Airbnb Hosting: Steal My FREE Airbnb House Manual Template

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Recently, a member of my Airbnb hosting group on Facebook asked me about my house manual. While a house manual is unique to a specific property, I thought that it would be helpful to give you an Airbnb House Manual template based on my own.

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Airbnb House Manual

Today, it’s all about the Airbnb House Manual. This is a section of text that I use in the actual house manual section of my Airbnb listing. You can find this section when editing a listing under arrival guide –> house manual.

Here is an example of where to find it.

Where To Find The Airbnb House Manual In Your Listing

Why Is An Airbnb House Manual Important?

For me, it’s the heart of my Airbnb guest experience. It contains everything they will need to know before, during, and after their stay as it relates to my place and our property.

It does not include my local recommendations, including grocery stores or local transport options; I do that separately not long after the book. The format there is curated for each guest, the makeup of their party, the dates they are visiting, and how familiar they are with the area.

The Airbnb house manual serves a very different purpose. If you read my Airbnb reviews, you can see that guests constantly mention my excellent communication and how streamlined everything is. And I have my house manual to thank!

This differs from what some would call a welcome book or Airbnb welcome letter. I don’t have one of those. Instead, I use personalized touchpoints to share area recommendations (dining, things to do, etc) with guests shortly after they book. You can steal my Airbnb welcome message here!

Then, the house manual is a detailed resource for use before, during, and after their stay, which is specific to our short-term rentals.

Printable vs. Digital Airbnb House Manuals

Now, if you are a new Airbnb host, you may want to print out a pretty book or book together a binder to serve this purpose. I actually recommend against this, and you can read why in this post.

Keeping my Airbnb house manual (and recommendations) digital allows me to adjust as needed and tailor a guest’s experience specifically for them.

Where Do You Put Your Airbnb House Manual?

As I mentioned above, I have this in my Airbnb listing. This means a guest can access it as soon as they book. When I give them my recommendations, I always suggest that they read through the house manual in their booking before their stay as well.

The version in the actual listing is very comprehensive and rarely requires changes. It doesn’t include guest-specific details. In fact, I actually send door codes and pool codes on the day of check-in once our condo is ready for them.

For my workflow, I also have two copies of each house manual in my saved messages per unit. One is for the regular season and one for the off-season. The off-season version has some sections removed concerning seasonal amenities.

Two or three days before guests arrive, I send them a quick note wishing them safe travels and reminding them that I will send the code when it’s ready for them (never later than our 4 pm check-in time). Then, I tell them I will insert the house manual into our messages next so they have exact directions and everything they need to know at their fingertips.

As someone who stays in Airbnbs frequently when traveling to places like Paris and Rio de Janeiro, I appreciate having easy access to important information in my messages. I know my guests do, too! This is another touchpoint encouraging them to read through it in advance to prepare for their trip. This helps ensure they are aware of any Airbnb house rules, making it easier to follow them.

To summarize, I have 8 versions (2 per listing) saved as message templates. I simply insert that text immediately after sending my safe travels message.

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My FREE Airbnb House Manual Template

Here is the format I use for my Airbnb house manuals. I will go into detail in the section below this free house manual template. Yours will be different based on amenities and the setup of your property. My short-term rentals are all studio and one-bedroom condos under 800 sq feet.

HOUSE MANUAL

ADDRESS:

PARKING:

GUESTS:

RULES:

AMENITIES:

POOL/BEACH/TRAM/WRISTBANDS:

KITCHEN:

WINDOWS:

SOFA BED & CRIB:

BABY GEAR:

HEATING & COOLING:

TVS:

INTERNET:

FURNISHINGS:

LAUNDRY:

BIKES:

DEPARTURE:

Airbnb House Manual Intro and Ending

I do have a paragraph at the beginning and end that I will share word for word here.

First, I only like my guests to communicate with me through the Airbnb app. This is essential when it comes to staying organized, especially when we travel a lot and can’t always take phone calls. So, at the beginning of the house manual, it says the following.

Please make sure you have the Airbnb app downloaded to your smartphone. All important details are located within your booking on the app, and the Airbnb app is the best way for us to communicate before and during your stay. You can go into settings —> notification and click to have a text and email sent whenever I message you here.

