Whether you rent your vacation home out year-round or only occasionally, having vacation rental house rules in place is absolutely essential.
To help get you started, this article provides everything you need to know about house rules for vacation rental property management, from what they are and why they’re important to what to include in your list.
And as an added bonus, we’re also including a customizable vacation rental house rules template that you can download and adapt for free.
Don’t see the form to download the Vacation Rental House Rules Template? Click here.
What are vacation rental house rules? And why are they important?
Vacation rental rules for guests are a professional way of explaining what is and isn’t acceptable conduct for those who enter your property. They enable you to clearly state what you expect of guests, what they should expect of you, and what penalties will occur if these rules are broken.
While you might not think house rules need to be at the top of your to-do list, taking the time to create and implement them is more valuable than you’d think. House rules help:
- Save time for both hosts and guests by preemptively addressing common questions and requests.
- Protect hosts and their properties by setting clear expectations and providing actionable consequences for rule violations.
- Ensure that hosts and guests are on the same page, fostering a more enjoyable and hassle-free vacation experience for everyone.
- Set a standard of professionalism by indicating that your business has a high bar for excellence.
What to include in your vacation rental house rules
If you’ve never written house rules for short-term rentals before, you might not know where to begin. So, we’ve outlined what to include and provided rental house rules examples below to help get you started.
Friendly welcome note and general rules
Set the tone for the rest of your short-term rental house rules with a friendly welcome note. In this short introduction to your property, highlight the general rules about your home to help guests understand what to expect from the outset.
Example:
Dear guests,
Hello, and welcome to our home!
We’re so happy you’ve chosen our property for your vacation.
Before you settle in and get comfortable, we would like to make you aware of the House Rules in place at our vacation rental. Understanding and complying with our house rules will make for a comfortable and fun stay for everybody!
Please read each of the rules carefully in order to avoid any danger or deductions from your security deposit upon checkout.
- Please treat our house with the same respect as you would your own home. We’ve put a lot of effort into making this into a lovely space to be enjoyed by our guests.
- Be sure to maintain a good level of cleanliness throughout your stay. This will make it much easier when checkout time comes!
- In case of any accidental damage, we’ll look into the issue internally to decide if and how much the deduction or repair cost will be.
- We hope you have lots of laughter and fun times during your vacation! However, we’d really appreciate it if you’re mindful and keep noise to a minimum during nighttime hours.
- Please ensure you read and fully understand the house rules at the beginning of your stay. If anything is unclear, please contact us so we can explain in further detail to avoid any misunderstandings.
Have fun! This is your vacation time, and we hope you make the most of our home, its amenities, and your opportunity to relax and visit the surrounding area.
House map and room rules
Provide a map of the property with details on any restricted areas or room-specific rules.
Example: Here you can find a simple map of our home. Information and special rules on specific parts of the house are written below, so you can easily understand where things are located and how to use them safely.
- The cupboard in the hallway is private and locked. Please do not attempt to open it.
- Cleanliness is a priority, so please remove shoes before entering this room.
- The electric panel is in the box next to the front door. Please only open in the unlikely case of a power outage.
- As this room borders the neighboring house, please be especially conscientious about noise here.
Hosts often fear unauthorized parties due to the potential for property damage, increased wear and tear, and general messiness. The most effective solution is to outright forbid parties.
However, if gatherings are permitted, it’s essential to clearly specify the maximum number of guests and establish explicit rules to prevent any confusion or misunderstandings.
Example: Parties and large gatherings of any kind are strictly prohibited at our home. Any small gathering must comply with our other house rules regarding noise, visitor numbers, and parking.
As a rental owner or property manager, the last thing you want is for your guests to destroy the relationships you’ve spent time building with the residents of neighboring properties. So use this as an opportunity to highlight rules regarding antisocial behavior such as excessive noise late at night.
Example: Please be sure to respect the community and try to keep noise levels to a minimum, especially after dark.
- Please try to avoid making any loud noise between 11 p.m. and 8 a.m.
- If any neighboring residents report excessive noise or unruly behavior, we may have to evict you from our property and terminate the vacation rental agreement. This could result in loss of security deposit and rental amount.
Can guests smoke in your vacation rental? Or is it strictly prohibited? Avoid any smelly surprises when you lay out the law regarding smoking before guests arrive!
Example: Our vacation rental is a smoke-free zone inside. This is important to us in order to keep our property in the best condition possible. Guests can only smoke in outdoor areas, such as the balcony or deck, as long as they respect the rules we have in place.
