Free template · updated November 3, 2026

Vacation rental house rules template

If your place doesn't fit a neat category, start here. This is a general house rules template for a whole-home vacation rental, built around the standard rules Airbnb lets you set and a short list of requests most homes need: parking, neighbours, trash day and safety.

Keep the requests you need, delete the rest and add one or two that are unique to your home. Short rules with a reason get followed far more often than long lists.

The template

Replace anything in [brackets] with your own details.

Check-in and checkout

Check-in is from [Check-in time]. Checkout is by [Checkout time].
Early check-in or late checkout: [Early or late policy].

Guests and noise

Up to [Max guests] guests can stay overnight. Daytime visitors: [Visitor rule].
Quiet hours are [Quiet hours start] to [Quiet hours end]. Please keep music and voices low outdoors in the evening.
No parties or events, please.

Pets, smoking and photos

Pets: [Pet rule].
No smoking or vaping inside the home. [Outdoor smoking rule]
No commercial photography or filming without our permission.

A few requests

Parking: please use [Parking spots] and keep the neighbours' driveways clear.
Please let us know right away if anything breaks or stops working, so we can fix it for you and the next guests.
Thermostat: [Thermostat note]. Please close the windows when the heat or AC is on.
[Property-specific request and reason]
Smoke and carbon monoxide alarms are [Alarm locations], and the fire extinguisher is [Extinguisher location]. Please never cover or disconnect them.
Emergency: call [Local emergency number] first, then let us know at [Host phone].

Good to know

Garbage and recycling day is [Collection day]. You don't need to put anything out; we take care of it.
Wifi: [Network name] / [Wifi password].

Locking up

Please lock the doors when you go out and when you leave.

Checkout

Put used dishes in the sink.
Gather used towels in [Towel spot].
Sort trash and recycling into the indoor bins.
Turn off lights and the heat or AC, and close the windows.
Lock up and return the keys to [Key return spot].

Thanks for staying, and safe travels!

Tips

Keep your house rules matched to the rules in your listing settings, so guests see the same thing twice.
Give a reason with every request; it reads as helpful instead of strict.
Separate information like wifi and trash day from the rules, so the rules stay short.
Review your checkout list against Airbnb's policy from 20 November 2026 and remove any cleaning tasks.

Put it on one guest page instead of a binder

Keegix turns your welcome book into one link and a QR sign by the door. Upload the binder you already have and AI drafts the page in about a minute, or paste this template in. Free forever for one property.

Upload my binder, free See a sample guest page

Questions

What should be in vacation rental house rules?

Check-in and checkout times, guest limits, quiet hours, events, pets, smoking, photography and locking up, plus a few reasonable requests with a reason. Keep information like wifi separate.

What can I ask guests to do at checkout on Airbnb?

Under the policy from 20 November 2026, you can ask them to put used dishes in the sink, gather towels, sort trash into indoor bins, turn things off, close windows, lock up and return keys. Cleaning tasks are not allowed.

How long should house rules be?

Short enough to read in a minute or two. Stick to what matters for your home and move everything else into the welcome book.

More free templates

All house rules templates · Every free template

Free to use

Copy it, change it, print it, use it with any platform. Sharing it with a host group, on a blog or in a forum? A link back to this page helps other hosts find the latest version:

https://keegix.com/house-rules/vacation-rental/