Anyone who is on the road on assembly knows the topic: the working day ends late, the drive to the accommodation takes longer than expected, and then you stand in front of a locked door – because the check-in time is long gone. Or you have to leave early in the morning, but the check-out is not until 10:00 a.m. and nobody knows what to do with the luggage. Arrival and departure times sound like a peripheral topic, but are a real sticking point in everyday life at a fitter’s accommodation. Anyone who knows the regulations and communicates at an early stage avoids stress – on both sides. This overview explains what is usual for arrival and departure times, where there is scope and how to avoid typical problems from the outset.
Why fixed times are important for landlords
Fixed check-in and check-out times are not arbitrary bureaucracy – they have a practical reason. The accommodation must be cleaned, checked and prepared between a tenant’s move-out and the move-in of the next one. Depending on the size of the object, this takes between one and several hours. Anyone who arrives too early as a new tenant disrupts this process – and those who leave too late as a departing tenant will delay him.
This applies in particular to fitter apartments that are very busy and where subsequent bookings follow directly. A landlord who looks after several properties at the same time cannot flexibly respond to every special request – unless he knows about it in good time. And that is exactly the key: early communication.
Usual check-in and check-out times
In practice, the following time slots have established themselves in fitter accommodation:
- Check-in: Usually from 2:00 p.m. or 3:00 p.m. – at this point the cleaning is completed and the accommodation is ready for occupancy
- Check out: Usually until 10:00 or 11:00 – so that there is enough time to prepare the next tenant
These times are guide values, not laws of nature. With good agreement and free capacity, many landlords are willing to deviate from this. If you want to check in earlier or check out later, you shouldn’t just assume so, but ask specifically – preferably when booking.
Late arrivals – a common topic in fitter apartments
Fitters often arrive at unusual times. Anyone who is on the construction site by 6:00 p.m., then invites tools and has a longer drive ahead of them may not arrive until 9:00 p.m. or later. This is not an exception, but the norm for many fitter accommodations.
A good landlord knows this and has solutions for it. The most common is the self-check-in: the key is in a key box, the code will be communicated in advance and the tenant can move into the accommodation independently – without the landlord having to be present in person. This works uncomplicated, but assumes that all the necessary information was transmitted in good time.
If you know that he will arrive late, you should definitely inform the landlord in advance – and specifically: ‘I will probably arrive around 10:00 p.m..’ This enables the landlord to organize the process accordingly. If you just show up without prior notice, you risk standing in front of a closed door in the worst case.
Early departures and early shifts
The late arrival counterpart is the early departure. Anyone who has to be on the construction site at 5:00 a.m. often leaves the accommodation at 4:00 a.m. or earlier. This is usually not a problem for the landlord – as long as the key has been returned or the departure process has been clarified in advance.
The following points should be settled in advance for early departures:
- Where is the key returned? Is there a key box or an agreed storage location?
- Does the accommodation have to be left in a certain condition – close the window, turn down the heating?
- Is there a final handover, or is it enough to return the key without personal contact?
If you know these details, you can leave early in the morning without having to disturb the landlord and without leaving any unanswered questions.
Early check-in and late check-out – when is that possible?
If you want to check in earlier than usual or check out later, you basically have two options: either ask the landlord directly or – when booking via platforms – use the corresponding function for a special request.
In the case of a fitter’s apartment directly from the landlord, the chance of flexibility is often higher than with platform bookings because there are no automated systems between tenants and landlords. A short conversation is often enough to find an individual solution. However, whether this is possible always depends on the current occupancy.
Experience has shown that anyone who regularly uses the same accommodation – for example because a project runs for several months and the fitters always receive the same accommodation for the fitter – has more leeway. A good relationship with the landlord pays off here.
Luggage and interim solutions
What to do if you arrive early but can’t check in yet? Or if you have to spend a few hours in the area after checking out? In such cases, it makes sense to ask the landlord whether the luggage can be temporarily parked – even if the room is not yet ready for occupancy or has already been handed over. Many landlords are willing to do so because it is a simple gesture that saves the tenant a lot of effort.
Arrival and departure times are ultimately a topic that can be regulated smoothly with a minimum of communication and planning. Anyone who is informed early on, names specific times and openly asks about special requests will, in most cases, meet an oncoming landlord. Because good, temporary living does not only begin when you move in – but already with the first arrangement at the time of arrival.