A well-structured check-in guide reduces guest questions, prevents property misuse, and earns better reviews. Here's exactly what yours should include.
Why Your Check-In Guide Is One of Your Most Important Assets
Guests book your property based on photos and a description. They review it based on how their stay actually felt. The gap between expectation and experience is often bridged — or widened — by how well informed they were when they arrived.
A great check-in guide doesn't just tell guests where the fuse box is. It gives them the confidence to relax, the information to enjoy their stay, and the clarity to leave without anxiety. Done well, it's one of the highest-return investments of time you'll make as a holiday host.
In this guide, we'll walk through a complete check-in guide template, section by section, with examples and practical advice for UK and European holiday rental hosts.
Section 1: Arrival Instructions
This is the section guests will read before they even get to the property — often while sitting in the car at the end of your lane. Make it impossible to get wrong.
What to include:
Getting there
- Full postal address (including postcode for satnav)
- Any directions notes that satnav gets wrong — "ignore the left fork signposted Millbrook, take the right" — or links to a What3Words location if the property is rural
- Nearest railway station and any local taxi contacts
- Parking instructions — exactly where to park, whether there are restrictions, any permits to display
Key collection or access
- If you have a key safe: the exact location of the key safe, the code, and which key is which
- If you have a smart lock: the code and any backup procedure
- If keys are collected from a neighbour or management office: name, address, phone number, and hours
- Early arrival and late arrival procedure — what guests should do if they arrive before check-in time or after you normally communicate
On arrival
- Which door to use (front, side, back?)
- First things to do — e.g. "turn the hot water on using the timer panel in the airing cupboard — it takes about 20 minutes to heat"
- Any alarm code if applicable
Example phrasing:
"Park on the gravel to the left of the main gate — there's space for two cars. The key safe is mounted on the wall to the right of the front door at waist height. The code is 4812. The front door key is on the red fob. Welcome to Hazel Cottage."
Section 2: WiFi and Technology
This section should be on page one, in large readable text. It is the first thing the majority of guests will look for.
What to include:
- WiFi network name
- WiFi password (consider making this bold or in a box so it's instantly visible)
- How to switch the TV on and change inputs
- Remote controls — which does what, especially if you have a Sonos, Apple TV, Fire Stick, or similar
- Any streaming accounts available — Netflix, Disney+, BBC iPlayer — and whether they require login
- Smart home devices — Alexa, Google Home — and what they're set up to control
Common mistakes:
Many hosts print the WiFi password in a small font alongside other information. Put it somewhere prominent. Some hosts also forget to update their guide when they change the router or the password — set a reminder to check this every few months.
Section 3: Heating and Hot Water
Heating queries are one of the most common reasons guests message hosts during a stay. A clear guide here saves everyone time.
What to include:
Central heating
- Is it a combi boiler, a system boiler with a hot water tank, an Aga, underfloor heating, or electric storage heaters?
- How to turn it on and adjust the temperature
- Whether there's a programmer or smart thermostat (Hive, Nest, Tado) and how guests should interact with it
- Any zoned areas with separate thermostats
Hot water
- Is it instantaneous (combi) or stored (tank)?
- If stored: how long to heat, how much hot water is available, how to boost
- If there's an immersion heater: where it is and how to use it
Fireplaces and wood burners
- How to light the fire safely
- Where logs are stored
- How to open and close the flue
- Safe ash disposal
Air conditioning (if applicable)
- Remote control instructions
- Recommended settings
Section 4: Kitchen Appliances
Every kitchen has its quirks. The goal is to make sure guests can use everything confidently without calling you.
What to include:
- Oven and hob — gas or electric, any unusual ignition, fan oven or conventional
- Dishwasher — where the tablets are, which cycle to use, how to switch it on
- Washing machine — how to use it, where the detergent goes, recommended cycles
- Coffee machine — instructions, especially for pod or bean-to-cup machines
- Any unusual appliances — slow cooker, air fryer, outdoor pizza oven, ice machine
- Under-sink notes — where the waste caddy and recycling bins are
If an appliance has a complicated interface, a photo in the guide with the relevant buttons circled saves enormous confusion.
Section 5: Outdoor Spaces
If your property has a garden, terrace, hot tub, outdoor kitchen, or any exterior features, these need their own section.
