Airbnb Welcome Book: Exactly What to Include (2026 Guide + Template)
By StayScan Editorial Team · Published · Last updated
Everything to include in your Airbnb welcome book, from arrival instructions and house rules to appliance guides, local restaurant picks, and emergency contacts. Build one guests actually read.
Welcome Book vs. House Manual: What's the Difference?
People use these terms interchangeably, but I've found it useful to distinguish them:
A house manual is operational, how things work, where things are, what to do if something goes wrong. A welcome book is hospitality, who you are as a host, what makes this property special, why you love the neighbourhood.
The best guest guides do both. But leading with the welcome aspect changes the tone of everything that follows. When guests feel welcomed rather than briefed, their entire experience of the property shifts.
Section 1: A Note From the Host
One to two paragraphs. Personal. Why you love this space, what you hope guests experience. Not marketing copy, an actual human note.
Example:
Welcome to The Garden Flat. I've lived in this building for eight years and loved watching this neighbourhood grow, there's a genuinely brilliant food scene within walking distance now, and the park two streets away is one of the city's hidden gems. I hope you get some time to explore both.
The flat is small but well set-up. If anything doesn't work as it should, I'm very responsive, please just message me. Enjoy your stay.
— Jamie
That's it. Don't oversell the property. Don't start listing features. Just establish that there's a real person behind the booking who cares about the experience.
Section 2: Arrival Essentials
This section needs to arrive before guests do, include it in your pre-arrival message. In the welcome book itself, keep it as a quick reference:
- Full address with postcode (Maps-ready)
- Parking instructions
- Entry instructions (lockbox code, key collection)
- Check-in / checkout times
- Host contact number
Section 3: The Essentials (First Hour Information)
What guests need within 60 minutes of arriving:
- Wi-Fi name and password (first item, put it at the top of this section)
- Heating/cooling controls
- Hot water (any quirks, "takes about 45 seconds to warm up")
- Key supplies location (coffee, tea, extra towels)
Section 4: Around the Property
Room-by-room, focusing on anything non-obvious. Not an exhaustive inventory, the things that would cause a guest to message you if they weren't covered.
Organise by room. Include photos where genuinely helpful (a photo of the router with an arrow is worth a paragraph of description).
Section 5: Your Neighbourhood Guide
This is the section guests talk about. Not a TripAdvisor list, your actual recommendations. What you'd send a friend visiting for a weekend.
Structure it by category:
- Coffee: Two or three specific places, with a note about what you like about each
- Breakfast/Brunch: Same principle
- Dinner: Range of price points, with your honest note ("excellent for a special occasion," "cheap and genuinely great," "avoid the fish, everything else is brilliant")
- Groceries: Nearest supermarket, any specialist shops worth knowing (good butcher, bakery, off-licence)
- Transport: Bus stops, tube stations, taxi apps that work well locally, bike hire
- Things to do: Your personal suggestions, not the tourist brochure list
Include walking times or distances. "5 minutes walk" is much more useful than "nearby."
Section 6: Checkout
Maximum five tasks. Numbered. Specific.
- Strip beds and leave linen on the bedroom floor
- Load and run the dishwasher
- Take all rubbish to the bin outside (black bin on the left)
- Close and lock all windows
- Leave key in the lockbox and pull the door closed
Don't ask guests to clean beyond these basics. Your cleaning fee covers cleaning. Asking for a deep clean at checkout creates resentment and sometimes shows up in reviews.
Section 7: Emergency Information
Brief, but present:
- Nearest hospital (name, address, phone)
- Local pharmacy
- Fuse box location and how to reset a tripped fuse
- Your phone number for property emergencies
- Building management contact (if applicable)
Format: Digital vs. Printed
A digital welcome book (accessed via QR code or link) is more practical for most properties, you can update it as things change, guests access it from their phone anywhere, and you don't have to reprint anything. A printed version as backup is worth having, particularly for properties with unreliable signal.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long should an Airbnb welcome book be?
As long as it needs to be, typically 400–1200 words for a one-bedroom property, more for larger places. Scannable structure matters more than length. Use clear headings so guests can find specific sections without reading everything.
Should I include photos in the welcome book?
Yes, selectively. A photo of the lockbox location, the router, and the fuse box saves many support messages. Photos of local restaurants or neighbourhood highlights add character. Don't include generic stock photos.
How often should I update my welcome book?
After every change to the property, and whenever a guest asks a question that isn't covered. Keep a running list of guest questions, every one is a content gap in your guide.
StayScan is a digital guidebook for Airbnb, VRBO, Booking.com and Agoda hosts: one QR code gives guests Wi-Fi, check-in steps, house rules and local tips in 30+ languages. Create your guidebook with a 30-day free trial, no credit card required.