Making House Rules/Guidebook

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Hello, I’m making my 1st listing and have everything done except the house rules and online guidebook. Is it necessary to publish my listing prior to being able to create these? TIA

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It shouldn’t be necessary to publish before finishing your house rules and guidebook. The guidebook you can fill as you go along, but it is absolutely essential that your house rules are in place before you activate your listing!

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Thank you for your response. Can you please let me know how to access the house rules. I have tried everything I can think of and even contacted Air bnb but am still not having any luck. TIA

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I sure can. Click on your listing, then click on booking settings, and then click edit in the house rules section. It’s a small box that you have to work in. What I did was I laid them all out in Microsoft Word, and then copied and paste them in to the editing box. They can be as long as you want. I just found it easier to do it that way instead of scrolling back and forth to see what I had covered and not covered in that little tiny edit box

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I’m not sure it’s required to have an online House Rules and Guidebook.

One of the watchwords of Hosting here is that “Guests DO NOT READ.” Don’t expect them to know/remember anything you don’t tell them person-to-person.

Equally, if not more important is a PRINTED version of your House Rules and Guidebook that the guest can be shown/handed and told to read. We have ours in a 3-ring binder along with WiFi Codes, AC instructions, TV instructions, restaurant menus and other local interest brochures.

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Thank you so much! I never thought to click on bookings since I thought this was only used to manage actual bookings made for my place.

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Like @KenH said, it is very important that you have a printed version in your place as well. I posted mine on the refrigerator because everyone uses it. The reason that it is essential that you have your house rules written out before you publish your listing is that Airbnb, on the occasion that they will actually support you when dealing with the problem guest that is violating House Rules, will look to your online House Rules first to see if you actually published that whatever they are doing is against your rules. Ken is also correct, people do not read, but they have to agree to the house rules before they can book, whether they read them or not. It is on them at that point. But again, like he said, It is best if you can at least hand it to them or point it out to them, If you plan on greeting them in person. My listing has self check in, I rarely get to greet the guests. What I do is send a message when they book, says “Thank you so much for booking with us. We will try to make your stay as pleasant as possible. Please make sure all adults in your group read the house rules so we are all on the same page. Thank you!” Of course they say oh yes I will make sure that happens, but I have no way of knowing whether they actually do or not. The guidebook/binder that I keep on the dining room table with the house rules, the house manual, local discount cards, local coupons, local restaurant menus and information on things to do in the area gets utilized regularly , is a good reminder of the house rules because it’s the first page they see when they open it.

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Thanks guys for all your help!! I really appreciate it. I hope I’m not the only one who has found the host part of the Air bnb website difficult to navigate :slight_smile:

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