The Airbnb House Manual Guests Actually Want to Read

A good house manual answers the questions guests would otherwise text you at 10 p.m. A great one does something more: it shows them how to fall in love with the place. For every home I look after, I write a manual that does both jobs, and the second one is where the fun is.

Two jobs, one document

Job one is operational: how the home works. Job two is inspirational: how to enjoy it. Adding job two is what turns a binder of instructions into part of the stay.

Airbnb's own guidance covers the first job well. Its Resource Center article on writing a house manual suggests covering wifi, parking, appliance instructions and trash, and offers a rule I fully endorse: "Keep it short and easy to understand." It also shares a clever trick from a host in Norway, Marit Anne, who puts the wifi password at the very top: "They all want the wifi code, so that is my trick for having them open the house manual and hopefully read it."

One practical point from the Airbnb Help Center: "Only guests with a confirmed reservation can access your manual." That makes the manual the right home for details you would never put in a public listing description.

A structure that works

Here is the outline I start from. Adapt it to your property.

1. The first five minutes

Wifi at the top (thank you, Marit Anne). Then parking, how to get in, the thermostat, and where the light switches hide.

2. How the house works

Go room by room. Give each appliance with a personality its own short entry: three steps and a photo. A home like the one in Southborough, with a 100-inch projector, a kamado grill, a Peloton, a Tonal and a private jacuzzi, has more of these than most. Each one is a moment where a guest either feels clever or feels stuck.

3. Safety and the practical essentials

Where the fire extinguisher and first aid kit live, emergency numbers, the full address for anyone calling for help, trash and recycling, quiet hours, and how to reach you.

4. How to enjoy the house

Think of this section as a friend's note left on the counter. At Villa Foresta, the listing says "The house is part of the adventure," so the manual can say how: take the picnic backpack to the beach at Lac Lyster, less than five minutes away. Ride the beach cruisers. Keep the binoculars by the window for watching the woods. Light the fire pit and find the s'mores supplies. Make it a fondue night, then a movie night with the popcorn maker.

Those suggestions cost nothing to write. Together they hand a group a ready-made weekend, and they make sure the thoughtful things in the house get used. (Still choosing those things? See low-cost upgrades for a vacation rental.)

5. The neighbourhood

Airbnb's article on creating a guidebook gives the best advice I know for local recommendations: make them easy to scan, and remember that "strong recommendations come from direct knowledge and experience." Five places you truly love will serve guests better than fifty pins on a map. The same article suggests reviewing your guidebook from time to time.

6. Checkout

Short and kind. A few clear steps, the time, and a thank you.

Tone: write like a friend, not a landlord

A manual is part of your brand voice. My photo captions in Southborough include "kitchen and full spice rack :)" and the manual should sound like the same person wrote it.

A few habits help:

• Give rules a reason. "Please keep the gate closed so the garden stays peaceful for the neighbours too" lands better than "GATE MUST REMAIN CLOSED."
• Use plain verbs and short sentences. Guests skim on a phone, often while holding a suitcase.

Digital or printed? Both

Digital is the master copy. On Airbnb, guests can open the manual right in the app and, as the Resource Center puts it, check it "anytime, anywhere." It is easy to update, and it is there before arrival. If you also take bookings on Vrbo, Booking.com or a direct site, keep a version that does not depend on any one platform, such as a PDF or a private web page, so every guest gets the same welcome.

Printed still earns its place. Phones die. Not everyone in a group of twelve has the app. I like one tidy printed copy in the kitchen, plus a one-page quick start.

Self-sufficiency matters to guests. In a 2023 YouGov survey of 2,024 US vacation rental guests commissioned by Touch Stay, 67% said they want to be able to check themselves in, and 69% said communications most influenced their likelihood of leaving a positive review. It is a vendor-commissioned survey, so read it as a signal, not a law. Still, clear information is hospitality.

Writing for two languages

I work between Massachusetts and Québec, so bilingual manuals are close to my heart. Airbnb helps inside the app: its Translation Engine automatically translates listing descriptions, messages and reviews in more than 60 languages. A printed binder does not translate itself, though, and neither does the PDF you send to a direct-booking guest.

For a home in the Eastern Townships, I recommend a manual in both French and English, written by a person. Use Québec French, not a generic translation. Keep the same section order in each language, and lean on photos and icons, which need no translation at all.

Keep it alive

Every question a guest asks is an edit waiting to happen. When someone messages to ask how the projector turns on, answer them warmly, then fix the page. Over a season, the manual gets better and your inbox gets quieter. That feedback loop is a big part of how I communicate with guests before, during and after a stay.

Writing the manual is one of my favourite parts of setting up a home for an owner. If yours could use a second job, I would love to hear about your place.

Sources

• Airbnb Resource Center: Write a house manual to share info about your space
• Airbnb Help Center: Add or edit your house manual
• Airbnb Resource Center: Create a guidebook to share your local tips
• Short Term Rentalz: Touch Stay guest communication study (YouGov, 2023)
• Airbnb Newsroom: Translation Engine launches Reviews after expanding to Messages (September 2022)