SHARING MY HELPFUL HOUSE RULE TEMPLATE

[Cammy0]

Hi Airbnb Host Community,

I have been an avid Airbnb user as a guest since 2014, and in the Summer of 2016, became a host. The last 2 years has been an incredible learning curve and my listing(s) today have drastically improved because I picked up new information and ways to host over time. I would like to save new and existing Airbnb hosts some tears and torment from ill-informed guests by sharing with you my House Rules. Please keep in mind that by no means are my House Rules perfect. From time to time, you will still get an unpleasant host experience, but this is the top way to mitigate the chances. My House Rules is and will always be a work-in-progress (any new suggestions would be appreciated!), but since we are a community striving for the same goal of providing a great experience for our guests, I thought I would share it with you all. 

COZY HOME HOUSE RULES: 

As a Superhost, we aim to make your stay as comfortable as it can possibly be! Our mission is to help our guests create beautiful family memories in our cozy home. For us to do so, we would truly appreciate it if you can follow these house rules and confirm that is has been reviewed WITHIN 48 HOURS OF YOUR BOOKING. This is to ensure that if there is any reason the House Rules cannot be followed, you, our guest, will have the option of cancelling the booking penalty free as we have a Strict Cancellation policy. Thank you in advance and truly appreciate your cooperation!

- No shoes within the house.

- Keep noise to a minimum after 10pm.

- There shall not be smoking inside the home. Extra cleaning fees to remove odor and stains may be applied.

- PLEASE WASH YOUR DISHES after use. If dishes are not washed, extra cleaning fees may be applied.

- PARKING: parking is provided on the driveway side by side. Our driveway is suitable for sedans or smaller SUVs. If larger/longer cars or if more than one car, you can park parallel in front of the house where the bushes are.

- We have recently added a Foosball Table and Pool Table in the home for our guest's entertainment. Please return all accessories to their rightful places at the end of your stay.

- Feel free to use the barbecue outside that is set up for our super guests’ leisure use only. The BBQ is to be used by the guests who stay at the home and is not to invite others to the home as it will be considered as hosting a party. Please clean up after yourselves and keep the grill clean. If found left dirty and requires extra cleaning, an extra cleaning fee may be required. You will also need to add your own gas to the BBQ as it is not supplied.

- Please acknowledge that from occasionally, we may leave consumables such as condiments or snacks left behind by previous guests if they are not empty. We try our very best to ensure that it is not expired or stale. HOWEVER, ultimately, it is up to the guests' discretion and inspection to consume these items if they wish.  The host does not take any responsibility for the consumables.

- Please do not rearrange our furniture.

- If you would like to host an event (i.e. wedding, graduation, not party), please speak with us about it first.

 - If guests are found to have had a party without host permission which results in extra cleaning, guests will be responsible for extra cleaning charges and in the unfortunate event of the disruptions alerting neighbors, GUESTS WILL BE ASKED TO VACATE THE PROPERTY IMMEDIATELY.

- If guests are suspected of carrying and/or using illegal drugs of any kind, the authorities will be engaged, and GUESTS WILL BE ASKED TO VACATE THE PROPERTY IMMEDIATELY.

- Lastly, because this is an Airbnb community not a hotel, and is also my home when I stay in Vancouver, please be respectful of the property and keep it clean before you leave. (Respect our property and our things)

If you have read it this far, THANK YOU for being a SUPER GUEST! Please reply back with my favourite quote: "EXPECT NOTHING, APPRECIATE EVERYTHING." so that I know that the house rules have been reviewed 🙂

[Helen2860]

Hi,

 Thank you sharing this ! I have a question. When is the best time to send this out to Guest? 

[Marcia608]

Thanks Cam. May I have the authorization to use your template? Thanks in advance. Marcia

[Cammy0]

Hi Everyone!

Wow- it's been a minute since my first and only post, sharing my house rules. I'm really happy to see that fellow hosts have found it valuable and useful to build upon their own. As the post was originally written back in 2018, some things have definitely changed in my operations. I've revamped the house rules a few times with the help of other hosts, and have found this version of the house rules to be even more clear. It also sets the right professional expectations that hosts should have for their guests, and makes claims much easier to process since the guest replies back with *my favorite quote* and acknowledges the associated penalties that come with breaking the house rules. Hope this helps you too (& let me know what you think about this new version!)

*Please thoroughly read the entire listing description and house rules before booking* As your dedicated host, we aim to make your stay as comfortable as it can possibly be! Our mission is to help our guests create beautiful memories in our cozy unit. For us to do so, we would truly appreciate it if you can follow these house rules and confirm that it has been reviewed WITHIN 48 HOURS OF YOUR BOOKING. Thank you in advance and we truly appreciate your cooperation!

