Airbnb Checkout Instructions for a Clear and Simple Checkout
There are no strict rules about what to include in your check-out instructions. If you are not sure what to keep in, you’ll find some useful tips in this article. Follow them to ensure a stress-free checkout.
Airbnb checkout instructions focus on keeping your guests informed about what they need to do before leaving your rental property. Some hosts ask guests to lock the door and enjoy their journey home. But others leave detailed instructions for tidying up.
There are no strict rules about what to include in your instructions. But whatever your hosting style, you should make sure you communicate your expectations for guest checkout and be specific. It’s vital to end their stay on a positive note.
If you are not sure what to include in your Airbnb checkout instructions, you’ll find some useful tips in this article. Follow them to ensure a stress-free checkout.
If you are new to hosting on Airbnb, you may also want to explore our Airbnb host checklist.
Recommended Airbnb Checkout Time
There are no set standard check-in or checkout times. Airbnb hosts can decide their own checkout time and specify it in the listing description. You are free to choose the time that works best for you because, after all, it’s your rental property.
But keep in mind that guests are traveling around the clock, so it’s important to ensure your check-in and checkout times are reasonable and flexible. That’s paramount to a great guest experience, so many Airbnb hosts offer self-check-in.
Being flexible with your Airbnb checkout time by up to 3 hours either way could mean the difference between the guest making a reservation with you or not. But no matter what, communication is key, and if you feel uncomfortable with a guest request at any point, you have full discretion to decline it.
You should set a checkout time that provides maximum flexibility and convenience for your guest, while causing minimal inconvenience and impact for you.
Pro-tip: You can automate responding to late checkout requests based on calendar availability. The same applies to early check-in requests.
You need time to clean up your place before your next guest arrives (you may need to use our cleaning checklist to keep your property guest-ready). But if your previous guest isn’t checking out on time, you won’t have enough time to get everything done.
Still, there are recommended check-in and checkout times. If no checkout time was specified on your Airbnb listing, then the default checkout is 11:00 am (local time).
Checkout Communication Tips
With the Airbnb 2023 Summer Release, hosts can add checkout instructions to their listings directly on Airbnb, just like they enter standard house rules. You can quickly create your checkout instructions by picking from a pre-set list of common tasks:
Gather used towels
Throw trash away
Turn things off
Lock up
Return keys
You can also add details to each task on your list and include additional requests specific to your home.
Guests can access checkout instructions directly in their Airbnb Trips tab, read them before they book your place, and avoid surprises.
But even if you’ve provided detailed checkout instructions on your listing and/or in your house manual, it’s a good idea to communicate the must-dos at least the day before. This way, they will have enough time to read your Airbnb checkout message and follow your instructions.
When people are on vacation, they are typically busy enjoying their stay and don’t keep track of time. They may not think to look at checkout details in your listing description or house rules until the morning of their departure.
If guests download an Airbnb app on their mobile phone and enable push notifications, Airbnb will send them an automatic reminder with your checkout time and instructions. This reminder is automatically sent the day before guests leave.
But you can also send your guests an automated reminder directly to their Airbnb inbox if they haven’t downloaded the app or turned on push notifications.
If you send them a reminder the day before and make the checkout time clear, your guests are more likely to follow the instructions and be out the door in time. Just try to sound as friendly and hospitable as you can.
It will be easier to provide your guests with the information they need for their stay at the right time if you automate communication with them using vacation rental software like Hospitable. Just create message templates that cover the key stages of the guest journey and set messaging rules, and our system will take care of the rest.
You can also take advantage of AI tools available in your Inbox to quickly generate and correct detailed responses to unusual guest questions when you message guests manually. Hospitable will draft a personalized response using booking details, past replies, and any information you’ve uploaded to the Knowledge Hub to educate the AI about your property and policies.
Train the AI to generate responses to tricky guest questions, and once confident, enable Auto Inbox for seamless automated AI-generated replies to your guest messages while you sleep or 24/7.
Airbnb Checkout Instructions Template
We’ve created a graphical checkout instruction template that you can download to your device and attach to messages with guests.
Smart locks streamline the check-in and checkout experience and help you forget about the lost-key situation for good. If you still don’t use smart locks, it’s probably time to start. And if you connect your smart lock to Hospitable, our system will automatically generate a unique access code for each reservation and send it to your guests.
Airbnb Checkout List: What to Include?
Here’s everything you may need to include in your checkout instructions:
Be clear about your checkout time. A late checkout can interfere with your next reservation, especially if you have back-to-back bookings.
Tell your guests where to put the used towels and kitchen rags before leaving.
Remind them to put their dishes in the dishwasher if applicable. Ask your guests to put all disposable utensils in the garbage.
Also, remind them to turn off the lights, thermostat, and AC to avoid unnecessary energy costs.
Remind your guests to shut all the windows.
Tell guests how to lock your home or apartment and let them know where to leave the key.
Pro-tip: You may automatically upsell late check-out to your guest if you have an orphan night.
It’s important to remember that travelers expect an easy checkout with no cleaning required. If you charge a cleaning fee, don’t demand too much from your guests. You may want to avoid such demands as putting all dishes in the dishwasher, taking out the trash, and more. In that case, you should keep your Airbnb checkout list of instructions minimal. And you should never give your guests a giant checklist of cleaning tasks at the end of their stay if you didn’t include them in the checkout instructions on your listing’s page.
Remember that guests can provide feedback about their checkout when they rate their host’s communication, and they can explain what went well or what could have gone better. For example, guests might report excessive checkout requirements. And if a listing repeatedly receives negative feedback due to unreasonable or unexpected tasks, it may even be removed from Airbnb.
The checkout message is an important step in a standard message flow, and you’ll never miss it if you use Hospitable. Our tool will help you automate routine tasks and manage your listings on multiple platforms more efficiently.
Implementing Airbnb Checkout Instructions for Your Rental
It’s important to communicate Airbnb checkout instructions clearly so guests can access them throughout their stay.
Include checkout instructions in your Airbnb listing so guests can see them before they make a booking.
Include clear checkout instructions in your digital guidebook. It can help you avoid misunderstandings or complaints from your guests, especially regarding checkout time.
In the Guest Experience section of your Hospitable account, set messaging rules to send an automated message to your guests closer to the end of their stay to remind them of the checkout instructions.
Place Airbnb signs in visible areas of your STR property to communicate your checkout instructions to guests during their stay.
Final Word
Different hosts have different requirements for Airbnb checkout instructions. Just communicate your expectations for the checkout time and any instructions on your listing’s page, and include them in your message the day before guests leave. You should also emphasize the importance of checking out on time by explaining why.
Don’t make your list of instructions too long—include only reasonable tasks. And don’t forget to ask your guests to send you a message after they’ve checked out so you can notify your cleaning team and prepare for your next guests.
