Among the major debates shaking the sector, one regularly resurfaces: the crucial step of welcoming travelers to their place of stay. This issue continues to divide many property owners and short and mid-term rental managers. Critics of Airbnb self check-in passionately share why they are against it to anyone who will listen.
To help you understand the situation better, we will provide a summary of the most common reasons why many hosts still refuse to implement this method of managing their tenants’ check-ins. In the second part, we will see that these objections may no longer hold when aiming to develop one’s business efficiently. Given the industry’s evolution in recent years, in-person key handovers can even be a hindrance to certain demands and the management of various tasks within the property.
Could implementing Airbnb self check-in better meet these requirements? Read on to find out.
The argument against Airbnb self check-in
The dehumanisation of relationships with guests
A common refrain is that nothing beats human contact. In short-term rentals, many hosts emphasise the importance of relationships. That’s why they choose to personally welcome guests into their homes. They believe that travellers who opt for this type of stay instead of a hotel do so because they seek a warmer environment where they feel invited, as if visiting friends or family. Self check-in tends to remove the convivial aspect of short-term rentals. It’s not uncommon to find testimonies from property owners and property managers who are hesitant to adopt this method for several reasons, including:
- The lack of consideration felt by some guests who are left to fend for themselves when taking possession of the property. This can negatively impact their overall impression of the stay, leading them to give lower ratings to accommodations that do not offer a personalised welcome.
- Property management companies may sense the apprehension of property owners who entrust them with their properties. These owners want to be sure that the tenants will respect the premises. In-person key handovers might give them the impression that the person responsible for this task can reassure them about the guests and remind them of the rules to avoid any issues.
A heavy investment requirement
Another common argument among those who prefer in-person check-ins is the potential cost of installing equipment for Airbnb self check-in. Many people looking to enter the short-term rental market more professionally fear the expense of setting up self check-in systems. Especially for those who hope to manage dozens or even hundreds of properties, the investment could be very (or too?) significant. Some property management businesses have tried to mitigate this by asking property owners to contribute to the costs. However, this request can sometimes seem unreasonable to some owners. They believe that the primary mission of a company specialising in short and mid-term rentals is to welcome guests in person. The most vocal critics argue that if a property management service cannot offer this, because the properties are spread over a large area, they should let another company handle it. They struggle with the idea of paying extra because the manager chose to oversee too many or too distant properties (heated and blunt discussions can often be seen on dedicated forums).
A note on key boxes: Benefits and drawbacks
Besides the fact that changing the codes on these small boxes between each stay can be quite tedious and time-consuming for managers, many have noticed that municipalities where their properties are located have made it difficult by organising a “hunt for key boxes.” Arguing that in some neighborhoods these boxes appear on public property and are prohibited, teams are tasked with removing them entirely. This is why some short-term rental professionals refuse to use them, preferring to operate more discreetly. Perhaps they are not yet aware that there are alternatives to key boxes?
Managing connected equipment: Setup and maintenance challenges
The installation, maintenance costs and organisation required when opting for a more technological Airbnb self check-in solution is a common concern in our industry:
- Installing a smart lock, even for some of the simpler tools available on the market, takes time, especially when doing it yourself in a large number of properties.
- Hiring a specialised technician to handle the installation can be a considerable expense.
- Managing the batteries and power supplies for these locks also requires careful consideration of its impact on the business. Replacing batteries can become costly over time. Using rechargeable battery systems requires ensuring they are regularly recharged to avoid leaving tenants locked out and forcing the host to make an emergency visit.
- Those less comfortable with technology worry about configuring the software or app needed for a connected lock system (risk of malfunction or bugs).
Potential conflicts with neighbours
As mentioned earlier, the presence of a key box, attached like a padlock to a nearby gate, signals the presence of an Airbnb property in the vicinity. Similarly, a small keypad (no matter how discreet) on a doorframe that controls the lock indicates to the neighbourhood that non-permanent residents may have access to the property. This can lead to conflicts with certain homeowner associations or neighborhood committees that view the influx of travellers next door with great disfavor. For this reason, an in-person key handover is seen as a more viable solution by some hosts, property owners and property management companies.
Making the case for Airbnb self check-in
After considering all these points, you might think that organising Airbnb self check-in may not be the best decision. However, we advise you to read on. You might change your mind!
Surely a guest, though not always a tourist
When we talk about Airbnb rentals, it’s a generic term for short-term rentals, as you know. There are, of course, other booking platforms offering this type of stay. Among them is Booking.com, whose clientele has historically leaned more towards hotels. Travelers booking accommodations on this site may be more in search of the ease of access comparable to that of a hotel room. This includes business travelers who want to check in at their convenience without needing someone to welcome them in person to talk about local tourism. This type of traveller has increasingly been seeking short and mid-term rentals in recent years. To accommodate this growing number of potentially beneficial requests for your occupancy rate, implementing an Airbnb self check-in solution should be prioritised.
Less pressure for guests
Offering the possibility of self check-in provides guests with a sense of freedom and reduces stress. Knowing they don’t have specific times to adhere to when accessing their accommodation allows them to be more relaxed, even if they encounter significant delays (traffic jams during the holiday season are common, if not inevitable) or flight/train delays. Moreover, this flexibility, or rather the lack of rigidity concerning check-in times, allows you as a host to avoid the frustration of late guests who are unhappy about having to wait because you were occupied with another check-in or check-out. This is a situation many property managers and owners who opt for in-person welcomes often experience. The same goes for check-outs at the end of a stay. A keyless or key box system means you don’t have to be present for an early (or very early) morning departure, even in the middle of the night.
Airbnb self check-in increases booking opportunities
Continuing with the previous idea, implementing an Airbnb self check-in solution represents a huge advantage in terms of profitability for you. This allows you to accept a much larger number of reservations, regardless of the check-in times planned by guests. This can now happen 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Many property owners and property managers have likely had to refuse numerous requests because they were restricted to in-person key handovers and welcomes. And consider the last-minute bookings you can accept thanks to a key box, smart lock and a digital welcome book containing all essential information for staying at the property. This strategy allows you to keep your booking calendar open much longer, accept far more requests (even for a check-in within the hour of the request), and thus earn more money, which is ultimately your main goal, right?
Easier check-ins management and more…
Welcoming guests is one thing, but overall access to the property is another. Thanks to a smart lock system, you can:
- Benefit from enhanced security for your properties. Some solutions offer an event log that lets you know who entered and when (each authorised person has a personal code or profile name on the app provided with the system). The tool can even alert you with each door opening. You can then take the necessary actions in case of an unexpected visit.
- Implement optimised task management for your team, whether for cleaning, maintenance or any other on-site intervention. You no longer need to travel to unlock the property or continuously make new keys for all your staff (thus eliminating the risk of loss). You can also check the visit times of each person with a scheduled task in all your properties. This ease of management is finally possible through automation via the connection of the smart lock to your PMS/channel manager (as with Nuki and RentalReady via Seam, for example).
As you can see, if you want to grow your short-term rental management business and especially achieve optimal profitability, adopting a self-check-in solution for Airbnb is highly recommended. At RentalReady, we can help you achieve your goals more easily with our all-in-one software.