Vacation House Rules: A guide for Hosts

Opening the doors of your house to strangers is something that can generate distrust. As an administrator or owner of a vacation rental, you do not want to have problems with neighbors, find broken vases, discover that things are missing in the house, etc. That is why owners and property managers include rules in their vacation rental homes.

In this article, you will discover why rental house rules are needed, examples of rules that you cannot miss in your vacation rental, and how to add them to Airbnb, Vrbo and the main rental platforms.

What are the Vacation Rental House Rules

Every owner or property manager has a list of things they don’t want to happen in their vacation rental, and it’s completely understandable! The vacation rental house rules are to maintain order and make not only the guest happy but also the hosts feel more confident when it comes to welcoming strangers into their property.

Vacation rental rules are usually a list of actions that guests should or should not do during their stay. These rules can be of all kinds according to the preferences of the hosts. But the reality is, most vacation rentals have rules included for safety reasons. These rules may be related to noise, the number of people allowed on the property, smoking, etc.

What is clear is that if you receive a large number of guests in your vacation rental, it is likely that at some point problems of different types might arise, and dealing with guests’ complaints is not an easy job. Find here a guide about how to deal with not-so-satisfied guests. Therefore, having a well-thought-out and established list of rules will reduce the risk of having misunderstandings with clients. A happy host means a happy guest!

Rental House Rules Examples

Each vacation rental house rules are different, just as each vacation property is different. There are certain rules that should be applied to all vacation rentals, but there are also rules that depend on the type of property, the activities it offers, and many other factors. Understanding local laws and regulations in your area is really important before you start renting out your property. There may be specific requirements regarding things like occupancy, taxes or noise levels that you need to inform your guests about.

What rules should all vacation rental homes have?

1. Do not exceed the number of people allowed.

This rule is very important since the number of beds is the number of people that are usually allowed in the vacation rental. No host wants guests sleeping on the couch or in other places of the house without prior agreement. The aim of the host is to give the best experience to its guests and if they do not have a bed to sleep in, it is difficult for the guest to have a pleasant experience. Be very clear with your guests about how many people are permitted to sleep at the property, whether additional guests or parties are allowed, and whether you charge extra in order to allow more people.

2. Do not make noise during sleeping hours and do not disturb the neighbours.

Like any civic person, you don’t want to disturb the neighbours near your property or get in trouble with the police. It is best to avoid this by letting guests know from what time they should lower the noise in order to not disturb anybody. You can even set up noise monitoring systems to ensure the volume doesn’t exceed a certain level, though you must inform your guests in advance if you have these in place.

3. Leave the house at check-out time.

Many vacation rentals are continuously occupied, but vacation homes must be prepared before the next guests arrive. It is important that guests know what time to leave the house so the property manager or owner can follow a schedule. Be sure to inform your guests well in advance what time they should expect to leave the property so they have adequate time to prepare. Many rental properties also permit late check-out, often for an extra fee. Communicate to your guests ahead of time whether this is something you offer, and how they can request it if you do.

4. Notify the person responsible for any damage or incident to the property.

If something breaks in the house or there is any type of accident, it is important to communicate it at the moment so that the host can assess the severity of the damage and what actions to take. To avoid finding surprises after the guests leave, you can communicate this rule to guests in advance. Some properties include an inventory detailing precisely what is in the property (for example, listing the cooking utensils, or the number of linens and towels provided). This can sometimes be perceived as quite strict by guests, but it does provide an easy way for both you and your guest to quickly check whether something is damaged or missing.

Tip! Use rules to guide your guests rather than limit them

You don’t need to fill up your house with rules. It is important to know how to find the balance between what they can and cannot do while leaving some freedom to enjoy. Consider your rules as a guide to help your guests have the best possible stay, rather than a strict list of things they have to do to keep you happy. Also, the way you communicate is very important. You must convey cordiality while being clear and concise with what can or cannot be done. Do not forget to say please and thank you and If you also want to add a touch of humour, even better!

Other common vacation rental rules:

1. Do not allow animals.

This rule is usually used in small apartments in city centres where animals do not have a garden nearby or do not have space to waste their energy. However, if you are willing to accept animals it is a very good way to attract more guests since more and more guests prefer to travel with their furry friends. Find here the business potential on accepting pets into your holiday home.

2. No smoking inside the rental property.

If you don’t want your house to smell like tobacco, or if you want non-smoking guests to feel fully comfortable at your property, it is better to add this rule to the list. Here you can find an article on how to identify smoke damage in your rental property.

3. Do not use the fireplace.

Unfortunately in many old wooden mountain houses, there have been accidents with the fireplace turning into a big fire and causing serious damages to the house. Therefore in some mountain holiday homes, hosts decide not to allow guests to turn on the fireplace in order to avoid serious accidents.

How to add your rental house rules in Airbnb, Vrbo or Tripadvisor through Your.Rentals

If you are listing your vacation rental properties in multiple channels, the easiest way to upload the information in all of them at once is by using a Property Management Software like Your.Rentals.

With our super-easy listing builder, there is a tab where you can add your vacation rental house rules and they will be automatically shared with the guests coming from Airbnb, Vrbo, Tripadvisor and all the channels that you use and support this functionality. You can try it for free by signing up to Your.Rentals now.

With Your.Rentals you only pay for the reservations you receive, no sign-up fees, no monthly fees, just a small commission for each booking you get. Check out here all the benefits of joining Your.Rentals and start boosting your bookings now.

Conclusion

As a vacation rental host or manager, your job is not only to provide security for guests but also to keep your property and income safe. With a simple list of rules, many misunderstandings can be avoided, and this way, both you and the guests will be satisfied and happy with the experience.

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