Before welcoming guests to your vacation home, whether family members, friends or paying customers, it’s important to establish vacation home rules. By doing so, you will ensure that your vacation home is treated with respect and that guests have a safe and enjoyable stay.

Included in this article are template house rules for vacation homes (in both long form and short form) that are perfect for the family cabin, beach house or other vacation property, including vacation rental. Certain vacation home rules will depend upon the property type. For this reason, the rules are meant as guidelines only and can be tailored to your specific circumstances. Further, where specific rules apply to vacation rental properties, those items appear in [square brackets]. If you’re also looking for a short term rental agreement, you can access our template here.

For those of you with a sense of humor, be sure to also check out our funny house rules for guests.

Curios to know what your vacation rental property may be worth at the end of your mortgage period? Try our Airbnb ROI calculator. 

Keys to Successful Implementation of House Rules for Vacation Homes

As you prepare your own vacation home rules for guests, consider the following guidelines:

• Everyone should read (and agree to) the rules in advance of their stay
• Don’t overdo it otherwise it may take away from the enjoyment of your vacation home
• Be sure to deal with violations fairly. For vacation rentals, the rules need to be strictly enforced whereas the rules for a family cabin can be more flexible
• For vacation rentals, be sure to collect a damage deposit in advance otherwise it may be difficult to collect
• For family vacation properties, seek input from other family members before finalizing the house rules so that everyone feels more involved. Depending upon the ownership structure, you may also want to enter into an ownership agreement establishing clearly defined roles and responsibilities and dispute resolution provisions.
• Ensure your insurance policy is up to date in case damage to your home does occur
• Review the house rules annually

VACATION HOME RULES FOR GUESTS (LONG FORM)

Dear guests,

Hello and welcome! We’re so happy to host you.

Before you settle in and get comfortable, we would like to bring to your attention the House Rules in place. Understanding and complying with our house rules will make for a comfortable and fun stay for everybody!

1. General Rules

• Please ensure you read and fully understand the house rules at the beginning of your stay. 
• All guests (and any visitors) must comply with all house rules.
• Please treat our house with the same respect as you would your own home.
• Be sure to maintain a good level of cleanliness throughout your stay.
• We hope you have lots of laughter and good times during your vacation! However, we’d really appreciate it if you’re mindful and keep noise to a minimum during nighttime hours.
• Have fun! This is your vacation time and we hope you get the opportunity to relax and visit the surrounding area.

2. Noise Levels

• Guests and visitors must keep noise to a minimum so as not to disturb the occupants of neighboring properties – especially during nighttime hours (e.g. 10pm – 8am), and upon arrival and departure; 
• Excessive noise is prohibited [and may result in termination of the vacation rental agreement, eviction and extra charges which may be deducted from the Security Deposit];

3. Visitors and Gatherings

• Guests are allowed a maximum of _______ visitors at any time during their stay. 
• Guests are responsible for ensuring maximum visitor numbers are not exceeded and that visitors comply with these house rules.
• Any additional overnight visitors must be approved in advance [and are subject to an additional fee as noted in the price].
• Parties and large gatherings are strictly prohibited. 

4. Parking

• Parking arrangements are as follows: 
  •  ____________________________________________________________
  •  ____________________________________________________________
  •  ____________________________________________________________

5. Garbage and Recycling 

• Guests and their visitors are to dispose of garbage and recycling in the allocated trash cans and recycling bins.
• Garbage and recycling arrangements are as follows: 
  • ____________________________________________________________
  • ____________________________________________________________
  • ____________________________________________________________

6. Security

• Any time guests leave the house it is their responsibility to ensure all windows and doors are properly shut and locked to maintain security and prevent weather damage. 
• Guests should turn off lights, air conditioning, fans, electronics such as televisions when not in use to promote energy saving.  

7. Outside Facilities

• Guests are responsible for the safety and security of their children at all times, as well as any disturbance caused to other residents in the neighborhood.
• Guests must supervise children at all times when using the deck area and other outside facilities. 
• Specific deck rules are as follows: 
  • ____________________________________________________________
  • ____________________________________________________________
  • ____________________________________________________________
• Specific barbecue rules are as follows:
  • ____________________________________________________________
  • ____________________________________________________________
  • ____________________________________________________________
• The hot tub/ swimming pool is only to be used between the hours of ____________ am and ____________ pm. 
• For safety reasons, it is not permitted to use any glassware in or around the pool area. [Failure to comply with this rule will result in a fine deducted from the security deposit].
• While we know there is some really cute wildlife nearby, please don’t give them any food! Its important not to disrupt the local ecosystem. 

8. Smoking and Illegal Substances

• Smoking is not permitted inside the house. 
• No illegal substances

9. Pets

• Specific rules regarding pets are as follows: 
  • ____________________________________________________________
  • ____________________________________________________________
  • ____________________________________________________________

10. Damages

• All damages must be reported as soon as reasonably practicable. [Failure to report them will likely result in a penalty deduction from the security deposit].
• No furniture or small appliances are to be moved from one room to another.
• No bathroom towels are to be removed from the property (i.e. for beach use). Separate beach towels are provided for this purpose. 

11. Checkout

• Rules for checkout are as follows: 
  • Key handover: ____________________________________________
  • Cleaning: ________________________________________________
  • Garbage: ________________________________________________
  • Security: _________________________________________________

12. Emergency Contact Details

• In the event of an emergency relating to the vacation house, your emergency contact is: 
  • ____________________________________________________________

13. Compliance

For the safety and enjoyment of all guests, it is of utmost importance to comply with the house rules. [Breach of any of these rules is a breach of the terms and conditions of occupancy as per the rental agreement. We reserve the right to terminate permission to occupy and to evict any guests or visitors who refuse to follow these house rules or who cause a nuisance to neighbors or other residents of the community].

VACATION HOME RULES FOR GUESTS (SHORT FORM)

• All guests (and any visitors) must comply with all house rules.
• Maintain a good level of cleanliness throughout your stay.
• Keep noise to a minimum during nighttime hours.
• No unregistered guests
• Parties and large gatherings are strictly prohibited. 
• Parking: __________________________________________________________
• Guests and their visitors are to dispose of garbage and recycling in the allocated trash cans and recycling bins.
• Ensure all windows and doors are properly shut and locked when you leave.

• Guests are responsible for the safety and security of their children at all times
• The hot tub/ swimming pool is only to be used between the hours of ____________ am and ____________ pm. 

• No smoking is permitted inside the house
• No illegal substances
• No pets are permitted

• Guests are responsible for any damage sustained to the house and its furnishings during their stay

• Checkout time is _________ am
• Emergency contact: __________________________________________________
• Most importantly have fun!