- The total number of guests in your reservation applies to anyone accessing the space during your stay, not just guests staying overnight. If you have more guests over than your booking was made for, you will either be charged for the additional number of guests during your stay or your booking will be canceled immediately without refund.

- Please treat the space with respect as if it was your own home. Please do not re-arrange the furniture. You, as the booking guest, are responsible for any damage or missing items caused by yourself or any one of your guests accessing the cozy home during your stay.

- NO SMOKING of any kind inside the property OR ON THE BALCONY. Smoking is allowed OUTSIDE of the apartment building in the front; please dispose of cigarette butts appropriately.

- PETS: only 1 pet less than 50 pounds is allowed. Please inform us at time of booking. Subject to a $25/day pet fee. Pet is considered unauthorized, subject to penalties if not declared at time of booking. - Quiet Times: 10PM-7AM MONITORED AND STRICTLY ENFORCED

- Dishes are to be washed before checkout.

- If guests are suspected of carrying and/or using illegal drugs of any kind, the authorities will be engaged, and GUESTS WILL BE VACATED FROM THE PROPERTY IMMEDIATELY.

** Violation of these house rules will result in your booking being cancelled immediately without refund

** -VIOLATION FEES

- Extra guest penalty: $100 per extra guest not recorded on your confirmed reservation guest number NO PARTIES OR GATHERINGS

- Unauthorized party/gathering fee: $700

Unauthorized pet fee: $300

Noise complaint fee (After first warning): $100 per complaint

Indoor smoking fee: $500

Extra dish cleaning: $15

Late checkout fee: $50 per 30 minutes after checkout time

Lost keys charge: $50 per lost key

Other Things to Note:

- Please acknowledge that occasionally, we may leave consumables such as condiments or snacks left behind by previous guests if they are not empty. We try our very best to ensure that it is not expired or stale. HOWEVER, it is up to the guests' discretion and inspection to consume these items if they wish. The host does not take any responsibility for these consumables.

- PARKING: Your reservation includes 1 parking space. If you have an additional vehicle, street parking is available on a first come first serve basis.

- If you would like to host an event (i.e. wedding, graduation, not party), please speak with us about it first so that we can determine suitability and provide you an event quotation that includes the use of the building’s backyard.

- Children friendly DOES NOT MEAN the area is CHILD-PROOF. It is the responsibility of the guardian/parent to monitor their children's actions AT ALL TIMES.

- There are 3 security cameras placed OUTSIDE of the property for security purposes only. 1) Facing main entrance of building, 2) Facing backyard of building, and 3) Facing entrance of unit. All cameras are on 24/7.

- Please be advised the water boiler has sufficient hot water for 2 consecutive showers (approx. 10 minutes each in length). If there are more than 2 guests, spacing out showers in approx. 20 minute increments will allow for complete re-heating of the water boiler.

- Please use one appliance (coffee machine, toaster, kettle, microwave, etc.) at a time to prevent tripping of the power. If the power does go out because of multiple appliances in use, simply re-set the power on the fuse panel that is located inside the unit.

Lastly, because this is a vacation rental community not a hotel, please be respectful of the property and keep it clean before you leave. (Respect our property and our things).

If you have read it this far, THANK YOU for being a SUPER GUEST! Please reply back with my favourite quote: "EXPECT NOTHING, APPRECIATE EVERYTHING." so that I know that the house rules have been reviewed 🙂

[Jennifer2752]

@Cammy0 Hi!  Thank you so much for the ideas!  We have been renting since July and have had a few issues.  The latest one is the one I have a question about.  The renter booked our cabin for 1 person.  Thinking that was probably a mistake (and there wouldn't be enough beds made or towels out if there were more people with her), so my husband reached out.  She informed my husband that there would be 3 coming to celebrate her son's 18th Birthday.  What she didn't mention was that it would be 3 teenage boys and she would not be present even though she was the one who rented our house.  Any ideas on how to try to stop this in the future?  Thanks!!

[Helen3]

When you find out it's a third party. Booking you call Airbnb and ask them to cancel. @Jennifer2752 

I wouldn't accept a third party booking with 3 teenage boys - I'm sure most hosts wouldn't - party and damage waiting to happen 😀😢

I make it a condition of booking that the guest needs to confirm who is travelling with them. 

[Jennifer2752]

Surprisingly our housekeeper said the house was ok.  And, it was just the 3 boys.  However, we didn't know parents weren't there until the boys got to the house. (We have a camera outside.)

How do you ask them to confirm who is coming?  Can't they just lie?  Do you have something mentioned in your listing or house rules?  Thanks!!