What to include:
- Garden furniture — where it is, whether it can be moved, how to put it away if it rains
- BBQ — gas or charcoal, where the gas bottle is and how full it is, cleaning expectations
- Hot tub — how to use it, temperature range, how to turn jets on/off, any rules (no glass, shower first, etc.), and what guests should not do (don't add anything to the water, check temperature before children enter)
- Garden gates and fences — especially important for guests travelling with children or dogs
- Outdoor lighting — where switches are, whether any are motion-activated
- Parking and turning — any specific instruction for manoeuvring on the property
Section 6: House Rules
Keep this section clear, polite, and concise. This is not the place for a legal document — it's a friendly reminder of how you'd like your home treated.
What to include:
- Check-in and check-out times
- Smoking policy and any designated smoking area
- Pet policy — if pets are allowed, any specific rules (no pets on furniture, use the boot room, etc.)
- Noise — especially important if you have nearby neighbours or local restrictions
- Maximum occupancy
- Parking capacity
- Any room or area that's off-limits (owners' storage, private garden)
Tone guidance:
"Please keep noise to a minimum after 10pm — our neighbours are lovely and we'd like to keep it that way."
This works far better than:
"Noise is strictly prohibited after 22:00. Violation may result in cancellation of your booking."
Section 7: Local Area Guide
This is the section that transforms a functional document into a memorable one. Give it space and your genuine personal voice.
What to include:
Eating and drinking
- Three to five restaurant recommendations with brief, honest descriptions
- The best local pub (this is almost always relevant in the UK)
- Where to buy the best bread, coffee, or local produce
Things to do
- One or two walks directly accessible from the property
- The main local attractions, with a note about which are worth it and which are overrated
- Activities suited to families, couples, and dog owners separately if possible
Practical information
- Nearest supermarket and hours
- Nearest petrol station
- Nearest pharmacy, GP surgery, or walk-in centre
- Nearest ATM (still relevant in rural areas)
- Local transport — bus stops, taxi numbers, cycle hire
Hidden gems
- One thing that only people who know the area would know. This is always the most-mentioned part of the guide in reviews.
Section 8: Check-Out Instructions
Clear check-out instructions reduce misunderstandings and keep your turnaround smooth.
What to include:
- Check-out time
- Key return procedure
- Bed linen — leave on beds or strip?
- Towels — leave in bathroom, put in bath, or in a pile by the washing machine?
- Dishwasher — run before leaving?
- Rubbish — which bins, where to put them
- Windows and doors — which to lock, which to leave
- Heating — turn off, or leave on a minimum setting in winter?
- Any final checks — e.g. "please check the garden for any items before you leave"
Section 9: Emergency Information
This page should be easy to find — consider making it the back page or a separate card.
What to include:
- Full address of the property (for emergency services)
- Your contact number
- Emergency maintenance contact (if different from you)
- Gas stop tap location
- Electricity consumer unit location
- Fire extinguisher and fire blanket location
- Smoke and carbon monoxide alarm locations
- Nearest A&E or urgent care centre
- What to do in a gas emergency (leave immediately, call National Gas Emergency Service on 0800 111 999)
Formatting Your Check-In Guide
The best-written guide in the world won't be read if it's presented badly. Some principles:
- Use clear headings so guests can jump to what they need
- Use bullet points and numbered lists rather than dense paragraphs
- Use large, legible fonts — a 10pt Times New Roman in a Word document is not the right choice
- Include photos where an appliance is complex or a location is hard to describe
- Keep it under 8 pages — longer than this, and guests won't read it
- Laminate the physical copy or put it in a folder that can be wiped down
For digital guides sent before arrival, a PDF works well. Consider also maintaining a version on a shared notes link (Notion, Google Docs) that guests can reference on their phone during the stay.
Keeping Your Guide Up to Date
Set a recurring reminder to review your guide every quarter. Things to check:
- Restaurant recommendations still open and still good?
- Phone numbers still correct?
- WiFi password changed since last update?
- Any new appliances or features that aren't mentioned?
- Any known issues guests should be aware of?
A stale guide is worse than no guide — it creates false expectations and breaks trust.
Get Started with LetPilot
LetPilot includes a built-in check-in guide tool that lets you build, update, and share your guide digitally — and it's automatically linked to each booking so the right information reaches the right guests at the right time. Try LetPilot free at letpilot.co — no credit card required.