- No smoking inside the property. Guests can only smoke outdoors in the designated areas.
- Please do not throw cigarette butts onto the property lawn. You should instead dispose of them in the ashtray provided.
- Failure to follow these rules will result in the loss of the security deposit.
If your guests aren’t allowed any extra visitors at the property during their stay, make it known. Equally, if there are any limitations on how many guests they can invite to the rental, this should also be crystal clear.
Example: We want you to enjoy your vacation and time at our home to the maximum, but we do have to set some restrictions on visitor numbers for safety reasons.
As part of our vacation rental agreement, we need the names and details of each member of your traveling party. In addition, please respect the maximum number of visitors and the rules regarding visitors as set out below.
- Guests are allowed a maximum of … visitors at any time during their stay.
- Guests are responsible for ensuring that any visitors comply with these House Rules.
- Any additional overnight visitors must be approved in advance and are subject to an additional fee, as noted in our rates.
If your vacation rental is child-friendly, be sure to specify any rules related to areas or amenities that are off-limits for kids.
Example: We try to keep our vacation rental as child-friendly as possible. That said, parents are responsible for ensuring their children’s safety at all times. If you find anything unsafe or requiring revision at our property, please contact us at your earliest convenience so we can address the issue.
- Never leave children unsupervised at our property without any adults.
- The backyard is a perfect, safe place for children to play. To avoid danger, please don’t let them play out front.
- Our vacation rental is suitable / not suitable for children under the age of …
- Please do not use glasses outside or in the children’s play area for safety reasons.
Chances are, you’ll want to share rules related to kitchen appliances, cleaning up, and eating and drinking in your rental home.
Example: Our kitchen is stocked with the basics, such as cooking oil, simple seasoning, and some condiments. Please treat our kitchen with the love and respect you would your own to keep it in great condition for other guests.
- Please be sure to ventilate the kitchen after cooking anything that could leave a strong smell behind.
- Be careful not to wash food that remains down the drain. Please throw any kitchen scraps into the container under the sink for organic waste.
- To help the environment, please only switch on the dishwasher when it’s full and use the eco-program where possible.
- To simplify the inventory process, please return any kitchen items to where you originally found them.
- Kitchen cleaning products are under the sink. If any products run out during your stay, please let us know so we can replace them for the next guests.
- No food or drink in the bedrooms—please limit eating and drinking to the kitchen and dining areas.
Many guests choose vacation rentals for the “home away from home” experience and expect to have to do at least some chores. That being said, be sure to include details of how to dispose of garbage and recycling if you don’t want to be met with a stinking pile of trash on checkout day.
Examples:
- Please dispose of garbage and recycling in the proper containers.
- You can leave garbage and recycling outside for collection on Monday evenings. If you check out before Monday, please take garbage to the communal trash cans at the end of the street.
- Please do not flush any sanitary products down the toilet. We provide a bin for this in each bathroom.
- Any food waste should go into the organic recycling bin. Take care to use the correct compostable bin liner when replacing it.
If your property is pet-friendly, celebrate it! But if there are any restrictions, such as how many pets are allowed at one time or if pets over a certain size are prohibited, your guests will need to know.
Example: Pets are welcome at our home! If you’re staying here with your furry friend, there are some things we’d like you to help us out with to ensure a smooth stay for everybody.
- We know you love your pet, but we ask that you please don’t let them up onto the furniture, especially sofas and beds.
- Guests are responsible for cleaning up after their pets.
- Pets must not be outside of the property fence without a leash.
- It is forbidden for pets to be in the outside areas of the property during nighttime hours (e.g., 11 p.m. to 8 a.m.).
Is there anything guests should know about your rental’s amenities or supplies? If so, include it in your house rules.
Example: We provide useful supplies you can use during your stay. You can find the complete inventory for the property in our Welcome Book. Here are a few rules to follow with regard to the items you’ll find in and around our home.
- Tap water isn’t safe to drink. There are a couple of bottles in the kitchen for you, but we recommend stocking up on bottled mineral water from the local store.
- We’ve provided dish soap for your use. If you run out, please buy the same brand, as it’s eco-friendly and will cause less harm to our local water supply.
- There are some canned goods and other imperishable foods in the kitchen pantry, which you are free to use as you wish. Always check the expiry date before eating anything. We always make sure not to leave expired food in the house, but oversights may happen.
