Guide For Writing Owners Rules

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Template for Your Owner Guide Book

I found an absolutely fabulous template for an owner welcome/house rules letter on Lodgify.com and wanted to share it with you. 

I’ve edited it for brevity and clarity, but have left in the most important points/verbiage. It’s still much longer than my usual posts, but is seriously chock-full of great, helpful information. 

Here you go!

Regardless of whether you rent your house for 2 months per year or year-round, it’s vitally important to establish house rules. Guests need to know what is expected of them at your property, what they can and can’t do and what the consequences are for breaking the rules. What To Include In Your Vacation Rental House Rules

Friendly Welcome Note And General Rules

In order to set the tone for the rest of your vacation rental house rules, you need to open with a friendly welcome note which guests will read upon arrival. In this short introduction to your property, it’s important to highlight the general rules about your home.

This will help guests understand from the beginning exactly what is expected of them.

Example:

Dear Guests,

Hello and welcome to our home!

We’re so happy you chose 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 check-out.

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 check-out time comes!

In case of any accidental damage, please notify our property manager immediately to determine 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. Quiet hours are typically 10 PM to 8 AM. 

Please ensure you read and fully understand the house rules at the beginning of your stay. If anything is unclear, please contact the property manager so they 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 Rooms Rules

Example: Here you can find a simple map of our home, where you can see the organization of each room and find out some details about their functions.

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

You will find the electric panel in the box next to the front door. Please only open in the unlikely case of a power outage.

Open windows can interfere with our home alarm system. Please ensure all windows are closed and secure before activating the alarm.

As this room borders with the neighboring house, please be especially conscientious about noise in here.

House Rules Related To Inventory/Supplies:

Example:  At our vacation rental, we like to provide our guests with some useful supplies as a starter pack, which can they can use during their 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.

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.

If you find unopened food in the pantry, you are free to use it. We don’t recommend eating anything that has been opened. Don’t forget to check expiration dates and never eat anything that is past its expiration date. 

The candle lanterns on the balcony are for outdoor use only. Please be careful when lighting them and never light them inside the house.

Please don’t take any kitchen cutlery outside to avoid misplacing or losing it.

House Rules Related To Noise And Neighborhood

Example:  Just like our vacation rental, our neighborhood is important to us. Most of the residents live here full-time, though there may be some other short-term guests staying occasionally.

Please be sure to respect the community and try to keep noise levels to a minimum, especially after dark. By respecting the people and property around, your vacation will be more enjoyable.

Please try to avoid making any loud noise between 10 pm and 8 am to allow neighbors a peaceful night’s sleep.

If  neighboring residents report excessive noise or unruly behavior, the property management company may have to evict you from our property and terminate your vacation rental agreement. If this happens, it will result in the loss of security deposit and rental amount.

In case of any disputes or neighbor complaints, it’s your duty to notify the property management company as soon as reasonably practicable.

There are designated recycling and trash disposal areas. Please refrain from throwing any trash, such as bottle caps or cigarette butts into neighboring properties.

While we know there are some really cute pets nearby to our property, their owners would really appreciate if you don’t give them any food!

House Rules Related To Children And Safety

Example:  We try to keep our vacation rental as child-friendly as possible. That said, parents always have the final responsibility of ensuring their children’s safety at all times. If you find anything to be unsafe or that requires revision at our property, please contact the property management company at your earliest convenience so we can address the issue. 

To maintain our property kid-friendly, we ask that you:

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 …

Guests are fully responsible for the safety and security of their children at all times, as well as any disturbance caused to other residents in the neighborhood.

Please do not use glasses outside or in the children’s play area for safety reasons.

House Rules Related To Friends And Visitors

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 visitors and 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.

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, the neighborhood and visitor numbers.

Guests must allow homeowner or property management company access to the property for purposes of repair and inspection. The right will be exercised in a reasonable manner and tenants advised beforehand where possible.

House Rules Related To The Kitchen

Example:  No doubt one of the biggest advantages of staying in our vacation rentals is our fully furnished kitchen. It’s perfect for rustling up tasty breakfasts, leisurely lunches and delicious dinners for all the family to enjoy.

We provide 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 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 back 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.

House Rules Related To Appliances And Utilities

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 few rules we outline below.

Please only use the washer/dryer during daytime hours between 9 am and 7 pm. This will help reduce disruption to neighboring properties to a minimum.

