This forum is dedicated to connecting hosts with other hosts. Sign up to get the latest updates and news just for AirBnb hosts! Note that we are not affiliated with Airbnb - we are just passionate hosts!
My checkout is at 11am. Last week, a guest asked if they could check out at 2, I said yes, of ran extra $20.
What is YOUR policy? Do you ask for money, how much, and how do you collect payment? FYI, my situation is 1-3 nights max, guests usually check in after dinner etc and leave early in the am.
Though my check out also supposedly at 12, I keep it flexible. For me extra 20$ for a couple hours stay is too hotel like. We keep reminding our guests that it’s not a hotel they renting so they can’t expect everything to be run like In a hotel ( everyday cleaning, superclean, fresh towels everyday, breakfast, etc) but at the same time we have hotel rules with checking in and checking out.
With hotels it’s understandable: they are running a non stop business with cleaning staff that is on a schedule.
But homestay like Airbnb is different. I don’t see a reason why not to let my guests stay until even evening if I have no other guests that day. Some have a very late plane like at 9 pm. I let them stay as long as they wish. That’s the beauty of Airbnb, that we can have a personal touch.
I put check out time at 12 with explanation that if there are no other guests arriving its flexible.
@Yana_Agapova Usually in the busy seasons (summers for us) we ask that they leave by 11am so we have enough time for the cleaners to do their job. As for late checkouts, I mean it’s your home so it’s really up to you what you want to do with it. $20 seems a little steep where we are but if you give an explanation on why you charge the fee that you do then people should be respectful of that.
Agree, if you have cleaners, that’d s different story. I clean myself and i. don’t see why I can’t accommodate my guests if it costs me nothing.
Whoa, $20 for late check-in/check-out is huge amount of money. I had such a problem in one of my apartments, that’s why I created RentingLock.com. Now I’m renting my apartments on the on the distance, and I don’t charge anything for late/early check-in/check-out.
I state check-in at noon and check-out at 3 as a consistent method to get the suite ready. I don’t advertise flexibility as I cannot provide this to all guests and don’t want to set up faulty expectations. When I have a tight turnover I let my guests know when they are booking, essentially as soon as I know. If they outright ask for this I say that I can only confirm this once they arrive unless my schedule is fixed.
i never allow late check out because of the two or three guests who have abused it… They have asked for a late check out and then usually use it to go to the beach an extra day, rush back, leaving a big mess because they are so rushed, and then on top of it, leaving a nit picky review!!!After two guests did this, forget it. Just no. No benefit for me, and more use of my utilities, etc., that they didn’t pay for.
If they ask for late check out I politely tell them it’s not possible due to an incoming booking that night but they may leave their bags in my carport if they wish. Most opt not to…
As a host you have to find ways to optimize the profits. Late check out does nothing… especially if they leave a critical review after you’ve done them a favor!
It takes me a full five hours to prepare my entire cabin. I accept same day bookings so if someone wants a late check out, it means I have to close the day off of the calendar. On a Fri/Saturday there is a decent chance that I would receive a same day booking. But on all other days it is not highly likely.
I had guests a few months ago ask for late check out. They inquired about it late Sat. night. I explained the whole same day booking thing. They wanted to stay until 4 p.m. and check out time is 11 a.m. My regular check in time is 4 p.m. So the next morning no one new had booked. But they paid me $100 to close off the date, and I was happy.
The funny part is when they left they said “You can still even rent your place out for tonight.” Yeah…because I have a magic wand that will magically make the place clean…lol.
If I don’t have anyone booked, I allow early check in and late check out without charging anything and have never had a problem. I have a key safe attached to my front gate so I don’t need to be around to let them in/out. Even if I do have other guests booked, I let them leave their bags around if they have a late flight or a late check in somewhere else.
I’m sure it’s harder to be flexible for some hosts in certain circumstances but for me it’s generally fine and people appreciate the flexibility. I wouldn’t feel right about asking money when it’s not costing me anymore.
Yes I remember 2 of the guests did go to the beach when I let them stay till 4. They didnt use anything extra just took a shower after beach not in a morning.
And the mess was the ussual mess nothing extraordinary.
I started hosting at the end of sprin break and had many very young guests who partied till 4 am, and then of course needed to sleep till 1 pm. ALL OF THEM asked me for a late check out. I was booked back to back then and what I did, I texted my next guests what time they were coming. Only once I didnt allow late checkout because of the time conflict. But otherwise i did , I just was telling them to check out 1 hour before next people were coming for me to clean.
