Vacation rental owners and managers need to have house rules in place. Politely and professionally set your expectations for your guests by emailing and posting house rules. Present clearly what guests can do and can't do in your vacation rental. Clearly state penalties that will occur if important house rules are not followed.
Have your own style - write house rules with your own unique voice
You can be funny or serious, but say in your own voice as a host what the rules are. Next, let's talk about what should be included in your house rules.
What to include in vacation rental house rules
Airbnb house rules should be easy to follow. Here is a step-by-step guide to help you create your own house rules.
First, include contact details so guests can report disputes as soon as possible.
Smoking and Pet Policy for Vacation Rentals
First, let guests know what your smoking and pet policies are. Most owners charge a pet fee if they allow pets at all of $125-200 on deposit in case of pet damages. 99% of homeowners I know do not allow smoking at all in their vacation rentals. If smoking is allowed, it is usually limited to the patio area and cigarettes have to be disposed of properly and not left around the patio floor.
When is trash day for my vacation rental?
If you want your guests to take out the trash on trash day, you need to specify what the procedures are for trash collection. Do they have to put out the trash bin and wheel it back? Will the trash man collect overflow trash or trash that is not in a closed container? Help your guests help you by taking out your trash. It is common to charge an excess trash fee of $65 if trash rules are not followed.
Check out procedures for vacation rentals
Please create quick and easy to follow check out procedures to help your guests depart smoothly. There is a HUGE distinction between a hotel and an AirBnB, although a cleaning fee is paid for, you should still ask your guests kindly to tidy up.
Assume this, guests leave a little later than usual at 11:30am and you have a check-in at 4pm...problem is, you have 8 loads of laundry since the guests did not start any of it and an extremely dirty kitchen. Even the best housekeeper will miss things in this short time span! The dryer won't effectively dry everything! I can assure you those comforters will not be washed on short notice, that is why we need comprehensive and easy to follow house rules to help your guests help you.
Check out time for vacation rental - what is the best time?
10 am - 11 am at the latest is the appropriate check out time across the industry for vacation rentals, as check-in is usually at 4pm.
Should I ask my Airbnb guest to start laundry and wash dishes?
Absolutely, as long as you ask kindly, guests do not mind picking up after themselves. You are not asking them to clean the home, you are only asking them kindly to start the laundry and dishes and you will take care of the rest. This streamlines your operations for your next guest arrival if it happens to be on the same day of departure.
What to do if an Airbnb guest damages property, stains sheets and towels, or takes items from the property?
This should clearly be explained in the house rules. You should ask them to report any damage to you by email so you can work together in determining a proper hold on deposit for those items. You need documentation to make a claim on Airbnb and HomeAway.
BBQ for Airbnb, who cleans the BBQ ?
The guests should be asked to clean the BBQ. If they do not clean the BBQ after their use, it is common to charge $35-$65 for usage of grill to have it cleaned. Please include safety instructions for the BBQ, some people do not know that it is not appropriate to BBQ in the home or in certain patio areas, spell this out.
Vacation rental safety guide
Safety is for another post, but it is very important you explain pool safety, grill safety, kitchen safety, carbon monoxide warnings, emergency contact numbers, and more to cover your bases.
Now you are ready to make your own vacation rental house rules.
Need a downloadable wifi sign for your vacation rental, download here.
