What to Put in Your Airbnb House Manual (Free Outline)
Your Airbnb house manual should cover how to get in, wifi details, how the home's appliances and systems work, where supplies are, trash and recycling, house rules, emergency contacts and checkout steps, written in short sections guests can scan on a phone. Airbnb describes the house manual as the place that "explains features of your listing, such as how the TV works or where to find an extra blanket", and a good one cuts your guest messages sharply while protecting your home.
Here is the outline I use, what goes where inside Airbnb, and how to write it so guests actually read it.
Where house manual information lives on Airbnb
Airbnb splits arrival and stay information across a few places in the listing editor. According to the help center article on check in and checkout details:
| Section | What goes there | When guests see it |
|---|---|---|
| Check in method | Smart lock, keypad, lockbox, building staff or in person greeting | Check in instructions are shared 48 hours before the reservation starts |
| Checkout instructions | Short checkout requests, up to 140 characters each | Visible to guests before they book |
| House manual | How the home works | Inside the reservation |
Airbnb also lets you pull details such as the wifi name, wifi password, address and house rules into scheduled messages, so the manual and your messages can stay consistent. Airbnb's editor changes from time to time, so check the help center for where each field lives today.
Many hosts also keep a digital guidebook or a printed binder in the home. That is fine, as long as the essentials are also inside Airbnb, where guests look first.
The house manual outline
1. Welcome and quick start
Two or three lines at the top: the three things every guest needs in the first ten minutes.
- Wifi name and password
- How to adjust the thermostat
- Who to contact and how
2. Arrival and access
- Parking: where, how many cars, any permits, where not to park
- Entry: which door, how the lock works, what to do if the code does not work
- Building details for apartments: elevator, floor, unit number, mail area
- Any quirks, such as a door that needs a firm pull
3. Wifi and entertainment
- Network name and password, and where the router is if it needs a restart
- How to use the TV and which streaming apps are logged in
- A reminder to log out of personal accounts
4. Heating, cooling and water
- Thermostat instructions, with the range you prefer
- How the fans, fireplace or space heaters work, with safety notes
- Water heater limits if the home has a small tank
- Bathroom fan: ask guests to run it during and after showers, which helps with mold prevention
5. Kitchen
- How to use the stove, oven, dishwasher, coffee maker and any specialty appliances
- Where to find pans, knives, baking dishes and cleaning supplies
- Dishwasher pods location, and a note on starting the dishwasher before checkout if you ask for that
6. Laundry and linens
- Washer and dryer instructions if guests have access
- Where extra blankets, pillows and towels are
- Anything that should not be washed, such as duvet inserts
7. Trash and recycling
This is one of the most useful sections for your cleaner.
- Where indoor bins are and where the outdoor bins are
- Collection days
- What goes in recycling in your area
- A request not to leave food in bins at checkout, which helps with pest prevention
8. House rules, with the reason
Guests follow rules better when they know why. "Quiet hours after 10pm because neighbors are close" lands better than "No noise." Keep this section consistent with the house rules on your listing. There are more ideas in Airbnb house rules examples.
9. Safety and emergencies
- Location of the fire extinguisher, first aid kit and main water shutoff
- Circuit breaker location
- Local emergency number and nearest urgent care or hospital
- Your contact and a backup contact
10. Local recommendations
Keep it short and personal. Five places you genuinely like beats a long list copied from a tourism site. Coffee, groceries, a pharmacy, two restaurants and one thing to do.
11. Checkout
Match exactly what you put in Airbnb's checkout instructions. Airbnb's hosting guidance on a clear and simple checkout says "guests expect an easy checkout without any cleaning tasks," and warns that listings with repeated low ratings from unreasonable tasks may be removed. Keep it to a handful of simple requests, such as:
- Put used towels in the bathtub
- Take trash to the outdoor bin
- Turn off lights and lock the door
There is a full guide on what you can ask guests to do at checkout.
How to write it so guests read it
- Lead with the answer. "Wifi: HomeNet, password on the router" is better than a paragraph.
- Use photos. A photo of the lockbox, the breaker panel or the trash area saves a message every time.
- One topic per section. Guests search for a single thing. Short headings help.
- Write it for a phone. Most guests read it on a small screen, often while standing at the door.
- Update it after every question. If a guest asks something, the manual is missing it. Add the answer the same day.
Keep the manual and the home in sync
A house manual is a promise. If it says there are extra blankets in the hall closet and the closet is empty, the guest notices, and that affects the accuracy rating as much as the cleanliness one.
Tie your manual to your turnover checklist. Every item the manual promises, such as spare blankets, coffee pods, dishwasher pods, a first aid kit or a working TV remote, should be a checklist item your cleaner confirms. The Airbnb restocking checklist covers the consumables.
If you manage remotely, ask for a photo of each supply area after every turnover. Clyn can review those photos automatically against your standard, so you get a fix list if the blanket shelf is empty or the coffee station was not restocked, before the next guest arrives.
FAQ
When does an Airbnb guest see the house manual?
Airbnb shares check in instructions 48 hours before the reservation starts, and checkout instructions are visible before booking. The house manual is available within the reservation. Check the current help center article for the latest timing.
Should I put the door code in the house manual?
Put access details in the check in method section, which Airbnb shares with guests shortly before arrival, rather than somewhere visible earlier. Changing codes between guests is a good habit if your lock supports it.
How long should an Airbnb house manual be?
As short as possible while still answering the common questions. Most homes need the sections above in a few short lines each. If a section gets long, that usually means an appliance or process needs simplifying.
If you want every turnover checked before check in, you can try Clyn free on one property at clyn.com.