What should self check-in instructions include?
Give the full address with a landmark, where to park, how to open the main door and the flat door, where the key box is and its code, the floor and door number, the Wi-Fi network and an emergency contact. Add a photo for each step and a backup plan in case something does not work.
When should you send check-in instructions to guests?
Many hosts send the instructions the day before arrival and a reminder that morning, so guests can find them easily while travelling. With a digital guide you always send the same link: the instructions stay up to date even if you change the procedure between bookings. Send the key code separately, though.
Self check-in message template, in Italian and English
The message follows the order in which guests move: they reach the street, park, open the main door, take the keys, go up, switch on the light. Replace the parts in square brackets and remove the ones you do not need. The English version has the same parts in the same order.
It is a private message for one guest: that is why it contains the key box code. Send it in the booking chat, on WhatsApp or by email, never on a public page.
Ciao [nome dell’ospite], ecco come arrivare ed entrare a [nome della casa]. INDIRIZZO [Via e numero civico], [città]. Il portone è [colore], accanto a [punto di riferimento, per esempio la farmacia]. PARCHEGGIO [Dove lasciare l’auto.] [Se la via è in ZTL: non entrate in auto, il parcheggio più vicino è (dove).] PORTONE [Come si apre: codice, chiave o citofono. Per esempio: suonate il citofono «(cognome)» e vi apriamo noi.] CHIAVI La cassetta delle chiavi è [dove si trova, per esempio a destra del portone, all’altezza degli occhi]. Codice: [codice]. [Come si apre la cassetta.] APPARTAMENTO [Piano] piano, interno [numero]. [C’è / Non c’è] l’ascensore. La porta si apre con la chiave [quale], girando [quante volte] a sinistra. L’interruttore della luce è [dove]. WIFI Rete: [nome della rete] Password: [password] SE QUALCOSA NON VA Chiamateci al [numero]: rispondiamo dalle [ora] alle [ora]. Se non rispondiamo: [piano B, per esempio una chiave di riserva da (persona o negozio vicino) o un secondo numero]. Emergenze: 112. Tutto il resto è nella guida: [link]. Buon viaggio, a presto!
Hi [guest name], here is how to get to [house name] and let yourselves in. ADDRESS [Street and number], [town]. The main door is [colour], next to [landmark, for example the pharmacy]. PARKING [Where to leave the car.] [If the street is in a ZTL (limited traffic zone): do not drive in, the nearest car park is (where).] MAIN DOOR [How it opens: code, key or intercom. For example: ring the intercom “(surname)” and we will open it for you.] KEYS The key box is [where, for example to the right of the main door, at eye level]. Code: [code]. [How to open the key box.] FLAT [Floor] floor, door [number]. There [is / is no] lift. The door opens with the [which] key, turning it [how many times] to the left. The light switch is [where]. WI-FI Network: [network name] Password: [password] IF SOMETHING GOES WRONG Call us on [number]: we answer from [time] to [time]. If we do not answer: [backup plan, for example a spare key at (person or shop nearby) or a second number]. Emergencies: 112. Everything else is in the guide: [link]. Safe travels, see you soon!
The photos to include
One photo per step avoids most phone calls. Five are almost always enough:
- The main door or the building entrance, with the street number visible.
- The intercom, with the name to ring easy to spot.
- The key box, close up and from further away, to show where it is in relation to the main door.
- The flat door, with its number, and the stairs or the lift if the floor is not obvious.
- The light switch by the entrance, and the fuse box if the power can trip.
- Take them in daylight and put them in the same order as the steps in the message.
- If the entrance is hard to find, add an arrow or a circle on the photo.
- Do not photograph the code: write it in the message, so you can change it without retaking the photos.
The photos go in the message, if the channel you use lets you attach them, or on WhatsApp. In LOQY the check-in instructions are text: on the Pro plan you can add an additional information entry, for example “How to get in”, with a PDF that holds the photos. Anyone with the link can open the guide, so no codes in the PDF.
When to send the instructions
There is no right moment for everyone: these are the timings many hosts use. Adapt them to how you work and to when your guests arrive.
