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You’ve probably heard some hosting horror stories like guests throwing parties that get out of hand or clogging up the plumbing and causing thousands of dollars in damage. While there are certainly some disrespectful guests out there, we believe that most people are considerate and will take good care of your property when asked.
To set the right expectations, you need to create comprehensive vacation rental house rules that ensure you and your guests are aligned. While house rules vary from property to property, there are some main categories every host or property manager should include in their guidelines.
To help you write your house rules, this article explains what house rules are, why they’re so important for vacation rentals, and what to include in your house rules. We then provide you with a customizable template so you can get started creating your own house rules in minutes.
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Vacation rental house rules are a set of guidelines hosts and property managers create to keep their guests and properties safe. They’re often shared before or upon check-in, informing the guests of rules about details like:
While you may assume it’s common sense for guests not to throw parties or smoke in your unit, you can’t make any assumptions when it comes to guest behavior. “When people go on holiday, they tend to leave their common sense at home, so it’s important to remind them in a firm but friendly way what’s expected of them,” says Daniela Derin, Holiday Rental Manager at Skol Apartments Marbella.
Even if their actions aren’t malicious, some of the guests you host may have little experience staying in short-term rentals, so being transparent about your house rules can help you prevent misunderstandings and preventable issues.
House rules are so important for vacation rental properties because:
There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to vacation rental house rules, and what you specify in your guidelines will be influenced by factors like property type, location, appliances, and amenities.
To write your house rules, “start with the basics, take a look at your competitors' rules, and tweak them as needed,” recommends Dawn, a Superhost in Sierra Vista, Arizona. “I find it’s just best to be straightforward and firm in my delivery.”
With that in mind, here are five basic categories every host should include in their Airbnb house rules.
Pro tip: Mike and Jane, Superhosts from England, “suggest you search for similar listings to yours in the locality and see what others feel are needed” to help inspire your house rules.
“It’s very important to clearly specify check-in and check-out times—over the years, we’ve had some guests expecting to check out at midnight,” says Daniela. So, make your check-in and check-out policies clear within your house rules to maximize transparency.
That way, you avoid misunderstandings and guests showing up to a property before it’s ready or a cleaner showing up to a unit that’s still full. Here’s an example of what you can say (including a possible upsell):
Please note that check-in is after 3 p.m. and check-out is before 11 a.m. If you want to arrive early or need more time to get things together before leaving, reach out to us in advance to see if we can accommodate you.
Misty, a Superhost in Burbank, California, lists noise levels as her top house rule. Depending on where your unit is located, you could face serious fines if guests get out of hand, not to mention disgruntled neighbors.
“I received a $1,000 fine for just 6 guests talking too loud on a balcony at night,” says Misty. “Since then I had to make signs reminding guests of quiet hours. Double ask them [at the time of] booking that they realize how serious not being loud at night is…Noise is top priority.”
This ties right into guests hosting parties, which will almost inevitably lead to a noise issue. So be sure to include a line such as the following one in your house rules to make sure guests understand why they need to keep noise levels to a minimum:
Don’t forget, we have neighbors! So please be respectful and keep the noise to a minimum, especially at night. Out of respect for neighbors and our property, we also ask that you don’t throw parties or organize unauthorized gatherings.
Pro tip: Even if you include guidelines about noise levels and parties in your house rules, this doesn’t guarantee guests will comply. To keep an eye on what’s going on at your units, use a noise monitor like the Minut sensor.
And let your guests know! If you inform guests within your house rules that you use a privacy-safe noise and occupancy monitor to ensure neighbors aren’t disturbed, they’re far less likely to create a problem.
Learn more.
Be explicit about your occupancy rules to make sure guests are on the same page as you. There are a few details you should list when stating your occupancy rules to make sure guests understand what is and isn’t allowed.
Huma, a Superhost in London, UK, states that her number one house rule is “no visitors without prior permission.” Guests may assume they can invite friends over during the day, but that may not be okay with you, so be transparent.
Additionally, emphasize that only the number of guests who are included in the reservation are allowed to stay overnight at the property. Here’s an example of what you can say to make sure guests fully understand your maximum occupancy rules:
Remember, only the amount of guests you’ve listed in your reservation are allowed to stay overnight at the property. If you want to invite other visitors during the day, please check with us ahead of time. This helps us adhere to local ordinances and ensure everyone has a safe and enjoyable stay.
While we definitely don’t recommend requiring your guests to vacuum and clean the property before they leave, it’s a good idea to include a few lines about your expectations around cleanliness.
For example, it’s fair to request they don’t leave dirty dishes in the sink or ask them to turn on the dishwasher before leaving. Additionally, depending on where your unit is located, local ordinances may have strict rules about separating trash and recycling, so make note of this to your guests and request that they sort their waste accordingly.
Here’s an example of what you can say to ensure guests meet your cleaning expectations:
Don’t worry about stripping the beds before you leave. We just ask that you clean any dirty dishes. Also, our local government is strict about separating trash from recycling. So please dispose of your organic waste, plastic, paper, and glass in the corresponding bins (they’re clearly labeled to make this as easy as possible for you).
