Accommodating guests in your rental cabin comes with a unique set of challenges. You want to provide them with a luxurious space to nestle into while on vacation. However, it’s essential they follow the rules you set out to help maintain the space and keep the cabin intact. There are a variety of things you can use as a basis for your guidelines, but tailoring the rules to meet the needs of every guest is your top responsibility. Let’s discuss eight of the most common rental cabin rules you can use for all your guests!
No Events or Large Gatherings
Not allowing events or large gatherings is a considerable rule to set. This choice will eliminate the potential for strangers to enter the space and also control the activities within it.
Depending on the space, neighbors, and overall design aesthetics, it may not be feasible to encourage large groups of people to party. Accidents happen, and events or large gatherings occurring unbeknownst to you can increase the risk of cleaning and maintenance issues. Always designate a limit for how many guests the cabin can host at a time.
No Smoking Allowed
There is nothing worse than entering a rented space and encountering the smell of lingering smoke. While it’s fine for your guests to choose to smoke, ensure the rules explicitly designate smoking areas or a required distance from the property. Any guest entering the space could have an allergy or sensitivity to these activities. By prohibiting smoking within or near the cabin, you can rule out avoidable mishaps with future guests.
Clearly label areas where you will allow smoking so that there is no debate about where they should go. Ensure the smoke detectors work inside the cabin so that the devices can alert you and the guests to any smoke.
Registered Guests Only
Similar to not allowing events or large gatherings, you likely want to make a point to prohibit non-registered guests from staying in the cabin. This way, only those that sign the cabin rental agreement forms can stay in the space. This rule ensures that you still have some control over who comes and goes, in addition to being able to hold someone accountable should an accident occur.
You may not want pets in your rental cabin, and that’s a personal preference. But if you intend to prohibit pets of any kind, make that known with the reserved guests-only segment of your rental agreement forms. It’s common for people to travel with their family pets last minute, especially if they don’t see anything about pets in the policies and agreements. Include this information in the rules to ensure you cover your bases.
Adhere To Check-In & Checkout Guidelines
If your rental cabin is a busy place with continuous reservations, it’s vital for guests to adhere to the check-in and checkout guidelines you set for them. By keeping this timetable intact, you can ensure the cabin receives prompt cleaning in between guests and that there is enough time to address damages or upgrades.
There are instances where a guest may request flexibility surrounding their arrival or departure. You may make accommodations to create a smooth customer experience, but you should build these timing deviations into the neighboring reservations.
Respect Property Amenities
Respecting the property’s amenities is an obvious rule to outline. But you must reiterate this fact to maintain a transparent expectation and experience. This section is where you can build in a clause about damages or accidents and the expenses associated with such instances.
Additionally, respecting property amenities extends beyond furniture and linens. Ensure you include all property amenities, from shared public spaces, keys, parking areas, and the grounds as a whole. By including everything in one sweep, you ensure the guests remain at an increased awareness about their conduct on the property.
No Illegal Substances Allowed
Given that the cabin is a rental and you remain the property owner regardless of who sleeps in the beds at night, you need to do your best to avoid issues with the authorities. By not outlining the rules and guidelines around substance abuse, you potentially open the door to trouble.
Set boundaries regarding all drugs and alcohol and explain the consequences in print should they engage in illegal activity on the property. Once the renter signs the agreement forms, they are subject to fines should they disregard the rules. You can also set the fine relatively high to help avoid these issues. Cabin renters rarely want to pay absurd fees or fines.
Be Mindful of Climate Control Settings
Some of the rules you set for your rental cabin are big hitters. These rules are non-negotiable and not to be taken lightly, including monetary consequences and involving the authorities. But other rules, while less intense, can make a significant difference for you as the rental owner. For example, you can create boundaries around the cabin’s climate control to help combat excessively high utility costs.
As the property owner, you know best the needs of the air conditioning and heating. Use these references as the baseline to explain to your guests the best temperature ranges for time periods and weather conditions.
You can include rules regarding climate control settings in the agreement forms. You’ll then want to include a more detailed explanation inside the cabin to help guests adhere to the set rules.
Please Discard All Trash
Including a rule about trash is a courtesy to you or your cleaning crew, especially if you have a rotating door of guests and limited time in between. You may also charge a cleaning fee, but don’t feel bad for forcing your guests to be courteous with their waste.
This rule can also help cut back on germ exposure for the cleaners, whether you hire professionals or do it yourself. You can encourage guests to remove trash from the cabin by clearly marking the best places to discard their waste and providing ample opportunity to follow through.
Here at Nevaeh Cabin Rentals, we are committed to providing exceptional experiences to every guest in one of our properties. Partner with us for all your rental cabin management needs and enjoy the benefits of owning a cabin from a distance. We hope these eight valuable rules help you create an enjoyable stay for all your cabin guests.
