My wife and I have been proud Airbnb hosts since 2018. We currently host three guest suites between two properties in North Carolina, and we love doing it. Airbnb enables us to take care of my wife’s mom and afford critical house renovations. Overall, hosting has been a worthwhile, albeit sometimes tiring, experience.

Between our three listings, we see many guests. We try to be “super” hosts to every guest who stays with us, and most of our guests likewise try to be super guests. However, nobody is perfect. While we believe that the vast majority of Airbnb users want to be good, not everyone may be cognizant of irksome or even damaging missteps. From our perspective as hosts, we’d like to share 12 ways for good guests to be truly great guests.

#1. Share information about yourself and your travel plans.

As hosts, we don’t know who you are. You are strangers who we meet online, and you want to stay at our house. We want to trust you, but help us! Don’t be shy. Update your Airbnb profile with your email, phone number, and information about yourself. Share your actual profile picture – not a picture of your kids or some dumb cartoon sketch. Upload a copy of your government ID. When you request to stay at our place, share why you are traveling. Tell us when you plan to arrive and leave, and tell us exactly who all the guests will be. Ask us for local recommendations.

The more you share about yourselves, the more likely we will be as hosts to accept your request to stay. Conversely, we have also rejected requests when guests don’t upload their IDs or when they aren’t forthright with information.

#2. Read (and follow) all house rules and guides.

When guests request to stay at a listing, they must agree to follow all house rules (in addition to Airbnb’s policies). House rules are attached to the listing and accessible before booking. Our house rules are pretty basic, but we frequently see the following violated:

• No shoes inside.
• Park on the street, not in the driveway.
• Quiet hours after 10pm.

Breaking these rules is not a huge problem but unfortunately reveals guests to be careless and disrespectful. Read the rules before you book.

Similarly, read the guides before you check in. We provide a full step-by-step guide with pictures for each listing, including the entry codes. We also provide WiFi and Netflix information. Asking us for the combo code or trying to enter the wrong door reveals that guests did not prepare.

#3. No means no.

Hosts set rules for reasons. Guests should not expect exceptions. For example, we do not allow children under age 12 in any of our listings because they are not baby-proof or child-proof. We have fragile decorations, furniture with sharp edges, and outlets without safety covers. We also do not allow pets because I am allergic to animal dander. These rules are published clearly on our listings. Please do not request to stay with us if you intend to bring a child or a dog. Please do not ask for an exception because “he’s a good boy.” Or worse, don’t show up with a rule violation and put your host in an awkward situation. It’s okay to ask for things that are unclear or unspecified, but please be reasonable with requests, and do not be offended if the host says no.

#4. Include all guests in the booking.

Each listing has a maximum number of allowed guests. When guests book a listing, they must include how many people will come. Guests should list all people, but unfortunately that doesn’t always happen. It’s common for a guest to book for one person and then have more show up. This may or may not be a serious problem. For example, one of our suites can accommodate 3 people, but we charge extra per night because we need to turn a futon into a bed. We’ve had guests book it for one person and then have three show up – creating an awkward situation. We also had one problematic guest invite five or six others over without even asking. As a guest, just make sure to include all members of your party in the booking, and ask for permission before bringing over someone not in the booking.

#5. Cancel early (when necessary).

Cancellations are always disappointing for hosts, but we understand that plans change. If you as a guest need to cancel your reservation, then please cancel as soon as possible. Every day you hold a reservation is an opportunity cost for someone else to book. When a guest cancels late, the host loses the income and has little chance to find a replacement.

Furthermore, respect the host’s cancellation policy. Hosts choose one of Airbnb’s standard policies, so make sure to check the listing when you book. If you cancel too late and don’t get a full refund from Airbnb, then please don’t feel entitled to get a full refund directly from the host.

#6. Treat the space well.

As hosts, we put a lot of work into making our guest suites nice. We carefully choose the furniture and decor. We clean the suites thoroughly between stays and inspect them for any problems. And we tend to cycle through many guests in short time. Our guest suites need to “survive” day to day.

As guests, please take care of the spaces you rent. Be careful not to cause any damages. Clean up your messes. Wash your dishes. Hang up your towels. Don’t leave food out for bugs. Overall, just think about how you’d want a guest to treat your home.

#7. When in doubt, ask for permission.

