Good suggestion, i didn’t explain all the details but basically he conned a young student who was staying with us to take his post to him. I explained all the implications thoroughly to her and she won’t be doing it again ! Hopefully she’s learnt that not everybody is your friend because they like you. He actually turned up at my house aftert i had to report it to the police and wanted to know if it would affect his future visa. Lessons learnt all round 
Hahaha…no you do not sound too picky at all. I would actually set a shower time to the latest that you will tolerate it - like all showers must be finished by 11 p.m. or something like that.
If guest acknowledges they understand all house rules before booking, then I don’t see this imposing on them. I think I could manage to take a shower by 11 at night. Also, I would put a time limit on the showers to go under the water conservation section. Most might ignore it, but if you add a note as to why it is important to follow the short shower rule, then maybe 50% will at least follow it and not be selfish.
Okay…stupid question - but what will happen if everyone in your area does not make an effort to conserve water?
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Kona I think you are fine. You basically telling them how to move around the house without damaging it.
What I didn’t like in house rules is when hosts asked specifically for their privacy saying: please use pool sparingly, please consult with us if you want to be in common areas. I don’t even know what that ment. So can I use a pool or not? Can I come out of my room or not. One host was working nights and slept during day, so her house rule stated: quite time from 7 am-12 pm, but that exactly when tourists wake and start moving.
I myself after one couple stayed for 1 night and did 4 loads of laundry using my detergent and running machines for a few hours, basically making a free laundromat out of my house, put a house rule: free laundry use only if staying 5 days or longer, 2 loads only please.
Now I am thinking: was it too much?. After guests left winfows w AC running, I put: no open windows; after cooks I put : light cooking only; after one guy messed up my living room rug with his dirty snickers I put: no outside shoes on a rug. Now I have 7 rules including no smoking .
It’s very slow here and when I don’t have reservations I think may be I am scaring guests away? 
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Woo! Good IDEA, Cabin. One reason I love this forum! All the great ideas… and thank you for your support, as always…Thank you!
OH!! If we run out of water around here, we have to pay water haulers ($250 for 4000 gallons) to come and fill out tanks.
Right now it’s not a problem as we are having continuing hurricane remnant weather…
My own problem is that my tank leaks… so they still have to conserve water even if we are getting a ton!
No Yana… it’s slow season for many tropical destinations… It’s not you!
Thumbs down on the dirty sneakers… clods, slobs and idiots… Hosts that have guests in their personal space… hats off, you are all saints!
Hopefully it’s not me. It’s hard to rent out now because many hotels in my area are below 60$ and right on a beach. I don’t want to rent my rooms less than 50$, it’s make no sense to me to go lower and then do all the cleaning laundry and so on. I can see others lowered to 40$, nice houses like mine and they still empty.
I also after the cooks wrote: out perfect guest is someone who comes here for work, active self efficient tourist or spring breakers ( minus parties at the house), stays up to 1 week.
Was it too much??
OK…I would not even hesitate to explain what will happen if guests do not respect the water conservation situation. I do not even know if you could “pretend” to monitor their usage. I know some owners with the electric actually do take meter readings before and after. It is up to the guests to decide if they want to go crazy with AC or not, and they pay any overage outside of the limit they are provided. But I think letting them know what will happen will at least catch their attention. And let them know the entire area is on the policy.
These are only some of my house rules/notes:
Welcome to the cabin!
Below are some important things to understand about the house. Ensure every guest (kids and teens too) reads this. Please treat the home as you would your own.
Smoking: Smoking is not permitted inside. If smoking outdoors, it must not be next to open windows. Extra precautions must be taken to ensure cigarettes are 100% extinguished before walking away. Damage deposit will be forfeited if there is any evidence of smoking inside the home.
Adjust temperature: The thermostat is located across from the main floor bathroom. Please adjust air conditioning/heat to the temperature you find comfortable. Lift plastic cover and hold up or down arrows for a few seconds until you see that it is “set” to the new temperature. If leaving for the day, please be environmentally conscious and adjust thermostat. The home will heat/cool quickly when you return.
Wifi: Password is XXXXX. If internet happens to lose connection, the quickest way to reset connection is to restart your computer. On top of the fire place mantle, there is reset button on the back of the Wifi device; however, restarting your computer is more likely to resolve a connection issue immediately. Try that first.