- Please don’t take any kitchen cutlery outside to avoid misplacing or losing it.
Your guests’ safety should be your first priority. Be sure to include anything and everything necessary to help ensure they have a safe and enjoyable stay.
Point out that guests’ belongings are only safe and secure if they remember to close and lock all windows and doors when they leave the house. Include any details related to alarm systems as well.
If your guests are lucky enough to get to use your hot tub or swimming pool, make sure they know about any restrictions (such as the time of day they can be used) or prohibited items (glass, sharp objects, etc.). This will help you have peace of mind and save you from footing a very expensive pool cleaning bill.
Balconies are great when it comes to views over the grounds or the city, but they can also be a major hazard zone for little ones. That’s why you must include a line or two to describe any rules in place regarding the use of these spaces.
Don’t assume your guests will know how to use your rental’s appliances and utilities! Instead, detail everything they need to know.
Example: You’ll find all the electrical appliances you need for a comfortable stay at our home. Please use them responsibly and ask other members of your party to do the same. This means adhering to the rules we outline below.
- Please only use the washer/dryer during daytime hours between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. This will help keep disruption to neighboring properties to a minimum.
- The optimum temperature for the thermostat is between 75-80°F in summer (for air conditioning) and 68-72°F in winter (for heating).
- Please make sure you switch off lights, fans, or any other small electrical appliances when you go out. The same applies to the air conditioning and heating—we’re an eco-friendly home!
- In the unlikely case of a power outage, please call us before touching the control panel. No compensation will be given for any temporary outage of electricity, gas, water, cable, satellite, or telephone service.
- Be sure to clean the barbecue after use. It’s much more difficult to clean the next day!
Can guests bring their own vehicles? Where can they park? What is the maximum number of vehicles allowed? Let guests know this information before they arrive.
Example: We have parking space on our property for up to two large vehicles. There is also the possibility for additional cars to park along our quiet, residential street, provided they do not block any neighbors’ property access.
- Please park your vehicles in the designated driveway space, ensuring cars do not block the sidewalk.
- Please do not exceed 30 mph on approach to our home.
- In case you or a member of your party has to park on-street, please be conscientious and do not block access to other properties.
- The garage is off-limits for guests’ vehicles.
We all know that accidents happen sometimes. But rather than scare your guests into thinking they’ll lose their whole deposit for the sake of one broken plate, simply make it clear in your house rules that breakages must be reported.
Example: While we know our guests won’t intentionally break anything at our vacation rental, we understand accidents can happen. Here is what you need to know about accidental damages or breakages during your stay:
- Always report any accidental damages or breakages in a timely manner, especially before checkout.
- Please do not move any furniture from one room to another without our permission first.
- Please don’t take any bath towels with you to the beach. There are beach towels for that!
- If any damage to the property or its appliances is not covered by our insurance, the guest will pay for the repair costs from the security deposit.
Be sure to specify checkout time in your house rules. Ensure you leave enough time to prepare the rental for your next guests, but don’t set checkout so early that it dissuades bookings. You can also include details about late checkout if you offer it.
Example: Checkout is at 12 p.m. Late checkout can be accommodated for an additional fee of $20, to be agreed upon with the host at the time of reservation.
Compliance and final agreement
The final section will likely summarize the conditions of the short-term rental house rules and what will happen in the case of a breach.
Example: We’ve set out these house rules so that every guest visiting our property has a safe, secure, and (most importantly) fun stay at our place. Compliance with these rules is essential for every member of the traveling party. We hope you have a great time and find everything you need at our home.
- Breach of any of these house rules is a breach of the terms and conditions of occupancy, as per the rental agreement you have signed.
- We reserve the right to evict any guests or visitors from the property who refuse to follow these house rules.
- In any case, please use common sense while staying in our house. If you’re unsure about any house rules and require further clarification, please call us.
Sample house rules for vacation rentals
We’ve provided examples related to different kinds of house rules above. But what might your list of short-term rental house rules actually look like?
Here are some sample vacation rental house rules to give you an idea:
- No parties or events: Parties, gatherings, and functions are strictly prohibited on the rental property.
- No smoking inside the property: Smoking inside the home or within a 50-foot radius is not allowed. A designated smoking area with ashtrays is provided on the back patio.
- Children allowed: Children over the age of three years are allowed on the property, but must not be allowed in the areas marked as off-limits on the house map.
