Advice needed - guest insists on staying 7 hours after check-out

[Lilly28]

I am waiting guests  at 3-3.30 or 4 a.m. - their flight lends at 2 a.m. They booked for 5 days more than a month ago. They want to stay 7 hours after the check-out, and insist that I should reconsider and allow them this stay free of charge as I told them at the time of booking that late check-outs can be arranged.

The problem is that I am allowing late check-outs - but I always mean that the guests are going to leave their luggage in my own flat, which is just several floors up the one I am listed with airbnb. But these guests want to stay in the flat, as they have TV show or lessons to do from 2 to 5 p.m.

I lowered considerably my price and asked them to book for one day more, as staying in the flat 7 hours after the check-out I cannot have any other guests - I can surely cannot tell one he would inquire that he has to arrive at 10 p.m. instead of 3 p.m. because my previous guests want 7 hours stay free.

There was a problem with their first day of stay as well, as they booked 4 days, not counting that 3 a.m. is the time for the previous guest - when I told them that - they booked one day more, but as now I noticed that the check-out is with the same problem - this time they refused to consider one day more. What shall I do? Do I have to make the day unavailable for their sake? I do not think this is a fair way of doing business even when it is done by me, a host who most enjoy their guests than thinking of money. But I have to wait the first day a whole night, and to loose one day... and what will happen if this day would be booked from other guests?

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

@Lilly28

allowing your guests to leave their luggage before or after their stay for couple of hours is  not the same as late check out so in the future you should be very clear about it.

If you really did promise 7 hours later check out then it would be fair to allow it. Otherwise you have no obligations to keep their luggage or let them stay longer then your listed check out time is.

[Elena87]

@Lilly28

Looks like the guests are trying to twist what you mean by a late-checkout, to their advantage.

Seven hours is way too excessive. As they think an early check-in is 3am, real chancers.

I'd explain one more time and offer the guests either to abide by your regular plan to store luggage till later or ask them to pay a pro-rata rate for the seven hours after check-out( perhaps half your daily rate) - or they can decide to leave at the regular check-out time as per the booking.

Get them to decide which option they want to take rather than let them dictate to you what they want to do.

Remind them as well as about the terms of service- 

8.2.2 You agree to leave the Accommodation no later than the checkout time that the Host specifies in the Listing or such other time as mutually agreed upon between you and the Host...

Overstay fees charged to guests are up to twice the usual nightly rate.

You probably know now you should carefully edit your listing to 'luggage storage' rather than 'late-check-out'. Give someone an inch...

[Lilly28]

I need more advice, as this lady - one of three guests, and she is the one who booked is a host as well - and she has written me just few minutes ago a message that she would report me to airbnb.

I will give more detail in 10 minutes as all the mess was done because of different time of request to book and booking - so I have lost the conversation, having one after the other guests for whom to take care of. Meanwhile my daughter was having tick encephilitis and that was just on top of the mess.

[Lisa723]

A late check-out does mean that the guests remain in the space after check-out time. It does not mean luggage storage. "Can be arranged" is very ambiguous. In future, don't offer it or be very clear about what you mean. In this case, if you don't want to let the guests stay, tell them you're sorry but it's not possible. Call Airbnb CS yourself to explain and hopefully get their help.

[Lilly28]

On 27-the of July –requirement to book with the following message

^^ I  have some specific requirements which I hope you will be able to meet.. I teach classes online from 1pm – 5pm, Tuesday – Saturday. For this reason, I am wondering if it would be possible to arrange an earlier check in, around 12pm, on the arrival day and a late check out, at exactly 5pm on the departure day? I realise that this may be inconvenient for you, but unfortunately I am not able to change this!^^

The same day I answered with the following message

^^ Your requirements are the most easy to be met - I live in the same bloc on a different floor - so no problem for early check-in and later check-out. And usually I am ready at 12.00 from my previous guests.So - you will be at the flat at 12.00 for the check-in for sure - and I am going to arrange that the check-out will be at 5.oo p.m. Is this o.k.?^^

On the 2-nd of August she booked, making excuses that she did not book 48 hours after the day she made the request=

On the 3-rd I had the following message from her

^^ we are actually arriving at about 2 or 3am and thought it would be too late to check in so are arranging other accommodation for the first night^^

My answer was - ^^ I am waiting my guests anytime - check my house manual for detail^^

She answered – That is fantastic

The following day – 4-the of August I send her the following message

^^ I can accept you that late - but if this is on 8-the of Sept - my check-in time for that day is 3 p.m. - so 3 a.m. is for the person who has booked the 7-the of Sept
So I think you better book one day more - the 7-the of Sept

THE same day – 4-the of August she booked one more day – 7-the of Sept for the early check-in

Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately I only today realized that the late check-out is different from the one I allow to other guests – and I have send her the following message