We have a 11:00 checkout; but we only keep it firm if we need to clean for new guests. If we have a day or so between guest and my schedule allows for it, I have no problem allowing guests to stay a few hours and do not charge for the extra time.
Thankfully we have not had anyone take advantage of our policy.
“Utilities they don’t pay for”… You hit the nail on the head. Thank you.
LOL. It’s completely clueless not to realize that late check out means you, the host, cannot sell that room the next day. And if you do, it puts you in a bind and a rush to get it ready for someone coming in… or to ready it up to have it available for last minute bookings. I can’t believe experienced travelers would not understand this simple idea. :)… But that’s our AirBnB guests, eh? Maybe some so young they’ve never even booked a hotel and wouldn’t even know how to go about it.
Just a word to the wise from us long-time hosts… Late check out is like early arrival… people trying to get you to give them more than they paid for. I just say no… and no one is offended…Goodbye guests! When 11AM on their check out day arrives, I’m ready for them to hit the road! Later alligators!
You are right. Only exceptions are if you don’t have a same day turnover and the cleaners aren’t waiting to get it. I’d forgo the $20 and say “Yes, I can accommodate your late check out, but it’s going to cost you 1 stellar review” I’ve never had such long glowing reviews in my life." Worth much more than $20, at least in my neck of the woods.
I do the exact same as jackpat and have never had a problem. Guests tend to be reasonable and really appreciate the flexibility.
I have people staying in rooms in our home, and for us it is about enjoying some space to ourselves, and not forfeiting it to guests who are looking for extra time that is not paid for. In my experience it is most often the more demanding guests that are really trying to squeeze the most out of what they can get out of their money and stay in my home that ask for extras such as these, and are almost invariably my least favorite guests to have in the home. The ones that push to arrive early and stay late even when making a booking inquiry, I already know will be these types, so I make sure to let them know that I am not flexible. I actually do not appreciate people laying about our home for an extra five hours after a long weekend of hosting, when all we are desperate to do is get back to doing our thing without worrying about who is around. We allow an extra hour earlier an an extra hour later, and find that is plenty. Bags can be left, but it can be an imposition, and in our area there is really no need for it.
I recently had a woman stay that was incredibly demanding. She lay about our home mostly nude getting her fake tan all over all my furniture leaving an orangey hue, exposing her full breasts at every opportunity, and trying to get us to wait on her as if we were the staff. She never left the home except for dinner one evening, and seemed to not even eat over the five days, except for ordering in once. On the last day, when we were so drained and over it, she suddenly declared she had booked her bus ticket back to NYC for 4pm, and said she planned to stay at our place until then as she had some writing to do. I told her there was some wonderful cafe’s uptown that she really should visit as she hadn’t been, very near to the bus station, apthat would make for a great writing spot. She wanted to battle it out and not accept no for an answer, as only here would do for a writing venue as she was just so happy here. My husband and I stepped inside, seriously not going to be bossed around by this woman for another day. We decided the best course of action was to say she was welcome to stay, but at a half days rate to stay the extra half day. She very quickly decided that she didn’t need to write after all, and a friend had offered to take her to a waterfall. Yeah. Some people will really try it on.
But it is a case by case basis. Others we welcome to stay as they are enjoyable guests, the only problem is, these guests never would dream of it, because they don’t want to be an imposition.
If a guest is a pain in the ass, I have no problem saying "check out time is noon. ciao!’
That’s backfired on me before Scott. Although it is a nice strategy in theory.
On what planet is it OK to ask the host for a favor like late check out, only to smack them in a review for other things they found lacking? I’m one jaded host I guess, but I simply don’t trust guests. Even the “nice” ones who leaving glowing can and will bite you! I never solicit reviews anymore. Sometimes when I have been SURE they will leave a good review, and I ask them to leave a review, I’m shocked by a nit pick! I should have kept my mouth shut and will in the future. I have 67 positive and no negative… AND… I have THIS! (see below) 
I have enough kudos! LOL! 
Sandy, good riddance to the topless fake tanned freeloading writer!
Every time I open my airbnb app, I get an idiotic party thing that looks like it’s for kids. It constantly holds up my ability to answer guests and do things without the inconvenience of waiting until this stupid digital image has had time to disappear. It is meant to keep reminding me of some supersucky milestone, but it just annoys the hell out of me. And yes, Kona, that woman was a piece of work I tell you.