- No unauthorized guests: No unregistered guests are allowed to visit the property. Contact the host to inquire about the possibility of adding additional guests to your reservation.
- No food or drinks in bedrooms: Limit food and drink consumption to kitchen and dining areas. Refrain from eating and drinking in bedrooms.
- Take out the garbage: Dispose of recycling, organics, paper, and trash in designated bins provided.
- No loud noise: Keep noise to a minimum, especially between 11 p.m. and 8 a.m., to respect neighbors.
- No pets: No pets are allowed on the property, regardless of size or breed.
- Checkout times: Checkout is at 12 p.m. Late checkout can be accommodated for an additional fee of $20, to be agreed upon with the host at the time of reservation.
These sample vacation rental house rules are a great place to start, but keep in mind that you’ll need to tailor them to your specific rental. Prefer a printable template that you can customize for your property? Scroll to the bottom of the page to download our Vacation Rental House Rules Template PDF!
Vacation rental house rule tips from the experts
If you want to succeed in keeping your house safe for your guests, we always recommend asking the experts—those who already have a long and proven experience in the rental market.
So, we contacted Jasper Ribbers from Get Paid for Your Pad, Evelyn Badia from The Hosting Journey, and Alex Concepcion from Spire Vacation Rental Consulting.
Here’s what they had to say!
What do you think is the most important (but often overlooked) rule rental owners should give to their guests?
Alex: The most overlooked thing with house rules is getting your guests to read them. How will you deliver the rules to the guest? Often when you have multiple guests, only the host will receive them on their app. Boring-looking binders and signs will get overlooked. Make your guests want to read it.
The sound of “house rules” alone can quickly kill the vibe of a vacation. While you want your guests to understand their responsibilities, you also want them to have fun! Follow Alex’s advice and toss the binders.
Opt for a sleek, digital rule book or present it in a clean, easy-to-read way when guests arrive. Alex offers two more pieces of advice for what to include in your vacation rental rules:
Alex: If you’re in an urban area, you should give your guests an easy way to be able to find their way back to your home. Sometimes their phone will die on them and they will forget how to return. Something like a business card with the home address would help. Also, asking your guests to switch off cooling/heating equipment will save you on electricity bills.
Evelyn emphasizes the importance of having both a house manual and house rules. The two are entirely different, but sometimes your guests aren’t aware of these distinctions. Breaking up this content makes it more digestible for your visitors and stands a better chance of getting read.
Evelyn: It’s important to remember that there is a difference between the two (a house rule is something that, if broken, can be used to evict a guest).
For example, here is the definition from Queenie, a member of The Hosting Journey Facebook group: Break a House rule, and I’m telling you to get out! Ignore the House Manual, and I may be irritated.
Space is another big one. Not all vacation rental owners allow full access to the property. Preventing guests from venturing into forbidden areas is up to the host. Here’s what Jasper recommends:
Jasper: I think what most hosts either forget or, more often, aren’t clear about is the areas that guests have access to and to what extent. This applies mostly to hosts who share their space. I think the reason they aren’t clear about it is that they are not completely sure. For example, they want to allow their guests to use the kitchen, but at the same time, they don’t want them in there all night.
What is your opinion on giving guests a list of vacation rental house rules? Is it only a positive thing, or could it annoy guests and lead to bad reviews/online reputation?
Remember that vacation is a time for some guests to let loose. When you present them with a giant list of rules regarding what they can and can’t do, they might think, “what kind of holiday is this?”
The experts weigh in on ways you can alleviate this challenge:
Alex: The trick is to strike a balance between communicating that you’re operating a serious business and communicating your desire to provide an amazing experience for your guests.
I believe the solution is to communicate your house rules with good faith. This means giving guests the benefit of the doubt so they will respect your property. I think the optimal tone of voice is 70% warm and inviting, and 30% firm. Try to have some fun with it. Make guests feel like they’re visiting an old friend.
Beyond balance, specificity is important. You can’t get mad at your guests for a rule they didn’t know about. Evelyn shares what it means to explain the rules of your vacation house in critical detail.
Evelyn: In my opinion, house rules are necessary and should not be avoided. A guest has to know what is allowed in our homes, from smoking to the number of people allowed in my home at any given time. In addition, Airbnb will not support a claim without very clearly written, specific rules.
If you’re afraid that your house rules are too in-depth, don’t be afraid to present them in person! Jasper suggests communicating the rules when you greet your guests face-to-face for those fearful of a list of commands.
