Airbnb early check-in can be a useful favour when a guest reaches London before the advertised arrival time. Before agreeing, check that the previous stay has ended, the home is fully prepared and the access arrangements work for the earlier time. A friendly promise made before those checks can leave a guest waiting outside while housekeeping finishes.
This checklist helps hosts decide whether to approve an earlier arrival and explain the decision clearly. For choosing locks, keys or a meet-and-greet arrangement, see our London key exchange and self check-in guide.
Is early check-in automatic on Airbnb?
Airbnb's early check-in guidance tells guests to contact their host with the time they want to arrive. Guests who have not yet booked can ask before reserving. The host then confirms whether an earlier arrival is possible. A request should therefore be treated as a request until you have agreed it.
State your own check-in time clearly in the listing and arrival message. If you can only assess early access on the day, explain that before the guest makes travel plans around it.
1. Ask when the guest will reach the property
Ask for the requested arrival time at the flat, in London local time. A flight landing time is a different event: the guest still needs to complete the airport formalities and journey to the property. Avoid calculating a guaranteed arrival time for them.
Also clarify what they need. A guest asking to leave a suitcase has a different request from someone who wants to shower, work or sleep in the home. Record the requested time and the type of access before checking the schedule.
2. Check the departure and turnover plan
Start with the outgoing reservation. Has the previous guest left, or are you relying on their expected departure? Check for any agreed late checkout and make sure the people answering messages have the same information as the housekeeping team.
Next, ask whoever prepares the property when cleaning, linen replacement and the final readiness check can actually be completed. Allow time to resolve a missing key, a maintenance issue or an unexpected cleaning task. An empty calendar does not establish that the home is ready.
Our Airbnb cleaning and turnover guide covers the wider housekeeping process. For an early arrival, use a simple release rule: the person responsible confirms the home is ready before anyone authorises entry.
3. Confirm that earlier access will work
Check both the flat and its building entrance. A door code may be scheduled to activate later, a key collection point may have limited opening hours, or the person meeting the guest may be unavailable at the requested time.
- Confirm the key, fob or code will work at the approved time.
- Check any agreed building reception or concierge process.
- Tell the person handling access about the change.
- Keep a contact route available if the guest cannot get in.
Self check-in makes the handover more flexible, but still needs a confirmed time when the guest can enter. Review any automated arrival message so it does not contradict the arrangement.
4. Choose a clear answer
Use one of three outcomes: confirmed, pending a readiness check, or unavailable. Avoid phrases such as “should be fine” when the guest needs to know whether to travel straight to the home.
Confirmed: give the exact approved time and access instructions. Update the internal arrival record so the cleaner, host and guest support contact work from the same decision.
Pending: state when you will provide a definite answer. Keep the normal check-in time as the guest's planning assumption until you confirm otherwise. Give one person responsibility for sending the final message.
Unavailable: decline courteously and repeat the normal arrival time. If you suggest a luggage storage option, check its current location, opening hours and booking requirements first. Do not imply that a third party will accept bags without confirmation.
Example replies for early check-in requests
Adapt these examples to the individual reservation. Replace the bracketed details before sending; they are not StayinLondon's standard terms for every property.
When you need to check: “Thanks for letting us know. I’ll check whether the flat can be ready for [requested time] and send you a definite answer by [update time]. Please plan for the usual check-in time of [normal time] unless we confirm earlier access.”
When you can approve: “We’ve confirmed that the flat is ready and you can check in from [approved time] on [date], London local time. Please use [confirmed access instructions]. Message us if your arrival plans change.”
When you need to decline: “We’re unable to offer early check-in for this reservation because we need the full preparation window. You can enter from [normal time]. Thanks for your understanding.”
What about luggage drop-off?
Assess luggage drop-off separately. Guests entering during a turnover can interrupt cleaning, and a bag left in a shared hallway can create problems for other residents. Do not promise storage at a concierge desk unless the building has agreed to it.
If you choose to offer a drop-off arrangement, explain where bags can go, who will receive them, when they can be collected and whether the guest may enter any part of the home. Make clear that permission to leave a bag does not mean the whole property is ready for use.
Review the process after each exception
Keep a short record of the requested time, decision, readiness confirmation and actual arrival. If requests repeatedly create rushed turnovers, change when you make the decision or give housekeeping more preparation time. Avoid creating an expectation that every future guest can arrive early.
Keep routine arrival information in your Airbnb welcome pack, with reservation-specific changes confirmed in the guest's message thread.
StayinLondon's Airbnb management service in London coordinates guest communication, access and housekeeping. For owners who need these tasks handled together, request a property management assessment.