- When the booking is confirmed: say thank you, ask for the arrival time and send the guide link.
- The day before arrival: the full message, with the photos and the contact.
- On the morning of arrival: a short reminder with the address and time, and the code if you change it for each booking.
Ask guests to save the message or take a screenshot before they set off: while travelling, the connection can drop right in front of the door.
Backup plan: if the code does not work
Sooner or later a key box jams, a battery runs out or a guest tries the wrong door. Decide in advance what happens, and write it in the message.
- A spare key with someone you trust nearby, such as a neighbour or a shop, with hours that cover the arrival.
- A phone that can be reached at arrival time, and a second number if you cannot answer.
- If you use an electronic lock, check the batteries before each arrival and keep a backup code.
- For evening arrivals: a light on the entrance or the key box, because a code is hard to read in the dark.
A note on guest registration and the law
This page is about arrival instructions only and is not legal advice. The Italian State Police’s Alloggiati Web portal states that accommodation managers must report the details of their guests to the Questura (local police headquarters), referring to article 109 of the Consolidated Law on Public Security. The guidance on how to identify guests has changed more than once in recent years.
Before you set up self check-in, read the official sources at the bottom of the page, checked on the date shown, and ask the Questura or an adviser which guidance is in force. LOQY is not a compliance tool: it does not collect documents or send data to the Questura.
Put the instructions in the digital guide
The message changes for each guest; the rest of the instructions do not. A digital guest guide keeps the part that does not change on a single page, which you send with the same link for every booking and guests find again from the QR code once inside.
| In the guide (link and QR code) | In the private message | |
|---|---|---|
| Arrival | In the guide (link and QR code): Address, landmark, parking and ZTL, check-in time | In the private message: The time agreed with that guest |
| Access | In the guide (link and QR code): Where the main door, intercom and key box are, floor and door number | In the private message: The key box or door code |
| In the house | In the guide (link and QR code): Wi-Fi, lights, rules, check-out | In the private message: Nothing: point to the guide |
| Contacts | In the guide (link and QR code): Number and hours you reply, 112 | In the private message: The backup plan, if it involves a person or a key |
- Create your account and the property page. The Free plan covers one property, with no credit card.
- Write the check-in time and instructions, with no codes: address, parking, main door, floor and door number.
- Add Wi-Fi, contacts, emergency numbers and check-out instructions.
- Paste the guide link into the pre-arrival message, on every channel.
- Print the QR code and put it by the entrance: once inside, guests find everything there.
To explain how the house works, from the appliances to the heating, start from the example in Airbnb house manual. For the full welcome folder, the template is in Holiday home welcome book.
The Free plan includes one property, the basic information and the QR code. The Pro plan costs €10 a month or €90 a year, VAT excluded, with a 7-day trial and no card: if you do not add a card, you go back to Free. It adds unlimited properties, translations, additional information with PDFs, local tips and the gallery. If you manage several units and need dedicated onboarding, write to support@loqy.info and ask for a custom quote.
Frequently asked questions
- Is self check-in allowed in Italy?
- This page does not answer that question and is not legal advice. Read article 109 of the Consolidated Law on Public Security and the guidance on the Alloggiati Web portal, in the sources at the bottom of the page, and ask the Questura or an adviser before you set up self check-in.
- How do I handle guest identification?
- How to identify guests and report their details is set out in the official sources, not on this page: start from the State Police’s Alloggiati Web portal and ask the Questura. LOQY does not collect documents or send data: the guide is for arrival instructions.
- Can I use the same message for Airbnb and Booking?
- Yes. The template works for every channel: paste it into the booking chat, on WhatsApp or by email. It helps if the message points to the same digital guide, so the instructions are the same for everyone. Write the code for each booking, only in the private message.
- What do I do if the guest arrives at night?
- Make sure the entrance and the key box are lit, because a code is hard to read in the dark. Keep your phone reachable at the expected time, or give a second number. Ask guests to save the message before they set off and to let you know if they will be late.
Sources
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One property, the arrival instructions and the QR code, with no credit card. For several units with dedicated onboarding, write to support@loqy.info.
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