Jasper: Instead of giving them a list, I would much rather go over the rules in person at check-in. The French say “c’est la tongue qui fait la music,” which means it’s not what you communicate; it’s how you communicate it.
In other words, a piece of paper with a list of house rules can come across as unwelcoming, but if you explain the situation in person with a smile, guests will be more understanding. If you’re a remote host, I’d record a video—that’s much more personal than a list.
Alex: A good friend of mine in the industry had a group of guests arrive a day early by accident. The booking guest didn’t read the dates correctly and showed up at an occupied house with her co-guests while there were guests staying at the property.
Things got very confusing for everyone involved. Luckily there was an emergency option nearby which saved the day. But sometimes, things you can’t predict will derail your plans.
This should serve as a good reminder to hosts to always have a backup plan! Even with house rules in place, mistakes happen.
Jasper: The funniest story was when a past guest told me he lost a bunch of cash in my apartment, but he couldn’t remember where he put it. Eventually, my cleaning lady found the money in one of the kitchen cabinets.
If you’ve got a safe at your property or hidden somewhere in the closet, make sure you detail the usage in the house rules. Otherwise, you might find cash in some strange places, like the kitchen cabinets!
Evelyn: I always like to tell my avocado story. This story isn’t about house rules, but it is about boundaries and how to enforce them. I live with my Airbnb guests, and I provide breakfast items, which live in the same refrigerator as my own food.
Well, my guest thought my beautifully ripe avocado was part of his breakfast as well. Yeah, no. Not the avocado. Now I make sure I’m clear on my house tour, but I don’t have as a house rule, “don’t touch my avocado,” even though I want to.
House rules are about boundaries, too! If you’ve got food, valuables, or anything else you don’t want guests to touch, it’s important that you’re painfully clear about that. The lack of house rules leaves the door open for guests to eat up all your yummy avocados …and who wants that?
Uploading your short-term rental house rules to OTAs
Letting guests know about your vacation house rental rules in advance not only ensures that your property stays well-kept, but is also vital for guest satisfaction. So, if your reservations come from a listing site, you’ll also need to publish your rules on those websites.
Here’s how.
Vrbo house rules
Vrbo has its own kind of vacation rental house rules template already in place. The common rules, such as minimum age requirements and pet policies, are already listed on the settings page and made easily adjustable.
If you want to stick to the basics, you can just specify your vacation home rules there:
- Sign in to your Vrbo account.
- Select the property you’d like to edit.
- Once you’re inside the property tab, find Rules & Policies from the navigation menu.
- From there, select House Rules.
- Update the rules as you please.
- Press Save.
Vrbo house rules examples
The rules you choose to display on Vrbo might be a bit different than other listing sites. Each platform tends to attract different guest profiles, and the policies for vacation rental property rules and regulations vary between each listing site.
Vrbo has six predefined house rules (overnight guests, minimum age, events allowed, pets, children, and smoking). However, it also allows for three custom house rules. So what are some examples of Vrbo house rules that you might want to add?
- Amenity usage
- Curfew or noise restrictions
- Cleaning rules
These are all rules you might find across the board regardless of where the reservation was made, but each rule book should be customized depending on the guest, trip type, and even the listing site.
Booking.com house rules
The house rules for Booking.com are quite simple, and you’ll find that they follow the same logic as Vrbo. The major house rules are already predefined, so you just have to adjust the settings.
- Sign in to your Booking.com account.
- Select the property you want to edit.
- Scroll down to the Policies page.
- Once you’re in Policies, click House Rules.
- Edit and adjust the house rules.
- Press Save to finalize the changes.
The house rules that you can specify are about children, pets, smoking, parties, and quiet hours. You’ll have to send any other house rules you want visitors to know about directly to your guests.
Rules for your listing on Airbnb
When it comes to house rules for vacation rentals listed on Airbnb, you can find everything you need to know in our Airbnb House Rules Guide.
Download our vacation rental house rules template
Still trying to figure out where to begin?
Look no further than our vacation rental house rules template! Download the PDF and customize it to meet the needs of your rentals and guests. No two properties are created equal, and customizing your house rules will help ensure you protect your property and create a great experience for your guests.
Here’s a preview of our short-term rental house rules template, but be sure to download the full, customizable version below!
Don’t see the form to download the Vacation Rental House Rules Template? Click here.
