Time between stays

[Nate803]

I want to ensure we have 1 day between guests so we can have time to clean. It seems like we can only choose the option to block out "a day after AND a day before" that's two days, i only want to ensure we have 1 day. Any recommendations?

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Nate803 Don't worry - It isn't 2 days. You need to block the day before a booking (as well as the day after) otherwise a guest could book before your existing booking up to said existing booking  and you would have no day at all between bookings.

Reading that reply it may not make sense but trust me you will be fine!

Also do make sure you deal in NIGHTS not DAYS as that is what Airbnb uses so a booking on Monday July 4th is for the night of the 4th. It is an important distinction when blocking nights in your calendar.

[Joan2709]

@Nate803 

That is the correct way to do it.

You need one day before AND one day after each booking. This is because you could have back to back bookings and you need the calendar blocked on both sides of a reservation to ensure you have time to clean between them:

Example

Guest checks in on 10/19 and checks out on 10/22

Another guest could books a stay a stay on 10/17 and checks out on 10/22 (same day turn)

(unless you had the 1day prep set on both sides of each reservation)

[Shelley159]

Hi @Nate803 

@Mike-And-Jane0 and @Joan2709 have already explained the setting - it is the correct one to get the result you want.

The practical problem comes in when the next booking doesn't line up well with the first one that was in place. So what can happen, is that someone books the 10th to the morning of the 14th and the next guest books from the 16th. The nights of 14 and 15 will then be open, and it's impossible to get either of them booked without giving up your one-night-open requirement. This is not because the calendar setting is wrong, it's because the second guest's booking wasn't optimally spaced.

One option is to clean on the 14th and allow the 15th to get booked as a single night (you don't have to change the setting, you can just manually change that single night to "available" and override the setting). As the 15th will be a one-night stay, hopefully you'll have a small cleaning job on the 16th and be able to finish on time? Just one way of dealing with it (you could also just leave both nights blocked).

[Joelle43]

Hello @Nate803 

That preparation time is in fact just one day - it runs from your check out time in the morning to your next day check-in time the next day but it does mean that a guest can book your place up until 11.59pm for a check-in the next day.  

This one day in between guests means that you will never find yourself with a same day check-in (or a back to back booking as some call it) with guests leaving at 11am and a new set of guests arriving at 4pm let's say.

This extra lee way is also a good opportunity to allow guests to check-in earlier if the place is empty and ready and if your schedule allows it obviously.  Something guests like to have offered I've noticed even if they don't end up using it but gives us brownie points😉

The is also  the Advance warning that I like to use which stops guests from being able to book on the same day they want to arrive.  I have 24 hour notice programmed and this gives me advance warning of a booking in case of last minute cleaning needed but also allows the payment to go through as you can potentially accept a booking but with the payment still pending😨  The payment may not go through but you have allowed the guest to enter the premises nevertheless less.   If Airbnb don't get paid, nor do we!

All the best
Joëlle