turning yourself into a 24h concierge.

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5. The mindset shift: this is not a hotel

This is key.

A hotel has:

• Staff in shifts
• Reception 24/7
• Built-in service cost

A short-term rental does not.

So I subtly position it this way:

• This is a private residence with support, not full-service hospitality
• Communication is structured
• Guests are expected to read instructions and be autonomous

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6. Do I ignore messages?

I don’t ignore—but I prioritize.

• Urgent → immediate
• Non-urgent at night → next morning
• Redundant → short redirect

---

Bottom line

What worked best for me is:

Clear boundaries + consistent behavior

If you:

• Answer everything instantly
• Solve everything for them
• Stay available 24/7

…guests will expect exactly that.

But if you:

• Define hours
• Stick to them
• Keep responses structured

…guests adapt very quickly.

[Diana2359]

Hi! Based on my experience, I recommend being readily available for your guests. You can share your phone number for emergencies so they can call you directly. For less urgent matters, they can reach you through the app or via text message.

It’s also a good idea to keep your phone on “ring” during the night when you have guests staying, so you don’t miss any important calls.

Additionally, providing videos, instructions, and pictures ahead of time can make a big difference. This helps guests easily complete the check-in and check-out process and understand any house rules in advance. 

welcome to the community!