Early Check-In and Late Check-Out: A Host’s Guide

Set check-in and check-out times that leave enough time to clean, then say yes to early or late requests when your calendar allows. On Cabans a listing starts with check-in from 14:00 and check-out by 11:00, and you can change both. When a request costs you work or a booking, charge for it openly and agree it in writing first.

Guests often ask to arrive early or leave late. This guide helps you answer them the same fair way every time.

Your check-in and check-out times

Your times are part of your listing. On Cabans you set “Check-in time” and “Check-out time” in “Property Details” when you edit the listing. If you never change them, they are 14:00 (2 in the afternoon) and 11:00 (11 in the morning), West Africa Time.

Changing them is a listing change, so the new times wait for approval by the Cabans team. The calendar section reminds you of this: “Change them in Property details above; new times apply once your listing changes are approved.”

Guests see your times in several places, so they cannot say they were not told:

• under your calendar, as “Check-in: from 14:00” and “Check-out: by 11:00”;
• at checkout, before they pay;
• on their stay page once the booking is confirmed;
• on the “Leaving” card during the stay, as “Check out by” with the date and time.

Pick times that fit your clean. The gap between check-out and check-in is your turnover window. With the standard times it is 3 hours. Time your next full clean, including laundry, and add time for power cuts or a late cleaner. If 3 hours is not enough, move check-out earlier or check-in later.

Our shortlet cleaning checklist lists every job in a turnover, so you can time it honestly.

When a guest asks to arrive early

Before you answer, check two things in your calendar and on your Bookings page:

1. Did anyone stay the night before? If the home was empty, early check-in is usually easy.
2. Is the clean done? If a guest left that morning, the home is only ready when the cleaner finishes.

The “Leaving” tab on your Bookings page shows who is checking out today. The “Arriving” tab shows guests due between yesterday and tomorrow who are not checked in yet.

Then choose one of three answers:

• Yes. The home is empty and clean, so let them in early.
• Yes, if it is ready. Promise to message them by a set time, such as 12:30, once the cleaner is done.
• No, but here is an option. Offer to keep their bags safe, or suggest they book the night before if it is free.

On Cabans you stay in control of when a guest gets in. From the day before check-in, a guest can tap “I have arrived”, and you get an email. You then press “Hand over keys” or “Approve check-in” when the home is ready. The door code and Wi-Fi password only appear on the guest’s stay page after you approve the check-in. See how to hand over keys and check your guest in.

When a guest asks to stay late

The key question is whether someone arrives that day. Open the “Arriving” tab. If a new guest checks in that afternoon, a late check-out eats into your cleaning time. Keep it short, or say no kindly.

If nobody arrives, a late check-out costs you little. An extra hour or two for free on a quiet day is a small kindness that guests remember.

Mind the codes.On Cabans, the door code and Wi-Fi password stop showing on the guest’s stay page when you confirm check-out. They also never show later than 2 hours after the check-out time, and the guest’s requests close at that point too. If you agree to a later departure, make sure the guest can still get in and out. That might mean they keep a key, or you or a team member come to let them out.

Do not press “Confirm check-out” until they have really gone. Confirming ends the stay and hides the codes.

Staying another night is different.If a guest wants to stay longer, that is an extension. A guest who is fully checked in can ask with “Extend my stay” on their stay page. You see “The guest wants to stay longer” on the booking, with “Approve extension” and “Decline”. Approve it only if the dates are free. The guest then pays for the extra nights online through Paystack, and the check-out date moves once they have paid. See how to extend a shortlet stay.

Leaving early is different too.If a guest leaves before their check-out date, the unused nights are not refunded and not put back on sale, unless you approve a refund with “Refund unused nights” on the booking. Decide your view on this in advance and say it in your house rules.

Charging for it fairly

There is no fixed rule, but a fair approach looks like this:

Set your own amounts once, write them in your house rules, and use them every time. Guests are far happier with a clear price than with a figure made up on the day. Our house rules template has a line for it.

On Cabans, the tidy way to charge is a stay extra:

1. Open “Stay Extras” in your seller menu and add an extra, such as “Late check-out (2 hours)”.
2. Set the “Price (₦)”, write in the description exactly what it gives, and tick the short lets where it applies.
3. Leave it “On sale to guests”. A checked-in guest can then buy it from “Shop for your stay”.
4. Or, once the guest has the keys, add it to their bill with “Bill the guest”. They pay from their stay page.

Stay extras go live at once, but a new photo waits for approval. Orders do not lower the stock number, so do not rely on it. A bill must come to at least ₦1,000 (one thousand naira), the smallest amount a card can be charged. An early check-in extra works the same way, billed once you have handed over the keys. See how to sell stay extras to your guests.

Paid bills show as paid orders under “Orders”. For the stay itself, Cabans charges hosts a 5% commission, and the guest pays Paystack’s processing fee when they pay. You are paid within 7 days after the guest’s stay, and sooner when the guest taps “Approve payment” after their trip.

Protecting the next arrival

The check-out day is not a night, so another guest can book a stay that starts that same afternoon. That is good for your income, but it leaves no slack. Protect the next guest like this:

• Check both tabs every morning. “Leaving” and “Arriving” together show your same-day turnovers.
• Never promise a late check-out on a turnover day without checking that the clean still fits.
• Leave notes for your team. A “Day Notes” note on the calendar, such as “Late check-out agreed, 13:00”, is seen only by your team, never by guests.
• Close a night when you need one. For a deep clean or repairs, use “Block Dates”. Guests see the night as “Closed”, and your reason stays private.
• Confirm check-out with photos. Press “Confirm check-out” and add up to 10 condition photos of how the home was left. They are kept privately with the booking.

If nobody confirms the check-out, the stay completes by itself 2 days after the check-out date. It is still better to confirm it yourself, so the codes stop showing and you can settle the caution deposit.

A friendly reminder the evening before helps guests leave on time. Our guest message templates include one you can copy.

Running several homes or a team? Manage your shortlet bookings in one place, with arrivals, stays and departures in their own tabs. Arrival day is also covered in the Host Academy lesson welcome day: arrival, keys and check-in, and the whole Host Academy is free.

Ready to run your times through Cabans? Take bookings online, or list your short let first. See how other hosts present their homes in shortlets across Nigeria and shortlets in Lekki.

Frequently asked questions

Related guides

Check-in and check-out times explained · How to extend a shortlet stay · Turning over a shortlet between guests · Sell extras to shortlet guests · Guest message templates · Door codes and smart locks · Shortlet cleaning checklist · Shortlet house rules template · Instant book or request to book