What’s your go to excuse when you just can’t say yes to a guest?

I’m genuinely curious how everyone here handles this. We all get those requests that just aren’t doable like early check ins when the place isn’t ready, late checkouts on a tight turnover, random extras that throw off the whole flow. Had someone recently ask to check in five hours early while the cleaners were literally still inside. I try to keep it polite but firm something like “We’d love to help, but the property’s still being prepared so we can make sure everything’s perfect for your stay.” Like my assistant has been helping manage these talks, but we’re still building out a little playbook of how to say “no” nicely. So I’d love to hear how you all phrase it. Do you keep it vague? Blame scheduling? Say you’ll check and follow up later? Trying to find that balance where guests feel heard, but we’re not bending over backwards every time. --- **Post Details:** - **Subreddit:** r/AirBnBHosts - **Author:** u/Pretty_Big_6795 - **Score:** 17 upvotes - **Upvote Ratio:** 76.0% - **Comments:** 15 - **Posted:** 7/14/2025 - **URL:** https://reddit.com/r/AirBnBHosts/comments/1lzqp7f/whats_your_go_to_excuse_when_you_just_cant_say/