Check-in times seem to be getting later and later

[LittleMissUnreasonable]

We've booked into an Air B&B with family next week for a mini break, with the accommodation on the first day being on our half way point. We assumed check in times are normally between about 12pm and 3pm so thought we would arrange to arrive for about 3pm. We've checked the listing and check in isn't until 5 pm!? It seems very late so was looking forward to a lazy breakfast in the accomodation the next day and planning to leave for about 11am for the next destination. Check out time is 10am?!

I always thought that if you had a late check-in time, they'd compensate for this by letting you check out a bit later or vice versa. It's not the times so much that bother me, but it's the fact that you won't be able to enjoy the property until after 5:00 p.m. before having to race around in the morning to be out for 10:00 a.m. Considering what places charge these days, it seems a bit cheeky. Not a huge property that requires loads of cleaning as well. 3 bed cottage with a pet.

Depends on the listing

Something we always check after being caught out as you have. You can always message the host to ask if they are flexible on times but usually you’ll have to pay a bit more

I've never known an AirBnB have check in between 12 and 3. I'd say 4pm or 5pm is the norm.

10am is also the norm for check out (you can sometimes negotiate to make it later, especially if they don't have anyone else coming in).

It pisses me off and is why I've gone more and more for hotels recently. They usually let you check in from 3 and out at 11am which is much more like it.

I agree. We stayed in a hotel in Dorset recently and check-in was 4pm. Crazy!

It's often been 10 and 4 since Covid.

A lot of places adjusted check in and out to allow for extra cleaning and it doesn't seem to have gone back.

Midday? How would it have been prepared after the previous guests have departed?

I run an Airbnb and checkout is 11am and check in 4pm which can still be tight. If people request early check in I do my best to accommodate them say if the previous guests leave early but it's difficult to turn around to a high standard as only me doing it.

Anywhere I have stayed has had a check in time of 4pm at the earliest. Check out time of 10am is standard, or at least anywhere I have stayed had this.

Yes I often say to my guests leave at your leisure if no one in afterwards, mind you, one couple stayed until 6pm so I do word it a little more precisely these days!

Checking out of self catering accommodation with kids at 10am is so unrelaxing I'd rather stay at home. Centre Parcs are shocking for this. My idea of luxury would be paying for an extra day just for the leisurely check out but then that's just encouraging the twats.

I think you'd be surprised at the amount of cleaning a 3 bed cottage with a pet takes. I used to let one out and doing it it on my own would take a good 4-5 hours of solid cleaning and then I'd have to do any maintenance/ gardening. I actually had my own business cleaning holiday letson top of my own cottage and was efficient etc but it takes time to do properly.

Most people hire in cleaners but they are increasingly difficult to get in tight time slots. I gave up in covid times and still get emails from previous clients asking if I could do it as a paid favour. I wasn't cheap either, I charged £20 an hour as a base rate then worked out mileage/ travel time and added it in so was normally about £22-25ph.

I'm better off earning £12.70 ph working at my LA though. Which is why getting cleaners is so difficult.

I just stayed in a hotel with a 2pm checkin and 11am checkout, which I thought was reasonable. For £25 checkout could be extended to 12pm.

It’s why I only book places I can pay for early check in. Even on haven type sites a 4/5pm check in is a piss take you’ve lost the day.

I don’t mind a 10am leave providing I get to check in around 1pm, that gives three hours for my place to of been cleaned.

edit. I also won’t book where pets are allowed as then tend to be even later check ins or skimp on the cleaning.

Check in is always 4pm where ever we stay.

Check-out varies from 10am - 12.

We've mastered the CenterParcs one - we know of a set of lodges that we normally book for who have parking areas outside and security told us to just bring the car onto the site the evening of the night before checkout to load it up more leisurely - then chuck car back in carpark and bugger off to Pancake Hut for breakfast.

I thought check in at 4 and out at 10 is fairly standard even pre covid.

The only one that gave me pause for thought was a lovely manor that we rented summer 2021 with check in 6pm and out by 9 - but I think the house keeper was a bit paranoid about covid and didn't actually want people staying.

I stayed in a hotel for work the other day, check out was 12 and you could extend it for €10.
was a gorgeous hotel too, I had a late flight and got loads done the last day, plus a good sleep and shower. Was such a change from usual 10am out and working in some crappy coffee shop

I stay in Travelodge quite a lot for work - whilst not the most luxurious, they do allow a 2pm check in and a midday checkout which is far more do-able than a 4pm / 10am option

Yeah they're all doing it now, Haven is 6pm for the cheapest caravans

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It used to be more check in at 3, out at 11. I've got friends with an air bnb and their cleaning charge is ridiculous, £280 on top of the rental. Additional cleaning checks since COVID apparently. What the fuck were they doing before covid, not cleaning?!

That's 4-6 hours cleaning to do a thorough job and assuming that the out- going guests don't leave a mess behind them.

On top of the usual cleaning we've had to rehang curtain poles, re-paint walls and dismantle the entire interior of the fridge to get rid of the raw chicken liquid that was left in there. Picking up 5 bin bags of rubbish from the garden, including smashed glasses didn't help either. Believe me we needed every minute of the 10-4 changeover period and it was the closest I've ever come to not being guest ready. As it was, it wasn't perfect (I didn't have time to get the green pen scribble off the dining room cushions) but it was at least presentable.

That set of guests had a £1500 bill for damage and additional cleaning.

I don't think I've ever stayed anywhere that's had check-in earlier than 3pm. 4pm onwards is more normal. I have lots of memories of travelling to the Lake District twenty years ago, leaving the car and wasting an hour or two in the shops because we were too early for check-in!

10am checkout seems normal to me too, changeover day is busy and rental companies have loads of cottages to get through.

It's 3pm check in now? At least it is in the ones in this corner of the UK. I don't usually stay in the big inner city ones

It's 3pm. But you can pay £10 to check in early.

5pm is awful, way too late.