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I’ve got access to some great label/sign making equipment for the next couple of weeks. We are in the final stages of preparing an attached rental (mother-in-law suite) for use as AirBnB. Its our first time hosting.
So, while I have access to this equipment, I thought I’d reach out to some more experienced folks. What kind of labeling, signage, or ‘nice reminders’ do you have in your units? Some ideas:
“Please take off your shoes” (or something more fun like, “Please take off your shoes, but not taking better ones when you leave!”
Fire extinguisher
Picnic supplies (a cabinet where we keep a basket, plastic ware, blanket, etc.)
Please use the fan during and 5 minutes after a shower
Main light switch near other door
Perhaps a sign with our names and cell phone numbers.
Please don’t put signs everywhere… in your hose rules ( and I KNOW the guest doesn’t read them ) but little signs everywhere remind me of a school room and very unwelcoming.
Better to do all that with a laminated card you leave on the desk.
I’ve had to put some signs, but I’m judicious with them. Some are just to show where beach towels are and others for only the most pertinent stuff. People don’t seem put off by them.
I hate seeing notices and signs everywhere! I’m not at school.
In about 75% of cases, I greet the guests and show them around. This way I can explain things and so there’s no need for signs. Of course, if you don’t greet then your co-host will do that job.
However, we offer a flexible check in via keypad so often I don’t get the chance to do the house tour. So I write an arrival message in the Airbnb message system. That covers everything nicely.
It’s a saved message which I personalise so it hardly takes any time at all and because it’s on Airbnb, it’s a paper trail that shows that everything has been explained to the guest.
I do put up discrete signs so guest easily understand the multidude of switches and eccentricities of our place. To keep it easy going I have a sign that starts off “Fun fact; …” Our home is serviced by a septic bed, so I have sings in each bathroom to only flush septic bed friendly items down the toilet, and in the kitchen I have a sign that askes guest not to pour bacon fat down the drain but to put in the very cute red Pork Rending can with lid in the fridge. No one has complained nor have I ever recieved a negative comment regarding the signs. I can safely state that the signs work for my place quite well.
My spell checker left the room when I typed that word! He’s back now and tells me discreet should be my spelling of choice. I will admit with a wee bit of shame that english spelling is not my strength. Thanks for shining the light and lets hope I won’t do it twice - but sadly I will
I avoided signs because I knew once I started I would never stop. In the end just one small one labelling the outside light and a reminder in the bathroom to only have 3 minute showers. The labelling machine I bought is still sitting in its packaging. Must resist urge label everything!!!
I have a laminated card for when they arrive with the Wifi on it but also some rules they have only been shown 4 or 5 times so may not have read them . I used Google translate to translate it into Chinese and put that on the reverse as the visitors I get whose English is not great or non-existent are usually Chinese. And all Asian people read Chinese right? It’s probably quite comical and I like to think they photograph it and send it back to friends with its instructions not to drink the bathwater for more than 3 minutes.
I like Brandt’s suggestion for everything being in a binder. I don’t like signs in a home so that’s what I have too in my airbnb. A welcome card explains to guests all they need to know is in the binder on their table.
I do have one small discreet yet discernible – and completely discrete from the binder – sign on the fridge, stating milk is in the silver jug and cream in the white one.
On a side note, to dear Jaquo: I had to look up the difference between discreet and discrete
when you asked our Burmapark what s/he meant and English is my natural language and I have six years of university
Hotels have signs in the rooms about towels, mini bar, the safe, housekeeping etc. I see nothing wrong with them.
I used a label maker to mark some of the light switches in my rental house because a few are placed very oddly. For instance, the switch that controls the front outside motion detector light is in the second story bedroom. I also labeled a couple drawers in the kitchen for place mats and bar-b-que tools so people don’t have to open ever drawer to find what they need (there are a lot of drawers and most are empty).
One of the reasons I have all information I want to impart to guests in a binder is to entice them to read it.
Most guests probably want the wifi code. It’s buried in the binder.
The welcome card explains all information guests may need about the suite, including the wifi code, restaurant recommendations and ideas for what to do in the area, is in the binder.
I know they read it because they often mention in reviews how helpful it is.
In over three years of hosting, no one has ever contacted me for the wifi code, or any other information, come to think of it.
Be judicious. A sign not to flush items down the toilet or put fat down the sink perhaps with a few informationals like picnic stuff. With the bathroom fan, people won’t manage that! Get a humidistat fan which turns itself on and off as needed.
– sign on the fridge, stating milk is in the silver jug and cream in the white one.