Airbnb Checkout Instructions Template

It is 11:07 a.m. Checkout was at 11. Your cleaner is parked outside texting you a photo of the still-locked door. The guest finally messages back at 11:23 saying they didn’t realize they had to do anything before leaving, the dishwasher is running, the trash is full, and the Schlage Encode key code is sitting on the kitchen counter. You lose forty minutes of turnover, your cleaner has to come back, and the review that lands two days later mentions “confusing checkout instructions.” That whole spiral usually traces back to one missing thing — a clear, short, copy-and-paste airbnb checkout instructions template that the guest actually sees the night before they leave. This guide gives you that template in three tones, tells you exactly where to drop it so guests read it, and shows how to back it up with a simple Echo Dot 5 reminder so nobody can claim they didn’t know.

Who this template is for

If you self-manage one to a handful of short-term rentals and your turnovers are tight — same-day flips, a single cleaner, no on-site staff — you are the host this is built for. Same goes if you are remote, if your cleaner doubles as your eyes on the property, or if you have ever had a five-star guest leave a four-star review with one line about “wasn’t sure what to do at checkout.” Reviews are the entire game on Airbnb and VRBO, and checkout is the last touch a guest has with your place.

If they leave confused or rushed, that feeling sticks. A good short-term rental checkout message removes the guesswork without lecturing, and it gives your cleaner a fighting chance to start on time.

When to send the template

Timing matters more than wording. Send it twice: once the evening before checkout (around 7 to 8 p.m. local time) and a short reminder the morning of, about an hour before checkout time. The night-before message lets guests run the dishwasher, throw towels in a pile, and pack without scrambling. The morning-of nudge catches the late sleepers and the guests who genuinely forgot.

If you use Airbnb scheduled messages, set both up once and forget them. If you use a PMS like Hospitable, Hostaway, or OwnerRez, build the same two triggers there. Don’t send it earlier than the night before — guests on a three-night stay will have forgotten by checkout day.

Copy-and-paste airbnb checkout instructions template

Here is the standard version. Swap the bracketed bits for your property and you are done. Keep it under 150 words — guests stop reading after that.

Hi [Guest first name], hope you had a great stay. Quick checkout note for tomorrow:

Checkout is by [11:00 a.m.] — cleaners arrive right after.
Leave used towels in a pile in the bathroom — no need to wash them.
Toss food trash in the [kitchen bin] and roll the bin to [the side of the garage] if it is more than half full.
Start the dishwasher if there are dirty dishes — pod is in the cabinet above.
Set the Ecobee Premium to [72°F].
Close windows, lock the front door behind you. The Schlage Encode will auto-lock if you forget.
No need to strip beds.

If anything is off, text me at [number]. Safe travels — and if you have a minute, a quick review really helps. Thanks!

Short version — for repeat guests and business travelers

Some guests resent long instructions. For business travelers, short trips, and anyone who has stayed before, use a four-line version:

Hi [Name] — checkout is [11 a.m.] tomorrow. Towels in a pile, trash in the kitchen bin, dishwasher running if needed, thermostat to [72°F]. Front door locks itself. Text me if anything is weird. Thanks for staying!

This is also the version to pin inside the house manual or tape to the inside of the front door. Most guests who skipped your full message will read four lines on a card. The same logic shows up in our broader Airbnb checkout script templates.

Warm version — for family stays and longer bookings

If you cater to family travelers or week-long stays, the warmer tone gets better reviews. People remember how the last message felt.

Hi [Name], it has been so nice having you and the family at the [house name]. Just a few easy things before you head out tomorrow morning — nothing complicated:

Checkout by [11:00 a.m.] so our cleaner Maria can get the place ready for the next family.
Leave towels in a pile, trash in the kitchen bin, dishwasher running if there are dishes — that is it on cleanup.
Pop the Ecobee back to [72°F] and the front door will lock on its own.
Forgot something? Text me right away — we can usually catch it before the next check-in.

Hope you had a wonderful stay. If you would be willing to leave a quick review, it means the world to a small operation like ours. Safe travels home!

Luxury version — for $400+ nightly rates

At higher price points, a chore list reads cheap. Soften the asks and lean on a separate departure card you place in the kitchen the morning of checkout.

Good evening [Name]. A quick note for the morning — checkout is at [11:00 a.m.]. There is nothing you need to do beyond closing the front door behind you; it locks automatically. If you have a moment, leaving used towels in the bathroom and starting the dishwasher is appreciated, but please do not feel obligated. The Ecobee returns to its default on its own. We hope the stay was everything you needed it to be. If you would consider sharing your impressions in a review, we would be grateful.

How to customize the checkout script for your property

Three knobs to turn before you save the template:

Match the asks to your turnover window. If you have an eight-hour turnover, you can ask guests to do almost nothing. If you have a three-hour turnover and a single cleaner, every saved minute matters — trash and dishwasher requests are reasonable.
Match the trash logic to your collection day. If pickup is Tuesday morning and a guest checks out Monday, you absolutely want them to roll the bin out. If pickup is days away, skip that ask — it just confuses them. The matching Airbnb trash reminder script covers exact wording.
Cut anything you cannot enforce or detect. If you cannot tell whether the thermostat got set back, leave it out and let your Ecobee Premium, Nest Learning Thermostat, or Honeywell T9 handle it on its own with a checkout schedule. The fewer asks, the more guests honor.

