10 Things Every Vacation Rental Guidebook Needs

A guidebook isn't a decoration — it's an answer to "what now?" Guests arrive tired, hungry, and often jet-lagged. A great guidebook preempts questions they haven't thought to ask yet. Here are the ten things I've seen matter most across hundreds of rentals.

Wi-Fi, front and center

The single most-asked question. Every time. Put the network name and password at the top of the first page. Make the password copyable with one tap. Add a plain-text fallback for guests who can't scan or copy.

Check-in instructions that assume nothing

If there's a smart lock, explain the code and what to try if it doesn't work on the first tap. If there's a key in a lockbox, tell guests where the lockbox is — with a photo. "Next to the door" is not enough. "On the gatepost, left of the driveway, under the brass plaque" is.

A clear check-out checklist

Guests want to leave you a five-star review. Make it easy by giving them a checklist. Keep it short: lights off, dishes in the dishwasher, key back in the lockbox. If you ask guests to strip beds, say so — and say why. "This helps our cleaners keep turnover fast so we can keep pricing fair."

House rules that sound like a friend talking

Replace the legal-sounding rules list with a few short sentences about what matters and why. "We ask that parties wrap up by 10 pm — neighbors are light sleepers" lands much better than "No parties after 10 pm." Same rule, different mood.

Appliance explanations

The coffee machine. The thermostat. The dishwasher with the weird cycle names. The fireplace. Anything a guest might not have seen before. Short paragraphs are fine; short videos are better; "how to descale" is gold.

Local recommendations — curated, not exhaustive

Five places you'd send a close friend beats fifty places you copied from Google Maps. Pick: one coffee shop, one breakfast place, one casual dinner, one nicer dinner, one thing to do. Add walking distance and a single sentence on why.

Emergency information

The nearest 24-hour pharmacy. The nearest urgent care or hospital. Your phone number, and when it's okay to use it. If you have a property manager for non-urgent things, their number. Guests may never need these — but knowing they're there makes the whole stay feel safer.

Parking instructions

If parking is free and unrestricted, just say so — it's a relief to guests who were worried. If it's complicated ("street-clean Wednesdays, permit needed after 8 pm"), walk them through it. Include a photo of where to park if your street is confusing.

Trash and recycling schedule

Wildly under-appreciated. Guests staying a week actively want to do this right. Tell them when bins go out, which bin is which, and where they live. Two sentences.

A personal welcome

Skip the formal letter. A few sentences — who you are, why you love the place, what you hope their stay is like — turns a transaction into an experience. Guests remember the place that felt human.