What Is Airbnb Self Check-In: How Does It Work and How To Add It
What would you consider the best part of a hotel is? For us, it’s having the privacy to explore the hotel room and the room service. With a simple front door code and guest instructions through the app, you can provide self check-in for your Airbnb.
What Is A Self Check-in On Airbnb?
A self check-in on Airbnb means a guest can access the listing with a smart lock, key lockbox, key, doorperson, or front desk any time after the designated check-in time on their arrival date.
6 Reasons You Would Use Airbnb Self Check-In
1. Your Guests Will Feel Less Stressed & Anxious
For us, there are two things that make us stressed as an Airbnb guest. One is traveling to a new location, second is the check-in process. We have found hosts that allow us to use a self-check-in process to make us feel welcome faster.
With traveling, whether it’s flying or driving, the whole process can have unexpected turns for the worse. Sometimes flights will be late or canceled. Sometimes car emergencies or delays happen.
There are Airbnb hosts who need to meet their guests. We recommend doing this for security reasons and better reviews but give your guests one nights rest before meeting them. This way they will be refreshed and less anxious.
2. Less Time On You As an Airbnb Host
On average whether you are living at your Airbnb listing or a short distance away. The time consumed with traffic driving to your listing, communication with guests and guest check-in/walkthrough adds up. It’s even worse when you think about how short the check-in process really is. Providing a self check-in process voids the traffic and guest walkthroughs.
3. Allows You To Live Remotely & Save You Time
With self check-in for your Airbnb listing, you can live anywhere in the world and manage your Airbnb. All you need is the app to communicate with your guests (sending self check-in instructions). Furthermore, the check-in process takes far less time so you can focus on multiple listings or increasing your bookings.
4. More Automated Checkin Process
If you are looking for simplicity, automating your Airbnb messages is key. For us, we copy and paste the majority of our messages from as soon as we get a booking, to after our guests first night sleep, to right after our guest checks out.
The only time we don’t copy and paste is if our guests have a specific question. Most often it is about our community or our city. With a self check-in smart lock, you are able to add that instruction into your automated messaging.
5. Special Perks For Your Airbnb Listing & Search Results
With self check-in, fast wifi, and a workspace for business travelers Airbnb gives you a “Work Trip” badge. With the badge, any Airbnb guest can filter there searches for work trips where the results include the workspace and wifi. If you qualify for the badge your listing receives more exposure and essentially more bookings.
6. Self Checkin On Airbnb Lets Your Airbnb Guests Feel Trusted
From our personal experience, there is nothing worse than your Airbnb host watching over your every move. It makes any guest feel uncomfortable and unwelcomed. Giving your guest self check-in and letting them explore the place for themselves resembles trust which will increase your guest’s overall experience. In turn, it will help you get a better review.
Check Out Our Other Articles On Airbnbuniverse.com
How Do You Add A Self Checkin On Airbnb?
- Go to Your listings on airbnb.com and select a listing
- Next to Guest resources, click Edit
- Below Directions, click Add self check-in
- Select the way that guests can get into your listing
- Follow the instructions to add check-in instructions
As far as Airbnb is concerned we wouldn’t suggest adding this feature. It sends your self check-in code up to 48 hours in advance and for us, that is far too soon. We only recommend sending your self check-in first thing on the day of your guest’s arrival. Below are detailed instructions for better options
How To Self Checkin Your Airbnb Guests Properly
1. Message Your Guest As Soon As They Book
For one, any guest that books your Airbnb listing wants a response in a reasonable time frame. If a new booking doesn’t hear from you, they start to panic and could potentially cancel on you to book with another responsive listing. Second, Airbnb requires a 90% or higher response rate in order to achieve super host status which puts your listing higher on the Airbnb search results (more bookings),.
What should you message your Airbnb guests? For us, there are two things we will message. First is based on an Airbnb guest not mentioning why they are staying with us. For the most part, guests will clarify why they are traveling. If they haven’t replied with why then send a simple short message
“What brings you to (your city)? We’d love to give you travel advice”
Afterward, you will get a read off the guests and decide to keep the booking or cancel. Remember some Airbnb guests are new and don’t understand the booking procedure in resemblance to a hotel.
Second, if the guest has stated why they are staying with you then message an Airbnb guest with a standard message
“Hi xxx, we are looking forward to hosting you. We will have everything ready upon your arrival and let us know if you have any questions – Devin & Sarah”
2. Ask Your Airbnb Guests For Travel Details 72 Hours Before They Arrive
72 hours before your Airbnb guests arrive it is always a good reminder to message them
“We are excited to host you, when can we expect your arrival? – Devin”
Since plans change or delays happen. Furthermore, a simple message will help your guests feel more comfortable.
3. Send Your Airbnb Self Checkin Instructions On Guest Arrival Day
For us, we always send our Airbnb guests the self check-in instructions as early as possible on arrival day. This way your guests have enough time to read the message and respond with any questions. We also give the self check-in instructions on arrival day for security reasons. Nobody wants to find a guest in their home early (it’s never happened to us but the internet has stories)
Furthermore, we send a detailed messaged letting our guest know how to self checkin and where to go. What is our Airbnb self check-in instructions?
“Hi Emily, here are the self check-in instructions for when you arrive. The front padlock code is 4932 When you enter the place through the front door, go straight into the kitchen and on the left, there is a key in the basement suite door. The key is for the door and basement is all yours! Message if you have any more questions – Devin”
You can add more details such as if you provide extra perks like water in the fridge or your parking situation is limited. Every Airbnb listing is different so we will let you decide on that one.
4. Check-Up After Your Guests First Night
The day after check-in ask your guests if they need anything else or have any further questions. We usually message with:
“Hi Emily, we hope you had a good nights rest. If you need anything or have any questions please let us know, we’d be happy to help – Devin”
5. Message Your Airbnb Guests On Checkout Day & Politely Ask For A Review
Most Airbnb forums think asking for a 5-star review is bad manors. For us, if you feel like you did a great job hosting then asking isn’t bad. We message every guest after they checkout with this
“Hi Emily, we hope you had a great stay with us and safe travel home. We’d like to ask you for a favor. Could you give us a 5-star review for our Airbnb listing? It helps us stay at the top of our local Airbnb listings and helps you with future hosts. Thank you very much and if you are ever in Calgary again we’d love to host you. You were a great guest. Take care – Devin & Sarah”
You are done! As far as hosting you could go further and keep prying but for us, you should give your guests some privacy and let them decide anything further.
Final Thoughts
The hardest part of Airbnb self checkin is writing up the messages you want to send to your Airbnb guests and when. With the above blog post, you have all the tools to communicate better Airbnb self check-in instructions to improve your hosting. Enjoy and happy hosting!