We don’t have to remind you how much damage smoking can cause, so be upfront with your guests about what you do and don’t allow at your property. If smoking inside is strictly prohibited, maybe you can provide an outdoor area for guests to smoke if they please.
“We realised years ago stopping people from smoking is a problem, so what we did in my villas is create smoking areas outside, put a table and some chairs,” says Sudsrung, a Superhost in Rawai, Thailand. “All our villas have pools, and we let people smoke around the pool.”
So include a line or two like the following to make sure your guests are clear on your smoking policy:
Smoking inside the property is strictly prohibited, even with the windows open. We do, however, allow guests to smoke in the backyard. We just ask that you use the ashtrays provided and dispose of the ash in the trash can provided.
Pro tip: A guest breaking your house rules and smoking in your unit throughout the duration of their stay can mean serious damage and cleaning costs. Detect cigarette smoke the moment a guest lights up with the Minut sensor.
Learn more.
Your house rules will be unique to each property, so you may want to include more sections than the ones we listed above. Here are some other common house rules you can include:
Regole della casa per [nome della proprietà]
Benvenuto nella tua casa lontano da casa! Siamo entusiasti di ospitarti. Per assicurarvi un soggiorno fantastico, prendetevi un momento per familiarizzare con le nostre regole della casa.
Queste linee guida sono progettate per rendere la tua esperienza confortevole, piacevole e sicura. Grazie per essere un ospite fantastico e per averci aiutato a mantenere un ambiente sicuro e accogliente per i tuoi compagni di viaggio, i nostri vicini e i nostri prossimi ospiti.
1. Orario di check-in e check-out:
Solo un promemoria, il check-in è dopo [Specifica ora] e il check-out è prima di [Specifica ora].
Se vuoi arrivare presto o hai bisogno di più tempo per sistemare le cose prima di partire, contattaci per vedere se possiamo accontentarti.
2. Parcheggio:
Per evitare multe e problemi con i vicini, ti chiediamo di parcheggiare [Specificare le regole di parcheggio]. Assicurati che tutti i veicoli siano parcheggiati in aree designate dall'arrivo alla partenza.
3. Livelli di rumore e parti:
Non dimenticate che abbiamo dei vicini! Quindi, per favore, sii rispettoso e mantieni il rumore al minimo, specialmente durante le ore silenziose, da [Specificare le ore] a [Specificare le ore].
Per rispetto verso i vicini e la nostra proprietà, chiediamo inoltre di non organizzare feste o organizzare grandi raduni.
4. Occupazione:
La capienza massima di questa unità è [Specificare il numero.] Ricorda che solo il numero di ospiti che hai indicato nella prenotazione può pernottare presso la struttura.
Se desideri invitare altri visitatori durante il giorno, ti preghiamo di verificare con noi in anticipo. Questo ci aiuta a seguire le ordinanze locali e a garantire a tutti un soggiorno sicuro e piacevole.
5. Animali domestici:
Siamo una casa vacanze che accetta animali domestici, ma gli ospiti con animali domestici devono rispettare le seguenti regole. [Specificare la politica sugli animali domestici.]
6. Pulizia:
Ti chiediamo di mantenere uno spazio ordinato durante il tuo soggiorno. Non preoccuparti di spogliare i letti prima di partire: ti chiediamo solo di pulire i piatti sporchi che erano nel lavandino e di accendere la lavastoviglie. Puoi fare riferimento alle nostre istruzioni per il check-out, che troverai nel nostro libro di benvenuto, per tutto ciò che devi sapere alla partenza.
Inoltre, il nostro governo locale è piuttosto severo sulla separazione dei rifiuti dal riciclaggio. Quindi, per favore, smaltisci i rifiuti organici, la plastica, la carta e il vetro nei contenitori corrispondenti (sono etichettati).
7. Fumare:
Abbiamo una rigida politica di non fumo all'interno della proprietà, anche se hai le finestre aperte. Se infrangi questa regola, ti potrebbe essere addebitato un costo aggiuntivo per coprire i costi di pulizia.
Tuttavia, consentiamo agli ospiti di fumare nei luoghi specificati.] Ti chiediamo solo di [Specificare le linee guida].
«Il regolamento interno di ogni struttura è meno importante dell'obbligo per gli ospiti di leggerle e accettarle in qualche modo PRIMA di prenotare», sottolinea Elena, un Superhost di Manchester, Regno Unito. Quindi, indipendentemente da ciò che chiedi ai tuoi ospiti, assicurati che le tue regole siano chiaramente comunicate e concordate ben prima del check-in.
E mentre le regole della casa possono aiutarti a proteggere la tua proprietà e i tuoi ospiti, devi adottare solide misure preventive per una protezione completa della proprietà. Depositi cauzionali e esenzioni per danni sono una buona idea, ma cosa succede se il danno supera quello che possono coprire? È qui che il dispositivo Minut può essere d'aiuto.
Con funzionalità come il monitoraggio del rumore e dell'occupazione e il rilevamento del fumo di sigaretta, il sensore Minut ti avvisa istantaneamente quando un ospite infrange una delle regole della tua casa. In questo modo, puoi affrontare la situazione prima che sfugga di mano o provochi gravi danni, fungendo da piano di riserva in caso di mancato rispetto delle regole della casa.
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