[Alex-and-Cheryl0]

Thank you Cammy and the rest of you for this information. It's very helpful. 

[Nikolaos37]

You can also check out our 3 new templates to creat your perfect house manual. Creat your own unique manual with our help. No software needed! Edit online on a computer, easy to use and  save as a PNG High Quality, JPG, PDF print/standard files. Print at home or have printed! Please follow the link : https://www.etsy.com/shop/NicedesignsCreations?ref=seller-platform-mcnav

[Linda1736]

Thank you for the house rules suggestions.  2019 was our first year hosting our cottage in New Brunswick.  Throughout the summer, I found I needed to modify/amend the printed rules left in the info binder.

i liked your statement about condiments left for future guests.  We were only renting our cottage when we, or other family members would not be using it.  We purposely did not empty out the fridge each visit, but did monitor it.  Most guests expressed appreciation but there were a few that were upset about the used containers and felt that the cleaner should remove such items.

Despite our listing emphasizing (at least IMHO) that it is a family cottage, some guests felt that since we list it as sleeping 6, there should only be 6 coffee mugs, 6 towels, etc.  Personally, if I were a guest, I would appreciate the fact that the host provided above and beyond the bare minimum.

Had another guest request “fresh sheets”.  Despite a set of brand new sheets being used, he still complained.

Also had a suggestion that the curtains needed to be updated., but didn’t give specifics.  2 of the 3 sets of curtains were brand new this year!

Another guest gave very negative rating claiming the address and listing details were wrong.  Not sure what he was reading or seeing.  My gps found the address and when I reviewed the listing and multiple posted pictures, I didn’t feel that anything was deceptive.  The picture used for the kitchen even included dishes drying on the dish rack!  And other photos showed what I view as decor but others view as clutter.

For next year, I will be modifying the listing to emphasize that it is a family cottage still frequently used by extended family and not impersonal, sterile hotel.

[Nina594]

Fabulous rules.  Thank you for sharing.

[Jennifer1925]

We just put our apartment on Airbnb, and our first guest, checked in today.  This information is very helpful. I'm pulling information from all your threads and modifying to fit our situation. THANK YOU!

We really don't want any smokers in or around the house, we did list our unit as a no smoking unit,  but  if they smoke away from the home, I don't want that second hand smoke working it's way into the apartment. Second hand smoke stays on clothes and hair- it then works it's way onto your linens and furniture.  How have you worded the Don't Smoke Rule. thanks!

[Cathie19]

Hi @Jennifer1925 .

“To maintain a fresh and healthy environment, this is a strict non-smoking premise. This includes e-cigarettes. The openness of elevated houses causes cigarette smoke/vapour to drift. If you feel a need to smoke, there is one spot in the far corner of the yard that has been made available for use.”

I also ask if they smoke on arrival, and let them know the smoking table’s location in the corner of the yard. 

[Marg11]

Hi All.

We had our first e-cigarette smoker who insisted that they don't smell!!!!! She was asked to smoke outside but the bed linen, sofa, bathroom and all the flat stunk. After washing, airing with all windows open and luckily 28 hours between guests, we managed to get rid of the worst of it.

Nearly as bad as guests who can't wash up daily with hot water, detergent and return the airdried dishes and cutlery to the places they found them! Some return them wet to the cupboards and drawers. Guests need to use their phones to take snaps of the accommodation and return everything to where it was on arrival. Maybe they just have dishwashers, maids or mothers at home.

We also ask guests to strip the beds as we are in our 70s and offer very cheap comfortable accommodation. However, that depends on English comprehension.

Rubbish recycling leaves me exasperated as there is a comprehensive document on the fridge from the local city but those afraid of 'losing face' don't ask for an explanation even though it is in our house rules online which they could have translated before arrival and in the welcome letter they receive.

Tomorrow I am doing a thorough check before our non-English speaking guests leave. It took 6 emails to get the names of family members, their ETA, their choice of bread and milk and on arrival when asked if they knew how to operate the pod coffee machine it was "Yes, yes, yes". They were looking at the lime tree outside when I was showing them the walk-in robe, spare linen and cleaning equipment for spot cleaning. Maybe they will surprise me!

[Edgardo30]

Thanks for sharing this, it is very helpful.  I was having problem with some guests leaving pesonal belongings around the house so one of my rules is "Keep your personal belongings inside of your bedroom (bags, clothes, computers, magazines, etc.)"

[Jessica1297]

I added a modification of your great intro, but since I am using this as a printout (on their pillow) to remind them, here's what I came up with (keep in mind that this is not a separate unit, they are in a guest room in our apartment and share the bathroom). I am sure there will be more rules to come, but these were just the ones I thought of this morning that were driving me the most crazy.