Video Surveillance: – The Property has video cameras placed in the front deck/parking lot area, front of the waterfall, and zipline. This video footage is not shared and is recorded for liability reasons in the cases of a break-in, death, injury, guests sneaking in pets, guests disregarding the maximum occupancy allowed, and in no way infringes upon the guests’ expectations of privacy in these public areas of the property. Any attempt at disabling or obscuring the cameras is prohibited and may result in the guest being evicted without refund. The full deposit will be forfeited if any of the above are found. You will also be asked to leave the property immediately without any money returned.
Trash compactor: To open: push down on foot lever. To compact: lift up on foot lever. Extra compactor bags are located with cleaning supplies. Please place any full bags in the outdoor trash can.
Stovetop: Glass stovetop can be easily scratched. Please be careful to not scratch the glass by dragging pans and when cleaning.
Wooden counter tops: Care must be taken with all wooden tables and counter tops. Wet glasses, metal canisters, hot plates, pots, water puddles, etc. will leave permanent marks. Always use coasters and pot holders. Hot pans left on wood for even a second will leave a pan ring. Try to place everything in the sink/dishwasher until it is ready to be washed. Counters should be kept dry whenever possible.
Sofa Bed: Very gently pull the back of couch towards you and frame will lay out. Note: Quickly doing this may result in the frame coming off the hinges. The air mattress that fits on top of the frame is located in the living room trunk next to the recliner. An electrical outlet is behind couch. Bedding can be found in bottom pull out drawers of couch and in upstairs closet.
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. Rolled brown towels in baskets are provided in each bathroom for removal of these products. Please avoid using regular hand/bath towels with all skin products. Guests are not to wash laundry belonging to the cabin in order to hide stains. Housekeeping will wash all laundry.
Bathrooms: All feminine products must be disposed of in trash cans, as the home is on a septic tank. Plumbing service calls for not doing so will be charged to the guest.
Outdoor grill: This is a gas grill; do not attempt to light it with a flame. Propane is provided. There is a grill brush outside for cleaning the grill. If you choose to cook on it, please use the brush when you are finished to remove any food residue and not attract bugs.
Well: It is possible for the well to drain if you try to fill up the pond with the water hose. Do not do this.
Fireplace: Firewood is provided for one evening fire each day during cold months only. Additional firewood can be purchased directly from us or the grocery store. The fire screen must be used at all times to prevent sparks from burning the floor.
Waterfall: Important: The waterfall has a slick coating. Under no circumstances are guests to be climbing the waterfall nor walking around the top of the waterfall. This is extremely dangerous.
Children: Parents are to properly supervise their children at all times. The home is not child proofed and does not offer “toys.” There is a Dollar Store down the road if you need to purchase toys for your child. Family games are to be cared for and returned to their location with all game pieces included.
Now that is just some of the list. I also go into detail about how to report damage when it happens, and do not wait for me to find any damage as they are leaving and next guests are checking in.
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This is superb Cabin!!!
wow!! Love it!! Makes me feel like my rules are wimpy!
Gonna take another look!
I actually started out with pretty much nothing…because like everyone else I didn’t want to come across as a nit picky, uptight person.
But I participated on the Homeaway community forum and studied and studied what those with experience had to say. They all shared their lists and contract, rules, etc. I took what I liked and disregarded the advice I disagreed with. I couldn’t have done it without them!
Oh, and I still sound wimpy compared to some of them. It is still a work in progress. I am working on a “damage deposit” document. It will state how to ensure their damage deposit is refunded.
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Oh my gosh Cabin, you are an airbnb superhero! Would you believe I just wrote my rules just this week, and it made no difference, people completely ignored most of them 
I definitely need help. I think stronger wording is needed. I don’t feel so bad after seeing yours. You know what, I wouldn’t be the least bit put off by this list. It mainly talks about idiotic things I wouldn’t do anyway, so I’d be be like ‘cool! Easy sailing!’, and I think most other reasonable people would be too. And the rest is just very helpful info.
