How to write Airbnb check-in instructions (with template)

Updated 19 October 2026 · 3 min read

Check-in is the most stressful moment of any stay. After hours of travel, your guests want to get in quickly, without searching or calling you. Clear instructions make all the difference, and you can write them in half an hour.

Why check-in matters so much

On Airbnb, check-in has its own rating. A door guests can't find, a mistyped building code or a hidden key box is enough to lose a star, even if the rest of the stay is perfect. A smooth arrival, on the other hand, puts guests in a good mood from the very first minute.

The 5-step method

1. Write for someone who knows nothing

Picture a guest arriving at night, in the rain, in a neighbourhood they've never seen. Walk through the route in your head from the street to the sofa, and write down every move: where to park, which door, which button, which floor. What feels obvious to you isn't obvious to them.

2. One step, one action

Number your steps and keep one action per line. “Enter the building code on the keypad” is clearer than three instructions in one sentence. Guests will often read on their phone with a suitcase in the other hand.

3. Give visual landmarks

“The green door next to the bakery”, “the grey key box under the mailboxes”, “the name Smith on the buzzer”. Landmarks prevent mistakes far better than abstract descriptions. A photo of the entrance is even better.

4. Plan for the unexpected

What if the guest arrives after 10 pm? What if the key box won't open? One line is enough: “If anything goes wrong, call me on…”. Also state your check-in time and whether early check-in is possible.

5. Protect your codes

Never publish your access codes in your listing or on a public page. Send them close to arrival, or make them visible to your guests only. And change your key box code regularly, ideally between stays.

Key box, smart lock or meeting in person?

A combination key box is the most common solution: it's cheap, mounts on a wall and allows self check-in at any time. Choose a sturdy, discreet model, installed somewhere easy to describe.

A smart lock goes further: you create a different code for each stay, valid only during the booking dates. It costs more, but there are no keys to manage at all.

Meeting guests in person is still appreciated for its warmth, but it means being available at the exact arrival time, which quickly becomes a constraint.

A template you can copy

The most common mistakes

• Steps in the wrong order. Follow the actual route, not the order the ideas come to you.
• Mistyped codes. Double-check them every time they change: one wrong digit blocks everything.
• Instructions sent too late. Send them a day or two before arrival, not when the guest is already at the door.
• Only one language. A guest who doesn't read English well may miss a step. Consider translation.

Where to put your check-in instructions

The simplest option is to include them in your welcome book, in a “Check-in” section guests read before they set off. If it's digital, they have it on their phone, and you can update it in seconds whenever a code changes.