Should You Allow Early Check-ins and Late Check-outs at Your Airbnb?
For property owners involved in Airbnb management and short-term rental management, offering early check-ins or late check-outs can be a nice perk for guests. While these accommodations are often appreciated, they come with both benefits and challenges. Here’s a closer look at when it makes sense to allow early check-ins and late check-outs and how to manage these requests effectively.
1. Changeover Days: Proceed with Caution
If you have back-to-back bookings, it’s generally not advisable to offer early check-ins or late check-outs. The turnaround time between guests is already tight, and adding extra hours can put significant pressure on your cleaning staff. Typically, cleaners have 4-6 hours to prepare the property for new arrivals, which can be a challenge, especially after hosting large groups. Rushing the cleaning process can lead to overlooked details, impacting the quality of your Airbnb management and potentially leading to negative reviews.
2. Early Check-in: Keep It a Surprise
Never promise early check-in in advance. Last-minute bookings can change your schedule unexpectedly, potentially creating a conflict if a new guest is scheduled to check in on a changeover day. Instead, wait until the day before the original check-in time to confirm availability. Letting your guest know that early check-in is possible as a last-minute surprise can delight them and increase the likelihood of positive reviews, which is invaluable in short-term rental management.
3. Late Check-outs: A Careful Balancing Act
From a revenue standpoint, offering late check-outs by default doesn’t make much sense. If a guest checks out late, it limits your ability to welcome new guests on the same day. Unless your cleaning staff is willing to work under tight time constraints (which often requires extra compensation), you risk disrupting your operations. Complimentary late check-outs should be reserved for times when you don’t have incoming guests on the same day. In certain situations, such as when a guest has faced an inconvenience like delayed access to the property or an issue with amenities, offering a late check-out can serve as a goodwill gesture.
4. Charging for Late Check-outs: Setting Boundaries
Inevitably, some guests will push the boundaries or overlook check-out instructions. For this reason, it’s wise to include a rule in your listing that unauthorized late check-outs will incur an additional fee. This not only ensures that guests respect the check-out time but also helps you maintain control over your schedule.
In some cases, you might want to charge guests a fee for a late check-out that’s equivalent to the next night’s rate. This allows the guest to stay as late as they want, while compensating you for the lost opportunity to book a new guest for that night.
5. Protecting Your Revenue
Ultimately, it’s crucial not to compromise your revenue for the sake of accommodating guests. The check-in and check-out times are always clearly stated on booking platforms, so guests should be aware of the rules before confirming their stay. As an Airbnb management professional, maintaining a balance between guest satisfaction and operational efficiency is key to the success of your short-term rental business.
