Establishing house rules can create clear boundaries and help you and your guests enjoy peace of mind.
House rules allow you to establish what you expect from renters in your property. Some things are clear and are likely part of your contract: your cancellation policy, for example, or a damage policy that includes how you will handle any damage to your property during your guests’ stay. Other rules, however, may not be quite so obvious.
Why are House Rules Important?
In a perfect world, the renters who visit your property would respect your property and take care of it the same way you would. They would clean up after themselves, respect your boundaries, and keep the house looking its best.
Unfortunately, not every guest will follow those rules. Some guests may disregard good manners and common courtesy, choosing instead to mistreat your property. Other things that you consider obvious, like keeping the thermostat set at a specific temperature, may be less obvious to guests who live in different climates and areas. By establishing house rules, you not only help guests remember the appropriate code of conduct in your property, but you also give yourself grounds to seek compensation if they fail to follow those rules.
What Should You Include in Your House Rules?
Your house rules should include anything that’s important to living in your house, especially the vital pieces of information that will make your guests’ stay more pleasant and protect your property during their stay. Consider factors like:
- Do you have specific check-out rules that you want guests to follow? For example, you might ask guests to strip their beds or drop a load of towels in the washer before they leave. You may also have a specific procedure for returning the key or other items that need to be taken care of when guests check out.
- What do guests need to know about using the house? Is there a temperature below which the air conditioner will stop functioning correctly? Does your property have little quirks that guests need to know about? Make sure you explain that information in the house rules.
- What is allowed on the property? Consider minimum ages for guests: you might, for example, want to indicate that you will not rent to anyone under the age of 21 or 25. Will you allow children or pets on the property? What about smoking? All these factors should appear in the house rules, and guests should be able to see them before they choose your property.
- Will you allow guests to have visitors? You may not be able to prevent visitors from stopping by short-term, but you may need to, for example, prevent renters from having parties on your property. Not only can parties cause more damage to the property, but they may also cause problems for other tenants nearby.
- What is the max occupancy on the unit? Many units are simply not designed to hold more than a set number of people. Not only do you want to be sure your guests are as comfortable as possible, but you also may not want to exceed a set number of individuals in the unit. Count the number of sleeping spaces you have available, including pull-out couches, and make sure that your max occupancy reflects the number of visitors the unit can comfortably hold.
How Do House Rules Benefit You and Your Guests?
Setting house rules for your unit allows you to protect both your property and your guests. Rules can often help guests decide whether or not they want to rent from your property before they choose it: if they disagree with the rules, they can decide to rent from someone else. Make sure you set and communicate the house rules for your property, both in your listings and in your communications with renters, to prevent potential misunderstandings.
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