House rules and check-in that prevent bad reviews
Most bad reviews start with a surprise: a rule nobody mentioned, a key nobody could find. Here's how to set clear house rules and a smooth arrival.
· 5 min read
Read enough one-star reviews and a pattern appears. The place was usually fine. What went wrong was a surprise: the guest arrived at midnight and couldn't get in, a neighbour complained about visitors nobody had said were forbidden, the air conditioning in one room "didn't work" because nobody explained the remote.
Almost all of these are preventable before the guest books. This guide covers the two things that prevent most of them: clear house rules and a smooth check-in.
Part 1: House rules
Write rules for your place, not a generic list
On Guestify you add your house rules one by one, and guests see them on your listing before they book. Rules that are written down and shown up front are hard to argue with later.
Good rules are specific and short. Compare:
- ❌ "Respect the property."
- ✅ "No more than 6 people in the apartment at any time, including visitors."
The first one means nothing in a dispute. The second one is clear to everyone.
The rules most holiday homes need
- Maximum number of people, including day visitors. Compounds often have their own limits and gate lists; say so.
- Overnight visitors: allowed or not.
- Smoking: not at all, balcony only, or allowed.
- Pets: allowed, allowed with approval, or not allowed.
- Parties and events: say clearly if they're not allowed.
- Quiet hours: for example, from 11 pm to 8 am, especially in buildings with neighbours.
- Compound rules guests must follow: beach and pool hours, wristbands, gate registration, parking.
- Check-out duties: what you expect when guests leave (for example, dishes washed, rubbish in the bins, keys in the box). Keep it reasonable: guests pay a cleaning fee for the rest.
Explain the "why" for unusual rules
A rule that sounds strange gets broken. A rule with a reason gets followed. "Please don't flush paper: the building's pipes are old" works better than "Don't flush paper."
Don't write ten paragraphs
Long rules don't get read. If a rule only matters in one room (how to use the water heater, which switch runs the pool pump), put it in a short note in that room instead.
Part 2: Check-in
Choose a check-in method you can deliver every time
Guestify lets you pick how guests get in:
- In person: you or someone you trust meets the guest. Personal and good for questions, but you have to be available, even when a flight is late.
- Building staff: a doorman or reception lets guests in. Make sure the staff know the guest's name and arrival day.
- Lockbox: a small key safe with a code. Cheap, works at any hour, and is the most common choice for holiday homes.
- Keypad or smart lock: an electronic code. No keys to lose, and you can change the code between guests.
If you can't promise to be there at any hour, choose a method that doesn't need you.
Set realistic check-in and check-out times
Set the earliest check-in time to when the place is actually clean and ready, not when you hope it will be. Leave enough time between check-out and the next check-in for the cleaner, especially on Fridays and Saturdays when stays turn over back to back.
Write directions a stranger can follow
Imagine someone arriving for the first time, after dark, tired, with a phone at 5% battery. Write for them, in Edit listing → Arrival guide → Check-in instructions & directions, which confirmed guests see on their trip page:
- How to get to the compound or building, and what to tell the gate.
- Which building, which entrance, which floor, which door.
- Where the key or keypad is, and exactly how to use it.
- What to do if something goes wrong, and how to reach you.
A photo of the building entrance and the key box saves more messages than any paragraph.
Add the wifi details
Guestify has a place for your wifi network name and password. Fill it in. "What's the wifi password?" is the most common first message a host gets.
Leave a short welcome note
One page, in the apartment, with the things guests need on the first evening:
- how the air conditioning and water heater work,
- where the fuse box and the main water tap are,
- the nearest supermarket, pharmacy and a couple of restaurants that deliver,
- what to do with rubbish,
- how to reach you.
Part 3: The days around the stay
- Message before arrival. A day or two before check-in, send a short message confirming the arrival time and the check-in steps. You can set it up once as a scheduled message (Messages → Auto messages) and Guestify sends it for every booking.
- Check in on the first evening. One message ("Did you find everything?") catches small problems while you can still fix them, instead of in the review.
- Fix fast. A broken kettle replaced the same afternoon becomes a compliment in the review. The same kettle ignored becomes the review's headline.
- Write your review of the guest. Reviews on Guestify are double-blind: neither side sees the other's review until both have written one, or 14 days have passed. That keeps reviews honest on both sides.
Quick checklist
- Specific house rules: maximum people, visitors, smoking, pets, parties, quiet hours, compound rules
- A check-in method that works without you if you can't be there at any hour
- Check-in time that leaves time for cleaning
- Step-by-step directions with a photo of the entrance
- Wifi details filled in
- Welcome note in the apartment
- A message before arrival and one on the first evening
Clear rules and an easy arrival won't make a bad place good. But they'll make sure a good place gets the reviews it deserves. Ready to set yours up? Create your listing.