Tips on creating your House Rules?

[Lizzie]

Hello everyone,

I hope you are having a great week.

I often see discussions here in the Community Center where suggestions or tips on the house rules have been given and it is always well received. This is why I thought it would be great to start a discussion on this. 🙂 

It would be great to hear tips on things you would recommend including (especially for a new host who is about to create theirs), also ways to write the 'rules' and perhaps even whether less is more in terms of points.

I look forward to hearing your thoughts. 

Thanks so much,

Lizzie

[Paul373]

Lisa,

FYI, it is illegal in the US not to allow service dog.....it is considered discrimination.

Paul

[Jayesh0]

@Paul373

http://www.disabilityrightsnc.org/sites/default/files/SelfAdvocacyPacket-Service%20AnimalsADA.pdf

This is a North Carolina document but it was the first that popped up on a random search.  I remember reading this somewhere else months ago after the new discrimination policy came into effect.   I think it is pretty standard.  Miniature horses are service animals in North Carolina (see top of page 2) - hoho - can't wait for a post about that!!!

This is from page 5 - "When can a service animal be excluded?

A person with a disability who uses a service animal has a right to the same service and treatment as someone who does not use a service animal. This means that many “No Pet” or “No Animal” policies do not apply to service animals.

However, a government entity or public accommodation can exclude a service animal if: (1) making such modifications would fundamentally alter the nature of the entity’s goods, services, facilities, privileges, advantages, or accommodations; (2)the safe operation of the entity would be jeopardized; or (3) such modifications would result in an undue financial or administrative burden.

”23 “Allergies or a fear of dogs are not valid reasons for denying access or refusing service to people using service animals. When a person who is allergic to dog dander and a person who uses a service animal must spend time in the same room or facility, for example, in a school classroom or at a homeless shelter, they both should be accommodated ...."

I did see a post from a father whose child had a severe reaction to a service animal that arrived unannounced.  The father was unable to have the service animal relocated.  Had he put in the House Rules that he provided a dander free accommodation, then hosting a service animal "would fundamentally alter the nature of the entity's goods, services, facilities, privileges, advantages, or accommodations" and the father could have had the guest rehomed.

This was just a helpful mention mostly for families with children who have severe allergies.  We have actually hosted a number of guests who suffer from debilitating allergies when they go on holiday and they were pleased to have no migranes and to sleep well through the night.  It is also a selling point for a listing.  Having a service animal visit would negate the special services that are offered for those with allergies.

Hope that helps clarify that this is an acceptable house rule, Lisa

[Rachael26]

@Jayesh0

Another great post with loads of useful info in it Lisa. Thanks! A breath of fresh air ****

I'll let you know when a service pony comes to stay.

And I notice the alteration to the profile name - here's hoping that fixes that glitch in the Airbnb system

Best Wishes to you,

Rachael

@Annette33

****[Inappropriate content hidden]

[Jayesh0]

Thanks @Rachael26

Sadly, should be renamed the co-host infomercial thread.

Lisa

[Allison2]

From reading the forums for years I don't trust Airbnb to back me up if/when a guest does something I think is unreasonable without documenting it in my rules. So my rules are extensive. Perhaps they're intimidating enough to mischevious folks that they book elsewhere; I haven't had any major violations so far.

My recipe for good house rules:

First, think of anything someone new to your house might not know, but would cause damage/major annoyance. My rules cover things like fireworks, candles, toilet/plumbing, quiet hours, and smoking. Don't assume that everyone will have your same cultural norms.

Then add anything that could be surprising for someone who only looked at your pictures. The guest signs off on the rules, so I have a cliff notes of the listing at the top. (Host lives downstairs with a cat, there's no bathtub etc)

Finally, anything that could be a sticking point. I was concerned about people staying past checkout, impacting my ability to prep for the next guests, so it's stated in the rules that I change the door code and remove any personal items shortly after checkout time. I didn't want to be stuck on the phone w/ Airbnb asking how to resolve an issue on my property; my place, my policy. (Luckily one I haven't needed to implement)

The two rules I'd recommend for most (all?) hosts:

-Only registered guests on the property

-Quiet hours

[Bruce43]

@Allison2 wow, you have some amazing listings in towns I lived in in the 70'S

nice work!

[Allison2]

@Bruce43 Thank you. I love hosting people in this town and area I love!

It's still lovely here, but much more developed than the 70's - I imagine you'd hardly recognize the place!

[Kim159]

Fireworks??? Yep, I don't want those at my place and I wouldn't have thought to add those even though my house rules have gotten pretty extensive overtime. I started out with only 3 rules.

[Rachael26]

@Allison2

Excellent post - thanks!

Best Wishes.

[Lizzie]

Hello @Branka-and-Silvia0, @Allison2, @Bruce43, @Nutth0, @Jayesh0, @Heather212,

Thanks so much for sharing some of your House Rules and little tips on crafting house rules. 

It does appear to be one of those things that many hosts evolve, amend and update in their listing over time.

When you were creating your house rules when you joined Airbnb, did you look at other listings for ideas or did you create them from scratch?

[Bruce43]

I looked at other listings over the period of two weeks to understand the platform.

@Lizzie

And what should I expect becoming a host in Israel which is known for guests stealing the plumbing

I was quite surprised how well behaved my Israeli guests have been.

My best guests are young Israeli couples with a child or two.

My faith in humanity has returned

Only after I felt sure of WTF I was getting into did, I open up the store.

I'm sorry what was the question?

[Diane184]

Guests steal the plumbing???

[Heather212]

I didn't look at other postings, but there were some guidelines in the fill-in form (which was helpful!) I also played off of my own house rules and ideas that might be most beneficial for guests. I posted "suggestions" in addition to "House Rules." i.e. "Slippers for popsicle toes..."

[Marit-Anne0]

I have ticked all the standard ones on smoking, parties, children etc.  Added:

1. Read the house rules and the information folder (repeated in the pre-booking message too)
2. Repeated the "no children" and the reasons therefore
3. No third party bookings (there has been a few)
4. No extra guests, only those in the booking.
5. Profile must match ID.
6. Treat my home with care and respect.

So far, so good......

[Kelly149]

My rules are longer than I'd like them to be bc they have been written with two different audiences in mind: first, the guest, second, ABB customer service. 

The second is because I have learned that CS will only assist with items that they can see written in black and white. 

I am always flabbergasted by two different types of rules I see in listings: first, the listing with no rules whatsoever, and second, the listings that simply say 'take care of the space'. What does that even mean??