The Airbnb house manual that prevents the late-night message
Most guest questions trace back to a gap in the house manual. A clear one earns its keep on the first night, when a guest finds the thermostat, the Wi-Fi, and the checkout time on their own. Airbnb gives you a house manual field in the listing, and pairing it with a fuller digital version means guests get the quick basics up front and the complete guide whenever they want more.
What to include in your house manual
A good house manual is short and practical. Cover these and you answer the questions that otherwise become messages:
- Arrival: door codes, key location, parking, and step-by-step entry
- Connectivity: Wi-Fi network and password, easy to spot
- The space: heating and cooling, hot water, kitchen appliances, entertainment
- House rules: quiet hours, guests, smoking, and pets, phrased warmly
- Departure: checkout time, keys, bins, and any small closing tasks
- Help: how to reach you and who to call in an emergency
How to write rules guests follow
Guests follow rules that read like friendly guidance from a host who wants them to relax. Lead with the reason, keep each rule to a line, and put the essentials where a tired traveller will see them first. A wall of fine print gets skimmed, so give the important things room to breathe and save the detail for a tap deeper in. If the same questions keep coming, the reduce guest questions guide goes further on this.
Where your house manual should live
Airbnb’s built-in field is a good start, and it has limits on length, formatting, and media. A digital house manual carries photos, maps, and short how-to clips, updates the second a code changes, and stays reachable through a link you can share before check-in. Guests get the manual on the phone they are already holding, in their own language if they need it. The digital guidebook for Airbnb walkthrough covers the setup end to end.
Create your house manual with guidely
Add your details, write your rules once, tag your local favourites, and publish. You get a single link for your listing and your messages, and guests open it in any browser with no app to install and an option to save it offline. You can start free and refine it over a stay or two.
A clear house manual answers the common questions in a place guests actually open. Structure beats length, warm beats stern, and a live link beats a field with a character limit.