Concise "Do Not Trash This Property" Statement in STR Rules?

Question

Ignorant Newbie Question...

Just out of curiosity, has anyone included verbiage in their rules, or as a card in their welcome binder simply asking the guest to please not misuse or trash the place?

What about putting something simple in the booking rules like,

"On my honor, I will respect my host's property as if it were my own. I will not misuse, abuse, or steal it. And if anything gets broken during my stay, I will own up to it and make it right. I will leave the home as well cared for as it was when I checked-in so others can enjoy it, too."

My thought is that perhaps it would prick their conscience and prompt anyone tempted to abuse the property to think twice.

What would be the down-side to including that? If someone doesn't like it, they'll rent elsewhere and be someone else's potential headache.Thanks!

Nathan Gesner · Answer

I think it's unnecessary. People are either respectful of your property, or they're not. Telling a bad person to behave isn't going to sear their conscience and get them to change their behavior.

John Underwood · Answer

That's just common sense. It cones down to what type people are your guests.

A more expensive place draws more affluent people in my experience.

William Anderson · Answer

We have a binder with rules and local recommendations.  It's read about 1/2 of the time.  We receive comments on it from time to time.  The last page has a list of costs associated with damage and theft.  No statements just for example $50 for damaged blinds etc.  Also the property management company has started to sell damage insurance for $55 per stay.  When the property manager knows there is a large group e.g. 10+ and or kids, he strongly suggests this coverage.  The best part, damage costs are paid directly to the hosts.  Yes I know that ABB has such a program but this is easy and the insurance company is easy work with.

Having said all of that, you have bad guests and good guests.  They are who they are.  You will have to prepare for damage.  Screw down your art work, bold your beds to the wall and do all you can to prevent damage.  Buy heavy duty furnishings.  Have spares of kitchen ware to replace the spoons the kids take to the beach etc.  It's part of the business.  All of my analysis include a damage and replacement budget.

Colleen F. · Answer

@Anthony Russo  That isn't going to stop people. The rules you put are really about defining unacceptable uses/behavior that responsible people may/may not be aware of.   If you have specific things you want that is where you put them.  What are the noise regulations etc.  don't flush  xyz down the toilet , don't dive in the pool. Most hosts have a nice leave it as you found it type of statement somewhere.

Michael Baum · Answer

There are not a lot of subtle ways to tell people not to be a-holes. Like @John Underwood, if your rental is higher end, you will not have anyone trashing the place.

We take a $500 deposit even though we have the insurance guarantee. Skin in the game is a good thing IMHO.

We also don't do instant booking. That keeps things smooth.

Wilson Hunter · Answer

How about “do not trash this property”

Paul Sandhu · Answer

I've got this big 3 story house that I rent to refinery contractors (ruffians).  I put up a set of rules.

Cliffs:

Clean up after yourself.

If you want to fight, fight outside not inside.

Dominic A. · Answer

We briefly (24 hours) required guests to sign off on the house rules before accessing our virtual guidebook. We shut it down almost immediately because we realized the folks who were actually going to take the time to sign weren't going to be a problem.

You're headed in the right direction, but I wouldn't add the extra text. Just make the rest of the house rules clear, concise and common sense. That makes it easier to (and more likely to be) read; the rest should follow.

Now, you may want to have an actual rental contract that needs to get signed. That's a conversation for a different topic, but the consensus seems to be it's a good idea. If you're just looking to lay out house rules or set a reminder for guests..I'd stick with the above answer.

Cliff H. · Answer

The best defense against guests who come to party and trash your place is never accepting or making the place appealing to them in the first place.

Same rules as long term rental screening apply: outline in detail what your target customer persona would care about in a rental, then invest your time building and speaking to that. Never mind telling the bad apples what you’ll do, that just tells the good ones you’re bitter and burned.

Collin Hays · Answer

While necessary, we have found that a rental agreement is often a useless piece of paper.  You can get cute and spend all afternoon crafting one that covers seemingly every contingency, and most of the time, it still doesn't hold up in court.

Thankfully, most people who have the means to rent a home are not the type who trash houses.

A contract and contract enforcement are two very different things.

Concise "Do Not Trash This Property" Statement in STR Rules?

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