Grace Hopper once said, “It is easier to ask forgiveness than it is to get permission.” However, this is terrible advice for Airbnb rentals! Guests should always ask their hosts whenever the rules or guides are unclear. My wife and I are fairly accommodating with most requests, such as late checkin or storing food in our fridge. We just don’t like surprises – like someone unexpectedly cooking during our family mealtimes.

#8. Don’t do sketchy things.

Airbnb stays are meant to be a fun, safe experience for both guests and hosts. There should be an implicit sense of trust between guest and host. Neither party should participate in illegal or discomforting activities. Drugs, sex work, and pornography are unwelcome – and not to mention a violation of Airbnb’s policies. If you are a guest, don’t do these things. My wife and I have kicked out guests for doing sketchy things.

Also, be clear and open about your intentions, especially if they are atypical. If you need to stay up late to work on a project, let your host know so they don’t wonder why your lights are on all night. If you need to bring large medical hardware, let your host know so they don’t think you’re “Breaking Bad.” If you want to use the listing for a family photo shoot, let your host know so they don’t suspect you of filming porn. Remember, you are staying in another person’s space. Please don’t make them worry.

#9. Be patient when problems happen.

Problems happen. Even though hosts work really hard to make things perfect, sometimes they overlook details, and other times things are out of their control. Our guest suites have had problems with temperature, hot water, burned-out light bulbs, and even bugs.

As guests, please be gracious with problems. Tell your host right away. Good hosts will want to fix the problems ASAP. Share pictures so your host can see exactly what is wrong. Be polite, not belligerent or whiny. Please be patient while the host works to fix the problems. And don’t wait until the final review to share a problem. By then, it’s too late. Guest shouldn’t suffer and hosts shouldn’t get bad reviews when problems can be fixed.

#10. Be honest when you cause problems.

Again, problems happen. Here’s a few we’ve seen:

• Guests parked in the driveway and blocked our cars.
• Guests tracked mud into the house.
• Guests spilled coffee on the bedroom carpet.

Good hosts will focus on solutions rather than blame. As guests, please take responsibility for any problems you cause and help work toward solutions. Be quick to respond to your host, and be willing to pay the host for any damages. For example, the guest who spilled the coffee reimbursed us about $10 for carpet cleaner.

#11. Check out on time.

Good listings have high occupancy rates. All three of our suites are typically 75-100% occupied every month. Whenever a guest checks out, a new guest will probably check in later that same day. As hosts, we need to flip the space in that short window between checkout and checkin. That includes inspecting, vacuuming, cleaning, laundry, remaking the bed, and handling any surprises.

Please make sure to check out punctually. Tell your host ahead of time when you plan to check out, and send the host a message to let them know when you leave.

On a related note: the most common request from our guests is for an early checkin time. We try to accommodate early checkin for guests who ask, but we cannot make guarantees. An early checkin time depends directly upon the previous guests’ checkout time.

#12. Don’t leave poor reviews for poor reasons.

At the end of a stay, the host and the guest review each other. Reviews are kept private until either both parties submit them or 14 days pass. The bidirectional nature of reviews holds guests and hosts equally accountable to each other, which encourages better behavior from both sides.

I encourage everyone – guests and hosts alike – to give truthful, transparent reviews. A robust review system keeps the Airbnb platform trustworthy. At the same time, be mindful about what you write in your reviews. Hosts rely upon good reviews for income, and bad reviews – even 4 stars instead of 5 – can be especially damaging. If you leave a bad review, make sure it is for a good reason. Nothing is more frustrating than to see reviews like these:

• A guest said everything during their weekend stay was absolutely perfect. They adored the location, the decor, and the coffee machine. They said they’d definitely come back. No negative comments. 4 stars instead of 5.
• A guest gave 3 stars for accuracy because the guest suite didn’t have a private entry, even though the listing explicitly stated that there was no private entry.
• A guest complained that one of the bedsheets was upside down and not tucked in perfectly.

Thankfully, off-the-mark reviews like these happen rarely. I’m sure some hosts are guilty as well. Please don’t give poor reviews for poor reasons.

Final advice

There are many more things we could share, but the “golden rule” comes down to this: Be a good guest to every host, just as much as you want your host to be good to every guest. Even if your host is lousy, still strive to be a good guest for your integrity and the integrity of other Airbnb users.