@Wayne92
The manual of the house that contained all the information on my house was my main ally:
° Emily house’s rules. First rule. living in my house is not the same as staying in a hotel. Second rule: any damage should be reported immediately and I would like to assist you. Third rule: additional guests are not allowed. Fourth rule: close any window an turn off the lights when you're not in. Fifth rule: Always lock the main door.
° my phone number
° the wi-fi password
° a list of TV channels
° the equipment of the house: everything that guests could find and use (iron and table for ironing and vacuum cleaner in the wardrobe, sewing kit in the bathroom cabinet, mop and bucket in the bathroom etc.)
° instructions on household appliances (air conditioner, heating boiler, washing machine, oven, coffee machine, etc.)
° the location of water and electricity systems
° home security (first aid kit, fire extinguisher, gas leak detector, etc.)
° useful addresses in case of emergency
° what to do if you want to take a ride in the park
° typical Italian recipes
° public transport in Milan (I left 2-3 bus tickets, a map of underground lines, cabs etc.)
° the parking rules in the district: the area reserved for residents, the nearest garage
° main monuments or points of attraction (e.g. “The last supper” by Leonardo da Vinci)
° useful addresses (pharmacies, restaurants, bars, supermarkets, banks, pizzerias, food express and take away, wine bar & happy hour, shops, tobacconists, hair dressers, italian emergency nubers etc.)
° where toys for children are located
° the rules for waste separation
° the actions planned for my personal check-out. Remember the first rule? My house is not a hotel and has to be ready to welcome other guests, so get rid of the garbage bags for a start, put the furniture back in the same position where you found them, put sheets and towels in the basket, close the air conditioning and the gas tap, close doors and windows, turn off the lights, clean the dirty dishes, check the drawers and the cupboards so as not to forget passports, glasses, medicines, etc.
I also left a guestbook at the disposal of the guests on which I invited them to leave comments and suggestions: a way to create a more authentic relationship with them.
A few days after their arrival, even if for a while I lived with my guests (we didn’t meet often) I used to send them an e-mail to greet them and ask if things went all right and to know if they needed something: a simple way to make them feel not abandoned, but beware! Pick up the verbal cues that the guest sends you and adjust your level of participation without being too pushy.
In this regard, there are no rules: there is only personal sensitivity and the relationship with your guest will be different every time and every time it will be invented. This is the great wealth of hosting that I still carry inside of me.