What to include in a vacation rental guest manual
A practical section-by-section guide to vacation rental guest manuals, including arrival, Wi-Fi, parking, safety, local tips, services, and private details.
Guest Manuals · · 9 min read · By StayPerk Team · Updated
A vacation rental guest manual should help guests arrive, settle in, use the property, stay safe, and find help without guessing. The goal is not to document every possible detail. The goal is to make the most important details easy to find.
Who this is for
- New hosts creating a manual for the first time.
- Experienced hosts cleaning up an old binder or PDF.
- Property managers standardizing guest information across properties.
Quick answer
Include arrival, parking, Wi-Fi, house rules, appliance notes, safety, support contacts, checkout, local recommendations, and relevant services. Keep private access details protected and keep the manual current.
Core manual sections
| Section | Include | Keep private or controlled |
|---|---|---|
| Arrival | Address context, parking, entry overview, check-in time, and arrival photos. | Door codes, lockbox codes, or sensitive access details. |
| Property basics | Wi-Fi, thermostat, appliances, laundry, trash, and recycling. | Owner-only maintenance notes or vendor-only instructions. |
| Safety | Emergency contacts, local emergency number reminders, hazards, and support path. | Anything that creates security risk if public. |
| Services | Relevant add-ons or local services with clear ownership and availability. | Services that are not approved, available, or fulfilled reliably. |
For the property basics section, write appliance instruction cards and short video scripts for the exact devices guests will use.
Turn the list into a live draft
Open the full StayPerk editor and add these sections in any order. The private draft saves in your browser while you add property details, media, visibility choices, and custom sections, and the Mobile and Letter previews update from the same content. Start building immediately or begin in your free workspace; both paths use the same editor.
- Build a free digital guest manual
Use the full editor, save progress in your browser, and follow the private-draft-to-publishing path step by step.
Put arrival first
Guests are most stressed when they are trying to find the property, park, enter, and confirm they are in the right place. Arrival instructions deserve the clearest writing and the clearest photos.
For editable arrival wording, use the five check-in instruction templates and test the sequence at the property.
Make house rules practical
Rules should explain what guests need to do, not just what the host dislikes. Use direct language, explain any unusual rule, and avoid burying important expectations in a long paragraph.
Add local context
Local recommendations are useful when they are curated and current. A short list of trusted options is better than a long copied list of generic attractions.
- View sample manual
See how a guest manual can combine stay details, service context, and mobile-first access.
When not to add more
Do not add a section just because it might rank for a keyword. If the section does not help a real guest, leave it out. Thin or generic content can make the manual harder to use.
- StayPerk for hosts
Explore StayPerk's host workflow for manuals, add-ons, guest services, and payouts.
Frequently asked questions
How long should a guest manual be?
Long enough to answer important stay questions, but structured so guests can scan. Put essentials first and move edge cases into clear sections.
Should I include local recommendations?
Yes, if they are current and genuinely useful. Avoid copying generic city content or listing places you would not confidently recommend.
Where should paid services go?
Place services near the section where they solve a guest need, and explain who provides them, whether approval is required, and where current pricing lives.
Should the manual include house rules?
Yes, but write them as clear stay expectations. Required rules should also be disclosed in the proper booking and listing workflow.
How often should I review the manual?
Review it whenever property details change and on a regular cadence. Outdated local recommendations, Wi-Fi details, or service links can create avoidable support issues.
Useful StayPerk pages
- Build a free digital guest manual
Use the full editor, save progress in your browser, and follow the private-draft-to-publishing path step by step.
- Build a vacation rental welcome book
Turn a traditional welcome book into a mobile guide with short videos, paid add-ons, and bookable services.
- View sample manual
See how a guest manual can combine stay details, service context, and mobile-first access.
- StayPerk for hosts
Explore StayPerk's host workflow for manuals, add-ons, guest services, and payouts.
- StayPerk for property managers
See how property managers can coordinate manuals, services, hosts, and property work.
- StayPerk for guests
Preview the guest stay experience around manuals, service requests, payments, and messages.
- Contact StayPerk
Reach the StayPerk team with launch, partnership, or product questions.
Sources
- Write a house manual to share info about your space - Airbnb Resource Center
- Make check-in and checkout easy - Airbnb Resource Center
- What is expected of home hosts and their listings - Airbnb Resource Center
- Digital guidebooks - Touch Stay
- Digital Guidebooks - Hostfully
- StayPerk sample manual - StayPerk
- StayPerk free digital guest manual builder - StayPerk