That’s excellent!
This is a previous guest. So, based on your sense of the guest, choose whether any of these apply:
– Orientation Checklist: If I were you I would develop a written Orientation checklist, a one-pager (maybe double-sided) that quick reviews items that’s important to a guest and that might not be obvious. What is ‘obvious’ is in the beholder’s eyes, and as you are just two weeks into hosting you don’t have the experience of many past guests to draw upon. Maybe here or elsewhere you list trash/recycling day and instructions, any parking instructions, local things a guest might not know as well as where first aid kit, sewing kit, iron/board, cleaning/laundry supplies are.
Possibilities here include your friend offering to stop by (best) and doing a quick orientation, or a FaceTime orientation, or just providing the checklist to the guest and asking the guest to contact your friend if any questions.
– Dry Run?: In a perfect world your friend would stay at your home a few days – without you – and truly learn the house, but this might not be doable or necessary,
– Manuals: Are your appliance manuals all in one place – hard copy or electronically on a Google Drive for the friend our even the guest (?) to access?
– Keys: If somehow the guest got locked out, do you have a lockbox or easy way for guest to get in?
– House Manual: If you don’t have this already, now’s a good time to start this. [Guests love when it includes pictures, and even more so when the pictures are annotated.]
– Key Appliances: Are you confident that key appliances (AC, Fans, Heating, Oven, Refrigerator etc) in good working order and easy/intuitive to operate? If not, maintain and/or document.
– Messaging While Away: I think it’s important (especially if there is no orientation) to send a message asking the guest if all is is as they expected, what questions they have, to please just ask if there’s anything – anything at all - that they have a question about.
– Workers on the Property: Are any workers scheduled to be at the property during the stay – for the grass, etc.? If so, be sure to let guest and your friend know (in writing).
– Time-Stamped Video and Pictures: Even though you likely trust this guest you might want to take a detailed time-stamped video of the property, ideally on the day of check-in. This is where you open the refrigerator, the oven, open the kitchen cabinets and drawers, flush the toilet, turn on the shower, see the thermostat, open the medicine cabinets, run the water, turn on the TV, close-ups, far shots, look at the back yard, on and on to have evidence that all is OK. If you’re like me you’ll find something out of place, or maybe a spot not cleaned to your standards. The app is free.
– Locked or Private Areas: When you’re home, no one would go in your private areas. But what about when you’re gone? Do you want to lock your room? Other rooms? Mark any areas ‘Private’? Etsy has stylish decals you can put on walls.
– Signage: Is any signage appropriate? Not the ‘Don’t . . .’ messages of Tik-Tok but helpful labels here and there (some find this tacky; I think it demonstrates caring), decals that might be helpful.
It’s useful to have a one-page summary of information on the refrigerator with important information, like the address, cross-streets, N-S-E-W symbols, nearest hospital (name. address,); emergency numbers (for police/fire/poison/control/suicide (988 in U.S.)/non-emergency city services #/other, for you, for your friend, utility companies like gas, electric, internet/cable (maybe account #, phone numbers), maybe that neighbor’s name, address and phone [with permission], Wi-Fi password/QR, first aid kit location, things like that.
– Mail: Are you having it stopped while away? Who’s taking it in?
– Batteries: Now’s a good time to consider whether any batteries might need to be replaced (smoke and CO detectors, remotes) and have an accessible supply (at least for your friend to access).
– Trip Hazards: Be sure to clear property, inside and out of trip hazards. [More than 80% of lawsuits against short-term rentals are trips/falls] So clear out walkways if they pots in the path, assume you have all the rails inside and out per building code. Consider whether you want any lights (ideally LED) on inside at night in case guest wakes up to go to bathroom, or fire alarm for oath to egress; motion-sensor lights outside. For more on safety, go here.
This is just a quick start guide for you. I’m sure others will have both more and less to suggest (remember, pick and choose what’s applicable to your situation).
Are you sure you really want to go away ?? Why not stay home and work on this?! 