One more rule: never ask guests to take out trash to a curbside bin unless your local trash day is within 24 hours. Random bag-on-the-curb is the fastest way to a code violation and a neighbor complaint.

Where to place the checkout template so guests actually see it

Send it through Airbnb messaging twice (night before and one hour before checkout), but also put it in three physical and ambient places:

The short version printed on a small card in a frame on the kitchen counter or fridge. Most guests glance at the kitchen on the way out. The wording in our Airbnb checkout checklist for guests drops in cleanly.
Inside the house manual, on the last page, with a clear “Checkout Day” header.
As a kitchen Echo Dot 5 reminder set to fire at checkout time minus one hour. Our Alexa checkout reminder Airbnb walkthrough has the exact routine and trigger phrasing.

Don’t put the message on the front door — guests don’t read it on the way out, and arriving guests don’t need to see your departure asks. Inside the kitchen and the bathroom door are the spots that get read.

Pair the template with a review request

Don’t bury the review ask inside the checkout note. Send it as a separate message about 24 hours after checkout, when the guest is back home and the trip feels good in memory. The full Airbnb review request message template covers tone and timing in detail; here is the short form:

Hi [Name], thanks again for staying at [property]. Hope the trip home was easy. If you have a minute and the stay worked for you, a review would mean a lot — small operation, every one matters. And if anything fell short, please tell me directly first so I can make it right. Take care.

That last sentence is the difference between a four-star public review and a five-star public review with a private list of things to fix. Use it. The companion Airbnb thank you message template is the friendlier alternative if you want to lead with gratitude before the ask.

Common pitfalls to avoid

Asking too much. Strip-the-beds and run-the-vacuum requests get marked down in reviews. Guests paid a cleaning fee.
Sending only one message. The night-before message gets read; the morning-of nudge catches the rest.
Threatening late fees in the same breath. If you need an Airbnb late checkout message template, make it its own message, polite, sent only when needed.
Burying the lockup instructions. “Door locks itself” or “close door firmly” should be the last line, by itself, not buried in a paragraph.
Skipping the checklist entirely because “they should know.” They don’t. Every property is different.

Optional: AI prompt to adapt this template to your property

If you want to skip the manual customization, paste this into ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini:

“Rewrite this airbnb checkout instructions template for my property. Property type: [studio / 3BR house / cabin]. Checkout time: [time]. Turnover length: [hours]. Cleaning fee charged: yes / no. Smart lock: yes / no. Trash day: [day or none]. Tone: [standard / warm / luxury]. Keep it under 150 words. Output a guest-ready message I can copy directly.”

Read what it gives you with skeptical eyes — trim anything that sounds corporate or makes the guest do too much. For the broader stance on what we do and do not put inside guest spaces, see our privacy-safe monitoring pillar — the kitchen Echo announces, it never records.

Frequently asked questions

What should the template actually include?

Six things, no more: checkout time, what to do with towels, what to do with trash, what to do with dishes, where to set the thermostat, and how to lock up. Anything beyond that gets ignored. If a request takes the guest more than two minutes, drop it — it makes them feel like unpaid staff and shows up in reviews.

Should I include a trash reminder in the same message?

Only if your local trash pickup is within a day of their checkout. If it isn’t, a separate trash reminder just adds clutter. Tell them where the kitchen bin is, ask them to bag and tie, and let your cleaner roll bins on collection day. The fewer steps you assign, the higher the compliance rate.

How do I handle late checkouts without sounding rude?

Send a soft nudge at checkout time plus 15 minutes: “Hi [Name] — just checking in, our cleaner is on the way. Are you running a few minutes behind?” Most guests respond fast and are out within ten minutes. If you charge a late fee, it should be in your house rules already; never spring it as a surprise inside the checkout message itself.

Can Alexa handle the checkout reminder for me?

Yes — build a recurring time-based routine in the Alexa app that fires from the Echo Dot 5 in the kitchen one hour before checkout. Keep the script short, friendly, and identical to your written checklist so guests get the same message twice. Don’t use indoor microphones for monitoring — just for the announcement. Use it on stays where checkout time matters most: same-day flips and back-to-back bookings.

How long should the script be?

Under 150 words for the message version, under 60 words for the printed card. Guests skim. Anything longer gets the eyes-glaze treatment and they miss the actual asks. If you find yourself writing a third paragraph, you have too many requests — cut the optional ones and let your smart-home setup handle the rest in the background.

Next steps

Pick the version that matches your property — standard, short, warm, or luxury — and load it into your Airbnb scheduled messages tonight. Set up the Echo routine to nudge guests an hour before checkout. Then build a follow-up review-request message for 24 hours after departure. Three messages, one weekend of setup, and your cleaner gets the door open at 11:01 instead of 11:23.