When it comes to the end of a guest’s stay at your Airbnb, the last task for a good host is to send them Airbnb checkout instructions.
This is one of the last interactions you will have with your guests and is a perfect opportunity to end off their stay on a positive note. Read on to find out what you can achieve with clear check-out instructions.
Why Should I Send My Guests Checkout Instructions?
Airbnb checkout instructions play a key role in the guest experience and keep your Airbnb running smoothly. Here’s what exceptional check-out instructions have the power to accomplish:
-
Provides a friendly farewell
As mentioned previously, your checkout instructions are one of the ways you’ll be saying goodbye to your guests. It rounds off their stay and has the potential to leave a lasting impression and linger in their minds long after they have left your Airbnb home.
Therefore, it is a great opportunity to turn a one-time visitor into a loyal guest by showing them an exceptional experience until their very last moments in your rental.
-
Lets guests know what they need to do
Staying in a home that is not their own means that guests generally do not know what is expected of them when they leave.
Clear checkout instructions will give guests a better idea of what needs to be done before they depart to ensure the property will be in order for your next guests. It also ensures that your property remains secure and locked in between stays.
-
Promotes positive reviews
An impressive checkout experience could prompt guests to leave positive reviews after their stay. When it comes to hosting, you want to take advantage of every opportunity to impress your guests, and the checkout instructions are just another opportunity to do that.
Now that we know what is possible with exceptional check-out instructions, let’s take a closer look at how to create them.
Everything Vacation Rental Hosts Should Include In Their Airbnb Checkout Instructions
Check-out instructions do not necessarily need to be over the top. In fact, it’s better when kept simple. Here’s what to include in your instructions, with helpful hints for getting it right:
1. Checkout Time
It’s best to suggest a time period of one or two hours so that guests have enough time to get ready to leave. If you give them a period of time to work with, they have a guideline to stick to are more likely to leave by the latest time mentioned.
2. Cleaning up (if you don’t charge a cleaning fee)
While it is not the guest’s responsibility to clean the whole house, it is not unreasonable to ask them to tidy up a little before they leave your Airbnb rental property.
Asking them to do tasks like taking the trash to the trash bin outside your house or washing dishes, is not asking too much. However, if an Airbnb host charges a cleaning fee, they should not expect guests to do too much cleaning up either. This could make hosts seem greedy.
3. Gathering the linens, sheets, and towels
If you would like your guests to strip the bed of linens and sheets, and gather the used towels, the most important thing to remember is to give them clear directions for what to do with them.
Many hosts ask their guests to either leave it in a pile on the floor or to throw it in a laundry basket.
4. Switching off the lights and air conditioner
To save electricity, it’s best to ask your guests to switch off your lights and air conditioning before they leave. Although, it may be a smart idea to ask them to leave one light on in the front of the house as a security measure so that the house does not look empty between stays.
5. Locking up
Before your guests leave, you can ask them to close all windows, check that no food or personal items are left behind, and lock the door as they depart your Airbnb rental.
6. Leaving keys for the next guest
Guests will still be in possession of your keys when they leave your Airbnb. So it’s important to remind them where to leave it before they go. This could mean returning it to lock boxes on your property or leaving with a neighbor or friend of the host.
7. Leaving a review
Positive reviews make an Airbnb property stand out in the search results. Your Airbnb checkout instructions provide another great opportunity to ask your guests to leave a review on your Airbnb listing if they enjoyed their stay.
How and When To Send Your Airbnb Checkout Instructions
Most hosts include a laminated copy of the checkout instructions in their guest welcome letter or welcome book, so guests are aware of it upon arrival. The specific checkout times can even be communicated earlier when you confirm your guest’s booking.
Then, because communicating this information before a guest’s stay could mean they forget about it later, it’s best to also send a reminder email a day or two before your guests check out.
A Free Checkout Email Template for Your Guests’ Departures
Here is a free check-out instructions email template containing all the relevant details needed to exceed your guests’ expectations and send them off in style. Feel free to modify the message to suit your unique needs.
Subject: How to check out at the end of your stay
Hi, [Guest’s name],
Your stay with us is slowly coming to an end. We hope you’ve been having an amazing time and have created lots of memories in our home!
We want to make sure that your departure is a smooth one, so we’re sending these check-out instructions to you so that there’s no confusion about what to do when leaving. The most important information that you need to know before leaving our property can be found below:
Checkout time
A friendly reminder that your scheduled checkout time is between [time] and [time]. If there are any issues, or you need to arrange to check out at a later time, please feel free to contact us on [your contact number] and we’ll do our best to accommodate you.
Leaving the property
Before leaving, we would greatly appreciate it if you could:
- Take the garbage out to the large trash can outside the property.
- Strip each bed of all its linens and sheets, you can leave it on the floor.
- Please place all used towels in the laundry basket.
- Place all furniture you may have moved back in its original condition.
- Leave all the dirty dishes in the kitchen. Our cleaners will wash all the dishes, so you don’t have to worry about that.
Locking up
On your way out, please could you:
- Switch off all the lights, except the [room] light
- Switch off all electronics and kitchen appliances (you may keep the fridge switched on)
- Switch off the air conditioner
- Check each room to make sure you haven’t forgotten anything
- Check that the fridge has been cleared of all food
- Check that all windows are closed
- Lock the front door and gate
- Lock the door at the back entrance
- Switch on the house alarm using the [remote control / smart lock].
Please let us know if anything has been damaged during your stay. If something needs to be fixed or replaced, we’ll let you know if it will be taken from your security deposit.
Key handover
Please return the house keys to [where the keys should go, for example, lock boxes, a key exchange solution, etc.] once you have locked up.
Have any feedback?
If you have any feedback, good or bad, we would love to hear from you. We use it to improve our service as much as possible for the next guest. If you’ve had an enjoyable experience during your stay with us, please consider leaving a review on our listing on Airbnb. You are able to do so here: [insert a link to where your guests can write their reviews]. It helps our business grow and get noticed on the platform
Last thing, thank you for choosing us!
One thing we have to say before you leave is thank you once again for choosing to stay with us! We had such a pleasure hosting you, and we hope to see you again soon.
Travel safe,
[Your name]