^^ Sorry to bother you again with your requirements - but when you asked me for them I was so busy with my guests - that noticed only the overlap with the time of the first day. I noticed that you are asking for a late departure than the check-out, but did not count that this is so much that my whole day should be made unavailable as to meet your request - you see till 5 p.m. you will be having your classes, this means you will be leaving probably at 6 p.m. - this is 4 hours for my preparation time for my next guests and at least 3 hours of their time - if I have someone to book this day - I for sure cannot tell him to arrive at 10 p.m., because my previous guests asked for a late departure. I often have requests for later check-out, but this I allow by asking my guests to leave their luggage at my own flat - which cannot be done in your case. Therefore, please can I ask you to book another day - the 12-the of Sept

She replied

^^ As a host myself I completely understand your problem! This is why I made sure to check the times with you before booking. Actually a few different hosts agreed to the late check out but I liked you and your apartment the best so chose you! However, if you had told me from the beginning that I would need to pay for another day, I would’ve gone with another option. I am really sorry because I do understand your problem, of course, but as we agreed on this prior to making the booking, I do not think it is fair to change the conditions on the morning of the arrival day. I do hope you understand my position as well and will reconsider. ^^

I lowered my price 50% - and asked her to look at the price –

The answer

^^ If you look at our earlier messages, I think you will find that you agreed to a 5pm check out time. That is fine, we will take the risk on Wednesday then. If other guests book for that night and we are forced to leave before the agreed time of 5pm, we will, however we will have no choice but to mention this in our feedback and take it up with Airbnb. I hope you understand this. ^^   

[Helen3]

Having looked at the email trail unfortunately I have to agree with the guest. You told her she could have a 5 p.m. checkout ie departure and didn't mention an extra cost. You should have told her that she could leave her luggage with you which isn't the same thing at all.

However I don't like her tone and threat to leave a comment in your review and contact Airbnb about it if you don't do this.

In your situation I would give her what you promised. But not one second more.

[Ana1136]

@Lilly28 I also agree with @Helen3, you approved late check-out when she was booking so it would be unfair not to give them one. And late check out means they will stay in the apartment until the time of the check out. What you are offering is luggage drop off and maybe you should be more clear with future guests. As for now, I would let the guest have the late check out you prommised upon booking.

[Linda108]

@Lilly28  Looking at your message thread with this guest, the guest is communicating clearly what is needed and asking for your accommodation which you initially provide.  Then you seem to be modifying your original acceptance and she accepted booking the additional day.  All seems reasonable until you again want to modify the late check out acceptance.  She was clear in her original message that she needed to be in the space and not just store luggage.

While you might consider future boundaries and clarity, I think you might at well chalk this experience up to a lesson learned and let the guest stay as originally agreed.  Maybe bonding as hosts who have learning curve experiences will be a graceful way to deal with this uncomfortable situation.

[Letti0]

@Lilly28 Unless you changed your listing since she booked. You do say a fee. I don't understand the grain coffee thing though. Do you mean ground coffee in exhange for late or early arrivals? I would always charge a fee instead and list it's cost, not do an exchange. I would call AirBnB and explain that english is your second lanuage and you have some issues expressing correctly. Explain you meant leaving luggage, not staying in the apartment and ask them to call her and straighten it out. She is taking advantage of your low price and abusing her power, she knows how to as a host do this to her advantage. I would tell customer service you are no longer comfortable with this booking at all and see if they would cancel it penalty free. Or just let her stay as you appeared to have agreed to this per your email exchange. You are getting a bad review either way.   

You are priced way too low and your getting the bottom feeder. You get the discount and demanding renters. Raise your prices. $22-$36 USD per 1-4 guests is ridiculous, your starting price should be the $36 USD for 2 and then extra for guests 3 and 4. You also have a typo Le Creuset emailed should be Le Creuset enameled.

[Victoria567]

Phone the police to get rid of this would be squatter and stop procrastinating as at this rate they will be staying overnight and what then?

Act now 

[Lilly28]

@Letti0@Linda108@Helen3and Lisa and all others - THANK YOU!!!

I decided to make the day unavailable - and allow her with her friends to stay till 6 or 7 p.m. 

I cannot stand another bad review - I have been giving my heart to my guests and just one is enough to destroy all my efforts.

THANKS Letti - I know my price is too low,  but my experience until now is telling me that unless I do not have in my flat everything as a double-Plus flat - I would always be subject to some not so good reviews and that hurts me more than having the money. On the other hand I need the money to do it more Plus-like, and I feel as in paragraph 22.   

[Sarah977]

@Lilly28  What you "mean" when you say something in your listing, and how the guest  understands it can be vastly different. Guests aren't mind readers, who can interpret what you "mean". You need to be really clear about the check-in and check-out times in your listing and follow-up messages. If you want to be flexible about this, don't even mention it in the ad,  just accommodate early or late check-ins if the guest requests it, on an individual basis, as long as it works for you.

I don't think it's good to explain to guests that you got confused because you were so busy with other guests that you missed something in their message, or that something you initially agreed to you have to go back on, because you got another booking for the same day since agreeing. This should not be the guest's problem, and is not their affair. You agree to something, you stick by your agreement, you neglect to fully read what they are asking for, you take responsibility. That seems to me to be the professional approach.

But I do think it's presumptous of guests to think they can extend check in and check-out to an extra half a day without being required to pay for another day.