Most Airbnb welcome books miss the three things guests actually need at 11pm when something goes wrong. Here's the complete checklist — and a real guide from a Spiti Valley homestay to show you what it looks like done right.
Your guest just landed. It's 9pm. They can't find the key lockbox, the WiFi password you wrote in the listing doesn't match the router, and the nearest grocery store you mentioned closed six months ago.
They text you.
You're at dinner.
This is not a guest problem. This is a missing welcome book problem — and it's completely preventable.
A good welcome book doesn't just answer questions. It answers them before your guest thinks to ask. That's the difference between a host who gets "felt so at home" in their reviews and a host who spends weekends replying to "what's the WiFi password again?"
Here's exactly what to include.
The 7 sections every Airbnb welcome book needs
1. Arrival & access — the most important section
This is the first thing your guest reads and the last thing they want to search for when they're standing outside at midnight.
What to include:
- Check-in time and check-out time (even if it's in your listing — repeat it here)
- Exact address with a note about anything Google Maps gets wrong ("GPS takes you to the back entrance — use the front gate on Elm Street")
- Key or lockbox instructions, step by step ("turn left twice, then right to 4, pull")
- Parking instructions — where exactly, whether it's included, any permits needed
- Building entry codes if it's an apartment
- What to do if they arrive early and the place isn't ready yet
Why hosts skip this: They assume guests read the listing. Guests don't re-read the listing when they're tired and lost. Put it here anyway.
2. WiFi — don't bury it
WiFi is the #1 thing guests want before they've even put their bag down. It deserves its own section, not a line buried under "house rules."
What to include:
- Network name (exactly as it appears — "Aryan's iPhone" vs "AryaniPhone" matters)
- Password (use exact capitalization)
- Which device to connect to if there are multiple networks
- What to do if the connection drops ("restart the router — it's the white box above the TV — wait 60 seconds")
Small detail that saves big headaches: if your router is in a cabinet or behind furniture, say so. Guests who can't find the router will text you. Guests who find it and restart it won't.
3. House instructions — the things your property doesn't explain itself
Every property has quirks. The shower that takes 90 seconds to get hot. The door that needs a shoulder-shove to open. The AC that makes a noise that sounds alarming but is fine. Write these down now so they're not a problem at midnight.
What to include:
- How to operate heating/cooling (include thermostat instructions if it's not obvious)
- Hot water — how long it takes, whether there's a switch to turn on
- Kitchen appliances you'd expect guests to use (coffee maker, washing machine, dishwasher)
- Trash — which bin is which, what day collection happens, where to leave bags
- Any doors, windows, or locks that require a specific technique
- TV and streaming — how to log in to your Netflix/Amazon, or note that there's no streaming
- Any quirks guests will discover anyway ("the left hob runs slightly hot — adjust accordingly")
The rule: if you've ever explained something to a guest in person or over text, it belongs in this section.
4. House rules — short, clear, non-confrontational
Most hosts make house rules feel like a lease agreement. Guests skim them or ignore them. Keep this section short and specific — three to eight rules maximum.
What to include:
- No smoking (specify inside/outside/anywhere on property)
- No parties or events, if relevant
- Noise rules and any local quiet hours (many cities have ordinances)
- Pet rules — if you allow pets, where they're allowed; if not, say so
- Shoes off / shoes on inside
- Any areas that are off-limits
What not to include: a list of 22 rules in size 10 font. Guests tune out. If something is important enough to be a rule, it's important enough to be one of eight.
5. Check-out instructions — prevent the 1-star review that didn't need to happen
More bad reviews come from unclear check-out expectations than almost anything else. "Left the place in a state" often means "I didn't know you expected me to strip the bed."
What to include:
- Check-out time
- Where to leave the keys
- What you do / don't expect from guests (strip the bed or leave it? run the dishwasher? take out the trash?)
- What to do with the thermostat before leaving
- Any security steps (lock specific doors, close windows)
Be specific: "Leave the kitchen as you found it" means something different to every guest. "Rinse dishes and leave them in the sink" means one thing to everyone.
6. Emergency contacts & local help
This section is the one guests hope they never need — and the one they're most relieved to find when they do.
What to include:
- Your phone number and preferred contact method ("WhatsApp is faster than SMS")
- A backup contact if you're unreachable
- Local emergency numbers (if hosting internationally — don't assume guests know the local equivalent of 911)
- Nearest hospital or urgent care clinic
- Nearest pharmacy
- 24-hour convenience store or grocery (if available)
- Locksmith contact if you use a physical key (locked out is more common than you think)
7. Local recommendations — this is what makes guests feel looked after
Every host can write WiFi passwords. Almost no host writes personal recommendations that feel genuinely useful. This section is your competitive advantage.
What to include:
- Your 3–5 favourite restaurants (with a one-line note on why — "best south Indian breakfast in the city, go before 9am")
- A café worth walking to in the morning
- One thing most guests miss ("tourists skip the evening market on Tuesday — don't")
- Nearest supermarket and pharmacy with opening hours
- Transport — nearest metro/bus stop, best cab apps for the city, airport route
- Optional: nearby walks, viewpoints, or experiences that are free
The rule here: only recommend things you'd actually recommend to a friend. Generic lists ("there are many good restaurants nearby") are worse than nothing. They signal that you didn't try.
What a real welcome book looks like
Here's the welcome guide we built for a homestay in Spiti Valley, Himachal Pradesh — a remote, high-altitude destination where guests are often cut off from good mobile signal and arriving after a long mountain drive.
→ View the Spiti Zomsa Welcome Guide here
Notice what it does:
- Arrival section is first, specific to the drive from Kaza
- WiFi section is a single, large-print block — no hunting
- House instructions cover the solar water heater (a quirk that every guest would otherwise ask about)
- Local section is curated, not comprehensive — five recommendations, each with a real reason
- Emergency contacts include the local clinic in Kaza, not a generic "call emergency services"
That's the standard to aim for. Not exhaustive — specific to the property.
The format question: printed PDF or digital link?
Both work. Here's when to use each:
PDF / printed copy: Best for properties where guests arrive without reliable mobile signal (remote locations, mountain stays, beach places with weak signal). Print it, laminate it if possible, leave it on the kitchen table.
Digital link: Best for city properties. Send it as a WhatsApp message two hours before check-in. Guests can search it on their phones ("where did they say the WiFi was again?").
Many hosts do both: a printed copy in the property and a digital link sent before arrival. If you only do one, send the digital link — printed copies get left on the table and ignored; a link they can screenshot stays on their phone.
The one thing most welcome books get wrong
Length.
The average host welcome book is 8–12 pages. Guests read the first two.
The best welcome books are 4–5 pages maximum. They answer the questions guests actually have, in the order guests actually have them (arrival first, local tips last), and they stop there.
If you're writing a section and asking yourself "should I include this?" — apply this test: has a guest ever asked me about this? If yes, include it. If not, cut it.
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Written by Aryan, founder of The Checkin Guide. I built this after spending too many Sunday evenings answering the same five guest questions for the same property.