Please do not overload or underload the washer/dryer. Be sure to separate colors and whites, and wash on a low temperature where possible.

Please remember that our HVAC unit is very similar to the one at your own home. If you turn it way down to cool the home, you will run the risk of freezing up the unit and losing air altogether.

Typically, an air conditioning unit can cool a home about 20 degrees below the outside temperature. Please don’t expect more from our air conditioner than you would from your own. 

The optimum temperature for the thermostat is between 73-77°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 AC and heating – we’re an eco-friendly home!

In the unlikely case of a power outage, please call the property management company before touching the control panel.

No compensation will be given for any temporary outage of electricity, gas, water, cable, satellite or telephone service.

House Rules Related To Parking And Vehicles

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 25 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.

House Rules Related To Garbage And Recycling

Example:  We like to do our part for the environment and we ask that our guests do the same! There are clearly labeled containers for separating and recycling different materials under the sink – along with the regular trash can for non-recyclables.

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 can liner when replacing.

House Rules Related To Security

Example:  While we have taken the necessary measures to make our vacation rental safe for incoming guests, you also have a role to play in ensuring the safety and security of your party. There are actions you can follow to keep the house secure during your stay.

Any time guests leave the vacation rental, it is their responsibility to ensure all windows and doors are closed and locked to maintain security and prevent rain and water damage.

There is an alarm to which you must set every time you leave the property. The alarm code is XXXXXX.

We are not responsible for the loss of any personal belongings or valuables. In case you misplace something in the house, please let the property management company know so we can look out for the item during the changeover and vacation rental cleaning.

Parents must not leave children unattended at any time. Any guest injuries sustained inside the house are not covered by our vacation rental insurance.

House Rules Related To The Hot Tub/Swimming Pool

Example:  Our guests love using the swimming pool at our vacation rental! It’s a great way to spend summer days while staying at our home. There are a few things we ask you to bear in mind regarding the hot tub/swimming pool.

The swimming pool is open from 9 am to 9 pm daily. Please respect these timings for our neighbors’ sake.

Please avoid using glass tableware or glass bottles near the pool. You should use the plastic cups available for any poolside drinks.

Guests must shower before entering the pool to rinse off any sunscreen.

House Rules Related To Balcony And Deck Areas

Example:  Our balcony and deck area is available for you to kick back and relax with your family or friends. To keep this space in the best condition for future visitors to our vacation rental, please follow the guidelines as listed below.

Please do not hang laundry off the balcony railings as it is not permitted by the local authorities.

If you plan to eat lunch or dinner outside on the deck, please do not use glasses and instead use the plastic cups provided.

In case of any bad weather (rain, storms etc.), please ensure you close the deck umbrellas and store them securely to avoid breakage.

House Rules Related To Smoking

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 you respect the rules we have in place.

Smoking is not allowed anywhere 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 do so will result in a sizeable deduction from the security deposit.

Discovering guests have been smoking inside the property will also result in loss of the security deposit.

House Rules Related To Pets

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. Please ensure you clean the spending area daily and hose down with water if necessary. 

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 pm to 8 am).

House Rules Related To Barbecue And Other Garden Appliances

Example:  Is there anything better than tucking into a barbecue on a sunny afternoon? We don’t think so! We provide all the necessary equipment to cook up a storm, please just be sure to follow the instructions below.

Please use the designated barbecue utensils and not the regular kitchen tongs. Be sure to clean the barbecue after use, it’s much more difficult to clean the next day!

There is a bag of charcoal in the outdoor garden shed. If you run out during your stay, it’s your responsibility to buy a refill. 

Please only use the barbecue until 10 pm to keep noise and smells to a minimum for our neighbors.

House Rules Related To Damages And Breakages

Example:  While we know our guests won’t intentionally break anything at our vacation rental, we understand accidents can happen sometimes. 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 check-out.

Please do not move any furniture from one room to another without agreeing to it with the property management company first.

Please don’t take any bath towels with you to the beach. There are beach towels for that!

In case 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.

Compliance And Final Agreement

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 of the house rules and require further clarification, please give us a call

Vacation Rental House Rules Are Really Important For Your Rental Business

Not only can house rules save you lots of time by eliminating the need to have to repeat things over and over again, but they also help you to reduce guest damage and avoid accidents.

When your guests are all on the same wavelength with a clear picture of what they can and can’t do, it will help you to feel a lot more in control!