BTW, I wonder if you can ask ‘please don’t use an entire roll of toilet paper in less than 24 hrs’. Lol. It’s not really that funny, but that’s what I had guests do this weekend. We had unfortunately forgotten to stock the ensuite with extra rolls, but to be honest, I don’t go through more than one in three days, and was quite surprised to get the message after only a few waking hours spent in the room ‘oh, sorry to bother you, but can you tell me where I can get some more toilet paper.’ (Considering they were out in town in the car I thought it a ridiculous question as any number of the stores would have contained a roll or two for a couple of dollars). But what she meant was, I’ve paid to be in your home, and this includes going through toilet paper like there’s no tomorrow, so I’m going to make sure you supply it. I am pretty shocked that people go through them this fast. Is that normal? Do you use that much TP? We have a Japanese TOTO in our bathroom that washes us with a gentle warm massaging stream of water like in Japan (and heated seat in winter! Yes!) So we use hardly any. I know that’s prob TMI
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I have already cut and pasted a couple that apply to me! Thank you!
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I’ve had them bother me for TP also. Very annoying. I state in my rules that if they are here for a week or more they need to supply their own TP.
Loved the TOTOS I got to use in Tokyo. Completely awesome!
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Yeah, this was my mistake because usually I leave a few rolls in the cupboard, but still, I thought that was a lot of TP in less than a day. I don’t know if it’s normal for 2 people to use that much, but I imagine if you do your monthly expense on TP must be something to budget for lol
Sandy,
I really should be keeping an excel spreadsheet with the cost of TP, shampoo, coffee, aluminum foil, etc. all broken down. I really am not sure how much TP most guests use. I am not sure how much I use myself as I will take the partial rolls from the rental and use them for myself…lol.
I had to look up the Japanese TOTO…I have never experienced that! When I spent time in Spain I couldn’t believe how nasty the public toilets were everywhere. And they were always out of toilet paper! The local said it is normal to walk around with your own tissues/TP as it was common for places to be out of toilet paper. I remember being in a place with about 8 stalls. The cleaner just cleaned the entire bathroom and only one stall had TP in it.
Wow Cabin! That toilet experience is interesting. I would never have imagined that of Spain. I’d love to visit! Not for the toilet though lol! I’ll bring packets. Oh man, in India we had packets of tissue on us at all times, and hand sanitizer, which I am not usually a fan of. Squatting over a hole that is splattered, while you try to avoid getting you clothes filthy is hard work, especially when you are suffering heat exhaustion! There is a tap and bucket with a little scooper to wash your bum with, but everyone is using the bucket and putting the scooper back in and, ugh. I’ll never forget the many sights in India. So incredibly shocking. Our host for the trip ( Parisian artist - a rich one no less) put us up in a really cheap place like the locals, so it was a rock hard ‘bed’, in a concrete room. Airflow, AC, and the things we expect here are not how most of the rest of the world lives, and we had to adjust, fast. It was humid and scorching (southern India), and we just got used to it, and started wandering around in the filth, eating with the locals, and praying we’d survive without serious pathogenic infections. We did however have an amazing time. We extended it to go and stay in the homes of other local Indians, and live as they do. We visited a coffee plantation up in the mountains, and enjoyed interacting with all their ‘slaves’ working the plantation and chewing betel nut. I got molested continuously by Indian men, who groped my breasts, and between my legs. After a experience like that, you realize how spoilt we are.
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Did it! Fixed the shower finishing time! Great way of stating it that I never thought of. Sick and tired of people waking me up after midnight with showers…
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Cabin & Sandy, in Korea some of the loos had no paper but did have baskets full of ‘used’ paper… Also an intercom button! I thought the button might be for calling for paper…
When I pushed the button a guy answered in Korean! So I high-tailed it out of there and just drip dried… !!!
Later I discovered that in some of the really old buildings, the plumbing gets clogged and that’s why they don’t supply paper. You bring your own! The intercom is for if you clog. It’s a direct line to the janitor! 
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I had it to with toilet paper several times: they arrive at night, around noon i am asked for a new roll. I don’t know how someone can go through a whole roll without having an upset stomach. And it was just one tiny young girl.
She was part of the “cooking team” :). After a week using a roll every day, she made a sad face and asked me about a whole new sets of rolls.
By that time I was already pissed at all of them, and told her to get her own toilet paper. I did the same with laundry detergent, when they emptied my whole container withing a week, I didnt say anything but just hid the new detergent. It was after I told her about toilet paper.
So, they didnt ask where detergent is, bought their own, because I saw them doing laundry, but took it after use to their room, hehe.
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