Then, I have a section at the end, just after the departure checklist, to help encourage guests to report issues or accidents to me. Additionally, I give them an alternate way to reach me and reinforce that I prefer communication through the Airbnb app.

In the event that something is broken, lost, or malfunctions, please let me know immediately so that I can replace it before the next guest arrives. I understand that accidents happen, and will work with you to assess any damages if necessary.

I always respond very quickly to messages sent through the Airbnb app and prefer that you communicate with me that way. If you have issues using it, you can reach out to me via text or phone at (XXX) XXX-XXXX. In case of an emergency where you can not reach me, please call my husband, Matt, at (XXX) XXX-XXXX.

How Much Detail Should You Go Into?

Next, I want to elaborate on the outline above and tell you what I add to each section. You want your Airbnb house manual to answer pretty much every question that would need to be answered about your property.

HOUSE MANUAL

(intro from above)

ADDRESS: Include the exact address and then turn-by-turn directions from the entrance to the neighborhood or condo complex to your door

PARKING: Include any necessary parking instructions

GUESTS: Here, I ask them to please make sure the guest count in your booking is accurate. This is important for amenity wristbands and occupancy limits.

RULES: This is a short bulleted list of community rules. Include things like quiet hours, pet policy, fines for smoking, etc., here.

AMENITIES: In this section, I list precisely what is included for their stay, including the number of toilet paper rolls per bathroom, a starter kit of shower products, 2 K-cup pods, etc. This is crucial for managing guest expectations.

POOL/BEACH/TRAM/WRISTBANDS: This is pretty self-explanatory. I include hours for these services/amenities and outline wristband requirements. I also have a link to reserve beach service. This is one section that I alter during the off-season when these amenities are limited and/or not in service.

KITCHEN: Here, I outline the small appliances and other items they can expect at our place.

WINDOWS: For safety reasons, they do not open, so I ask people not to attempt opening them.

SOFA BED & CRIB: We provide a crib upon request as part of our baby-friendly Airbnbs, so I ask people to request it 24 hours in advance. I also ask them to let me know in advance if they are using the sofa bed so that I can provide bedding.

BABY GEAR: Here, I list where to find all the baby gear we offer and any specific instructions as needed.

HEATING & COOLING: Quick instructions on how to use the mini split or central air.

TVS: We have Roku smart TVs in our short-term rentals, so I explain that they can log in under guest mode and enjoy their own subscriptions.

INTERNET: Add your wifi details, including name and password.

FURNISHINGS: I ask them not to move around furniture.

LAUNDRY: Our condos don’t have washers and dryers, so I include directions to the common area washer and dryers and a link to the laundry app.

BIKES: Biking is popular on 30A, so I include info on renting them from a provider at our complex.

DEPARTURE: Here, I reiterate checkout time and have a quick bulleted list of the departure checklist.

Then, I have the outro about broken items and emergency contact info you see above.

Editing Your House Manual Seasonally

So, that is a lot, but people would rather have it all there than have to keep asking me. Of course, there are always more questions that aren’t touched on here. I have had guests message me at midnight to ask why the TV volume wasn’t working when they mistakenly muted it.

But this covers most of the general information your guests need or want to know for their stay!

Keeping my house manual digital allows me to modify it as needed quickly. Hours for specific amenities have changed, and now I just go into each house manual and then each saved message and quickly make that change.

Creating Your Airbnb House Manual

I hope that answers your questions and helps you create a helpful and informative house manual for your Airbnb properties. I know guests appreciate the extra touch! Furthermore, this will earn you top reviews and Airbnb superhost status, which are critical in any Airbnb business.

Make sure to add additional sections specific to your property, especially if you have outdoor amenities such as grills, firepits, or private swimming pools! Also, it’s helpful for you to stay in your own place and ask yourself what people need to know about it. Where do they find things?

Airbnb Hosting Tips

If you are just getting started, I recommend visiting my FREE Ultimate 5-Star Airbnb Hosting Guide. It will walk you through everything you need to know, from choosing a location for your Airbnb to selecting an Airbnb coffee maker.

Additionally, this is your invitation to join my 5-Star Airbnb Hosting Group on Facebook. All hosts are welcome, and it’s a safe space to bounce ideas off one another, ask for feedback, celebrate wins, and commiserate during those inevitable low points.

Happy hosting!