Airbnb Preparation Time: Should You Block Nights Between Guests for Cleaning?
Airbnb preparation time is a calendar setting that automatically blocks nights before and after each reservation, and Airbnb lets you choose no buffer, one night, or two nights. Whether you should use it depends on how long your turnover really takes, how reliable your cleaner is, and how much a blocked night costs you.
I use it on some properties and not on others. Here is how I decide, and how to set it up so it helps your cleaning without quietly eating your occupancy.
What preparation time does
According to Airbnb's guide to availability settings, preparation time lets you choose how many nights to block off before and after each reservation. The options are:
- No buffer
- One night before and after each booking
- Two nights before and after each booking
You will find it with your availability settings in your calendar. When a booking comes in, Airbnb blocks the nights around it so no one else can book them.
It sits next to two related settings that also affect your cleaning schedule:
- Advance notice. Airbnb lets you choose same day, 1 day, 2 days, 3 days, or 7 days. Guests can still request stays with shorter notice, but you have to approve them.
- Same day cutoff. If you allow same day check in, you pick a cutoff hour after which guests can no longer book.
Why hosts turn it on
Turnovers that do not fit in one day
A standard turnover fits between an 11 AM checkout and a 4 PM check in. Some do not. Large homes, properties with hot tubs, or listings where laundry is done on site can run long. A one night buffer turns a tight same day window into a calm next day clean.
Cleaner availability
If your cleaner can only come on certain days, or you are in a remote market where getting someone out on short notice is hard, a buffer protects you from a back to back booking you cannot staff. I write more about this in what to do when your Airbnb cleaner does not show.
Deep cleans and maintenance
A buffer gives you room for the occasional deeper clean, small repairs, or restocking without blocking dates by hand.
Why many hosts leave it off
Every blocked night is a night you cannot sell. With two nights before and after, a single booking can block four nights you might have filled. On a busy calendar that adds up fast.
It can also leave odd gaps. If two bookings land a few days apart, the buffer can leave one or two nights that nobody can book, and those gaps rarely fill.
Worked example (illustrative numbers)
Say you average $150 a night and get eight bookings a month. A one night buffer before and after each booking could block up to 16 nights, though in practice some of those nights overlap or would have stayed empty anyway. Even if only a quarter of them would have sold, that is four nights, or about $600 a month in lost bookings. Compare that against what a rushed, same day turnover costs you in stress, cleaner overtime, or a bad cleanliness review. Use your own numbers here.
How I decide
| Situation | My usual setting |
|---|---|
| Small unit, reliable cleaner, standard checkout and check in times | No buffer |
| Large home, laundry on site, hot tub or pool | One night |
| Remote property, limited cleaner availability | One night |
| Very high demand dates where every night matters | No buffer, with late checkout off |
| Long minimum stays, lower demand season | One night is cheap insurance |
The real question is: can your team reliably finish a full clean in your checkout to check in window? If yes, you probably do not need preparation time. If not, fix that first. My guide to building an Airbnb turnover schedule helps you figure out how much time you actually need.
Alternatives that protect turnover time without blocking nights
- Adjust check in and checkout times. Moving checkout earlier or check in later can buy an hour or two.
- Limit late checkouts on same day turnovers. Late checkout eats directly into cleaning time. See late checkout and cleaning.
- Charge for tight turnovers. Some hosts price same day turns differently or offer a cleaner a premium for them. My notes on same day turnover pricing cover that.
- Use minimum stay rules. A longer minimum stay means fewer turnovers overall.
- Keep a backup cleaner. A second person you can call is often worth more than a blocked night.
Check your PMS sync
If you use a channel manager or PMS like Guesty, OwnerRez, Hostfully, Jurny, or Hospitable, check where your buffer rules live. Some hosts set buffers in their PMS and some in Airbnb directly. Setting them in both places can block more nights than you meant to, and setting them in neither can leave you exposed on other channels like Vrbo or Booking.com. Pick one source of truth and confirm the result on your Airbnb calendar after a test booking.
Make whatever time you have count
Whether you use a buffer or not, the clean has to be finished before the next guest walks in. A buffer gives your cleaner more time, but it does not tell you whether the work was done well. I like to see photos of each room before check in. With Clyn, your cleaner takes those photos in the app and Clyn's AI checks each one against your standard, so if a bathroom was missed you find out while there is still time to send someone back.
FAQ
What preparation time options does Airbnb offer?
Airbnb's availability settings guide lists three options: no buffer, one night before and after each booking, or two nights before and after each booking.
Does preparation time block nights before and after every booking?
Yes. Airbnb describes it as choosing how many nights to block off before and after each reservation.
Is preparation time the same as advance notice?
No. Advance notice controls how far ahead a guest must book, with options from same day up to 7 days. Preparation time controls how many nights are blocked around each reservation.
If you want every turnover checked before check in, you can try Clyn free on one property at clyn.com.