A guest welcome guide for your rental

A welcome guide answers the questions guests would otherwise text you at 10pm. This page puts the wifi details first, then check-in and check-out, how the heating works, house rules, nearby places and who to call. Stick its code by the door, and fix anything in it without reprinting a binder.

When to use it

• A holiday let where you're tired of explaining the boiler.
• A guest house or cabin with a tricky lock or an odd bin day.
• A clinic or office that wants visitors to have parking and wifi details.
• A rental where the wifi password has just changed and the printed folder is wrong.

What a good one includes

• Wifi network and password at the very top, as it's the first thing anyone looks for.
• Check-in and check-out times, and what to do with the keys.
• How to work the things that aren't obvious: heating, hot water, bins.
• House rules, written as reasons where you can. 'Quiet after 10pm, we have neighbours' is easier to respect.
• A few nearby places you'd really send a friend to.
• An emergency line that says what to do first, such as where the stopcock is.

Make one by saying what you need

Text it, type it or say it, the way you'd tell a colleague:

Welcome guide for Heron Cottage: wifi HeronGuest, password otterbank24, check-in 4pm, check-out 10am, bins Thursday, no pets on the sofas.

Questions

What should go in a guest welcome book?

The things guests need on arrival, like wifi, keys, heating, rubbish and emergencies, then local tips. Leave out anything you already cover in the booking message unless it's needed on the day.

Do I need a printed copy too?

A short printed card with the QR code and the wifi details is enough for most places. It also helps if a guest's phone is flat.

Can I use one guide for several properties?

Make one page per property. Wifi, rules and appliances usually differ just enough to cause mistakes.