The scent issue is a big one. We had one guy who stayed for one night and the smell of his cheap cologne didn't go away for three days! (of course, I washed everything, but it was in the rug and the curtains and....barf!)

Also, no one mentioned check out time. They are in our home with us, and sometimes they just won't leave in the morning. I point out as soon as they check in that check out is no later than 10am, but every once in a while we have "one of those" guests.

Welcome to the Inn Spot in Woodbury!

We’re so glad you are visiting us in this beautiful part of Vermont Wifi: The Inn Spot             Password: ilikebreakfast

As Superhosts, we aim to make your stay as happy as it can possibly be! Our mission is to offer our guests a comfortable, safe, delicious and affordable place to stay in our cozy home.

Just a few house rules to remember during your stay:

• Please respect our check-out time of 10am, as we may be working from home or have plans. We often have to prepare for our next guests.
• We are delighted to offer you a complimentary breakfast and ask that you are ready to sit down at the time you had requested as we want your food to be delicious!
• Feel free to eat at the dining table in the living room, but we ask that you not eat in the guest room. If you need to warm up some food or would like to leave a few things in the fridge, we are happy to help you.
• There is no tobacco smoking inside the house, feel free to step outside and into the front of the building.
• We ask that you refrain from wearing scents such as perfume or cologne during your stay as there are folks with chemical sensitivities that may be affected.
• If you have forgotten your shampoo or body wash, we have a shelf in the shower (bottom shelf at the back) that has products for our guests to use. If you find you may need anything else, please don’t hesitate to ask!
• When you are ready to leave, was ask that don’t remake the bed. You are welcome to leave it unmade or strip off the sheets and pillowcases. That makes laundry time easier for us!

Thank you so much for staying with us!

Your hosts, Jessica & Zach (and Growler + Onions)

[Debra308]

 Hi ! I’ve been hosting  since last September and am wondering how to handle the wood for our wood-burning fireplace!  I feel that I should give them enough wood to maybe fill the fireplace twice but after that I think they should pay for additional wood!  I would appreciate any suggestions!

[Cammy0]

Hi Debra!

Thank you for dropping a comment. Personally, the amount of firewood provided should equate to the # of nights the guests are staying. If they are staying 2 nights, filling the fireplace twice seems reasonable, 3 nights, 3 fills, etc. If they are looking to fill more than the provided complimentary amounts, I would then charge $x per bundle. You could either drop it off for them after they request it through airbnb inbox (if you are geographically close to your airbnb), or, you could do it on the honour system where the "extra firewood" would be stored separately and they can leave their $ in a jar. 

How i would word it:

"Complimentary firewood is provided to you in the ______(area). There is sufficient firewood for you to fill the fireplace once/twice an evening. Should you require more than what has been prepared for you, I can provide you more for $x per bundle. Please provide me x hour notice so that I can drop it off for you/Our home operates on the honour system. The extra firewood is placed in ______(area). Please leave the firewood fee in the jar beside it. Thank you for your cooperation!"

[Jamie-And-Violetta0]

Thanks for sharing these! We are new to hosting and will definetely use some of these points

[Noime0]

Bad experience alert!!! i am managing my sister's unit and i have encountered a very nasty guest,he is a smoker and the smell infiltrate in the linens,towels and the whole unit,and you can smell it outside the hallway,disgusting.while i am commenting on this section,i am washing all the linens with chlorine past of disinfection and later will dry it at the laundromat,so the hot spinner will kill all the fumes,bacteria etc.and now making a rules and regulation that i will post on the wall of the unit.

[Alice595]

@Cammy0 Thank you for sharing your house rules. It is good to have house rules set and it will help to reduce the chance of getting bookings from bad guests. There are still rare cases where house rules were completely ignored even though they were aware of them. Recently I had a booking from a new AirBnb user who does not have any reviews. I messaged him before I approved his booking request and asked him to read and agree with house rules I set up on the listing. He answered yes. On the checkin date, I personally greeted him and his girl friend and I told them again that no party, no smoking, and no drugs. Two days later after they checked out, I came with shock. More than 20 empty liquor bottles were left in the house. My entire house was trashed. They smoked several packs of cigarretes, and weeds as well. I saw a couple of injecting needles in the trash can. Broken furniture, missing blanket and house keys......

AirBnb must take measures to enforce house rules and put strict screening process in accepting people who can use AirBnb platform. Otherwise, just a very small number of guests like the one I encountered would ruin/discourage homeowners to continue listing their properties on AirBnb.