@Perezo May I ask which country?
@konacoconutz, how about installing a motion sensitive outdoor light? There are even solar powered ones available. Just a thought. I like your idea of unscrewing the bulb. I have some hallway lights that guests insist leaving on, even though there is a lower level LED light in the hallway that is battery operated and motion sensitive.
After 2.5 years, this is what I have so farā¦ New guests, new forum info, new research may mean more rules. The house is multi-story (part is one story and part is two story). It is decent size and the rooms are disbursed throughout, so I have guests leave a key by the door. The last person to leave is responsible for setting the alarm or contacting me to do so remotely. There are several rooms available. I try to keep the max guests to 3. The rules, hopefully, make it easier for all guests to have the same expectations and know their responsibilities. Also, the majority of my guest are long term, from several weeks to a month or more.
This old house was built in the 1930s and she has her quirks. Please treat her gently.
HOUSE RULES:
- Short term parking in the driveway is only permitted to unload your vehicle. Please park your car in one of the available spots on the street. The host will provide information regarding the best places to park and help keep up good relations with the neighbors.
- Remove your shoes when you enter.
- Leave keys on the table by the door to indicate that you are in the house.
- Exceptions for Check-in or Check-out times may be possible if arranged for and confirmed at least 24 hours in advance through Airbnb Messaging. Fees @ $50 per half hour will be charged for unconfirmed Late Check-outs. No exceptions.
- Eating is allowed only in the den, dining room, kitchen, or breakfast nook.
- Do not eat, keep, or store food in your room. (Exception: a glass or bottle of water*). Cabinet space is available in the kitchen and there is space in the refrigerator and freezer.
- Kitchen usage: Wash, or place in the dishwasher, any pots, pans, dishes, flatware, etc. Knives, wooden utensils and wooden cutting boards must be hand-washed. Wipe down counters, stove, tables and clean up any food droppings in the microwave or on the floor and generally leave the kitchen clean for the next person.
- Use a splatter screen when frying food.
- Conserve Water. California is experiencing a severe drought. Use water sparingly, e.g. turn off water when brushing teeth; take quick showers.**
- Conserve Electricity. Turn off lights when you leave a room or the house.
- Recycle. In Oakland, the majority of waste is recycled. Glass bottles and jars, cans (aluminum, bi-metal etc.), certain plastic containers, cardboard (e.g. boxes, TP rolls etc.), and paper should be placed in the kitchen recycle bin. (Check the reference sheet in the kitchen if you have questions)
- Compost. All food waste goes in the collection container at the kitchen sink. Cardboard and paper food containers (e.g. pizza box, Chinese food box, etc.) may be deposited in the green waste bin outside next to the garage.
- Window open = blinds open! You are welcome to have open windows. However, winds can come up quickly. When windows are open, blinds must be pulled up to prevent them from becoming sails and causing breakage or being damaged. (e.g. broken windows)
- Quiet after 10 pm: This includes use of the kitchen. Do not walk through the dining room at night.
- Step softly/lightly. Step softly, especially at night, and gently close doors, cabinets, and drawers. Noise carries through the house.
- 24-hr access. If you do come in late, please be mindful and keep noise to a minimum.
- Towels and Linens: Please be respectful of bed sheets and towels. Makeup/foundation, face medications/creams, and tanning products will stain and/or bleach linens/towels. Please avoid using regular hand/bath towels with all skin products. Guests are not to wash laundry belonging to the host. Unsalvageable linens/bath towels will be charged to the guest.
- Long term guests note: bed sheets and towels will be changed weekly at the hosts discretion.
- No strong fragrances, perfumes or strong aftershaves, as these tend to linger. It is preferred that you do use them, but if you must, please apply them in the bathroom only and not in the guest room.
- No smoking (including e-Cigarettes).
- No candles.
- No incense.
- No curries or cooking with other strong seasonings or foods that linger.
- No overnight visitors.
- Visitors or Meet-ups that will be in the house must be arranged and confirmed with the host in advance.
- No pets.
Safety and security are priority. Guests are required to make sure the house is secure, lock doors and windows, and set the alarm when leaving the house.
Cleanliness is a priority. Guests are required to keep the house clean and habitable. If you notice anything that needs attention, please inform the host immediately.
Privacy Please! - The hostās quarters, storage areas and other guestās rooms are off-limits.
Upon acceptance of your reservation, review the House Manual.
Please let the host know if you have questions.
That is a very important qualifier.
Well, Iāve got one upstairs permanently set to off because they canāt seem to work reliably.
Guests will never know there is not a bulb in the one that shines in my room. They still leave the other one on all night. When they go to bed they draw all the blinds and never see theyāve left it on. Oh well.
Seems a little excessive, but if itās working for you, donāt change anything.
@katnhat I do not doubt it for a second that you have found it necessary to have such a lengthy and rigid House Rules list, but if I was a potential guest, I would be a bit frightened of it. Why? Because it emphasizes negativity and forbidding and would make me feel that a simple mistake may turn into a confrontation or a parental scolding, or even worse being thrown out altogether midpoint in my stay.
I would have used more the word āPleaseā in more places then the word āNoā, for starters.
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I tend to agree with Mearns. I also thought the same. Iād be really scared to stay with her if I didnāt shut a drawer more softly. and frankly, I might be moving on to a host who didnāt sound so uptight.
It is possible to get negative sounding in rules without realizing it. It happened to me. I looked at my rules and there were too many NOs.
I then went through the rules one by one to try to restate them more positively.
Instead of:
āNO coffee grounds, meat pieces, fish bones or pineapple chunks down the disposal,ā I changed it to āLiquids only down sink.ā
Instead of NO overnight guests or unknown persons on property, it became,
āOnly authorized guests in the apartment or on property.ā
In fact the only ones that had to keep their NOs were No smoking and No candles. I couldnāt think of a positive way to say those.
I would advise Kat to look over her rules and edit out the excessive ones. The drawer closing comes to mindā¦ Maybe please be gentle with antique drawers, cabinets and doors.
But even that is common sense.
A good rule of thumb is that if you have had it happen three or four times add it to the rules. Just once? Itās a one off.
I replaced them with the little flickering bulb type (Home Depot). They are a big hit and now no more open flame. True, still got to say it, in case someone brings them.
I did the same but I still have to say no flames and no candles and no smoking. I just canāt figure out how to say it positively and clearly.
āFlameless candles only.ā Seems a bit lame!
It is. I provide them and they are getting a big kick out of them.
No I mean the RULE stated like that is lame.
The flameless candles are cool. And are way better than live candles!