When it comes to money, real estate, and travel, there’s usually a little asterisk next to the word “conditions may apply.” The tiny print on certain items, such as your Airbnb home, may be a lifesaver. In the end, you wish to avoid having unwelcome visitors, but the unexpected occurs. Having a contract in place may be a massive help to both you and your visitors.
When you sign an Airbnb rental agreement, you commit to providing a specific level of service and meeting your guests’ expectations. Your visitors will be aware of your obligations and what is expected of them.
When it comes to owning and maintaining a vacation rental, you want to avoid as many difficulties as possible, so putting together the correct terms and conditions and using reliable vacation rental software can make things a lot easier.
Please contact our customer support team if you’re a Lodgable client and wish to connect with Airbnb through API. Please schedule a demo with one of our sales representatives for further information.
What is the definition of an Airbnb rental agreement?
An Airbnb rental agreement isn’t simply a requirement; it’s a lifesaver. This agreement should be mutual between you and your visitors as to what each party will get in the rental process.
An Airbnb agreement informs visitors about what they should know about the property ahead of time, including occupancy limitations, noise level requirements, and safety precautions.
On the other side, it gives the host helpful information like contact information and an understanding that the visitors consent to any additional fees that were not previously negotiated.
What is the purpose of an Airbnb lease agreement?
Now, here’s the big question: why do you need an Airbnb rental agreement in the first place? Airbnb has its own set of terms and conditions, but that isn’t enough in many circumstances.
Even though these statements are accurate, each property is unique and should have its tailored rental agreement.
Because Airbnb’s terms and conditions are intended to be general, you’ll need your rental agreement to cover any additional details specific to your vacation home.
Suppose you have unique facilities, such as a swimming pool or a fire pit. In that case, this is particularly crucial since certain regulations must be implemented for your visitors to have a safe and enjoyable stay.
You want your visitors to look after your property, but you also want them to have fun! For example, if you have a backyard playground, you want your visitors to feel at ease knowing that they are welcome to use it. Furthermore, you’ll leave no space for surprises.
Creating an Airbnb rental agreement enhances the visitor experience by providing them the confidence to utilize all of your property’s amenities.
You want visitors willing to sign an Airbnb leasing agreement for your house. This may be thought of as a guest screening. If the prospective visitors intend to disobey the rules, bring additional guests, or ruin your property, they will not sign it, saving you time and money.
Even if you check for ideal travelers, things happen, and property damage occurs. Having a short-term rental agreement on your Airbnb can protect you from having to battle with your visitors about the specifics of the damage. Informing visitors about the damage policy in your rental agreement helps avoid future conflict. It may also motivate visitors to take additional care of your home.
What should you include in the package?
Once you’ve determined that adding an Airbnb rental agreement to your home is a good idea, you’ll need to figure out what to put in it. The contract should be educational, but it does not read like a textbook. Furthermore, we’re not attempting to invent the wheel here. It’s usually not required to state any conditions if they’re self-evident, such as no repainting the house or taking the TV home. Keep it straightforward, informative, and as brief as possible to ensure your visitors are completely aware of what they commit to.
Specifications of the property
Your visitors should have a good notion of what they’re booking by now. They’ve probably already looked at the images, read some reviews, and looked at your website, but you still have to let them know about the property. They may have viewed your property, but they must also agree to all of the conditions of the stay. If you have a jacuzzi, for example, but only use it part of the year, you must declare it in your short-term rental agreement.
Information about how to contact us
The uniqueness and personal touch that vacation rentals provide set them apart from hotels. Although there is usually more distance between guests and hosts, this does not imply that visitors do not expect attentive treatment throughout their stay.
You’ll need to give a couple of different ways for your visitors to contact you, whether it’s via a property manager or by providing your home and mobile phone number. Guests must be able to contact you in the event of an emergency.
Provide both a regular and an emergency phone number. Give an estimate of how long it will take for visitors to get a response from your non-emergency line (within 24 hours is a good policy) and tell them that if they have an emergency, they should call the emergency number indicated.
If you have a bigger property with employees, including their contact information may also be beneficial. Customers must know who to call if they need an impromptu change of linens or if their shower does not drain. By giving your visitors all required contact information, you can boost their pleasure and keep them coming back for future vacations.
Property management does not have to be so difficult. Property management software can effortlessly handle any extra personnel you provide in your contact details. If your visitor requests your repair team’s contact information, you may assign the work and distribute money using this management system.
Home regulations, Fortunately, we have an article that outlines the Airbnb house rules you should add. This is one of the most crucial aspects of your Airbnb leasing agreement, so be comprehensive. Anything you leave out might be interpreted in a variety of ways.
Requirements for minimum and maximum stay
The length of stays has altered dramatically in the period of the “new normal.” Many tourists choose to work from home and make their holiday a long-term event. Allowances for mid-term and long-term stays provide several benefits, including lower turnover and more stable revenue. Even so, you’ll need to establish a stay restriction to retain your home as a “vacation rental.”
The number of times guests can stay is totally up to you. If you live near your property and visitor turnover isn’t a big problem for you, a minimum stay may not be necessary. On the other hand, if preparing your home for new visitors is expensive, you can request that existing guests remain longer. In any case, you’ll need to specify the minimum and maximum number of days a visitor is permitted to rent out.
Assume you want to charge a surcharge for exceeding the maximum number of nights allowed or failing to satisfy the minimum stay criteria. If that’s the case, say it briefly here but go into more depth in the “rental prices and extra costs” section below.
Conditions of Occupancy
The number of beds offered should be clearly stated on your website or listing sites; however, the occupancy limitations may occasionally be ambiguous for bigger properties, such as villas. Guests may not realize how many people are permitted to stay at your home because of pull-out sofas, twin beds, and multipurpose spaces.
You remove the grey area for tourists by disclosing the precise occupancy rate. The purpose of having an Airbnb rental agreement is to avoid any possible conflict between visitors and hosts.
You may always mention your local legislation indicating the maximum occupancy for your building if you need further proof of your occupancy circumstances.
Occupancy does not have to be a negative experience. It might also be a chance to show your adaptability. You may also include whether you provide a baby crib or collapsible beds upon request in your occupancy area.
In terms of check-in and check-out,
To manage a successful vacation rental company, you must have a seamless transition between visitors. You may seem unprofessional if your check-in hours are all over the place and visitors depart your property in diverse states.
You must specify the visitors’ check-in and check-out dates and hours for each rental agreement. This section should be handwritten and unambiguous regarding the time limitations to discourage late arrivals or overstay.
If you want to make exceptions, make it clear that they may be made but must be approved ahead of time or for a cost.
If your check-in and check-out rules differ between the off-season and the peak season, you must specify this here. Keep in mind that your visitors aren’t from the vacation rental sector. They’re only. Guests! You’ll need to treat them like such by being extremely clear about your check-in and checkout procedures without resorting to business slang.
Airbnb fees. It’s important to understand the expenses of operating an Airbnb company for you and your visitors. A considerable portion of the entire amount, for example, is allocated to an obligatory cleaning cost. Guests may request a pricing breakdown for items such as cleaning services to understand where their money is going.
Additional costs and rental rates
Aside from Airbnb’s fees, you may incur extra costs that Airbnb does not cover. This is critical to clarify in the rental agreement since visitors may be misled if the costs are not directly related to Airbnb.
If you want to have numerous extra charges, each should be bolded and accompanied by a brief explanation. A cost breakdown clears up any ambiguity and promotes visitor satisfaction.
It’s also vital to clarify rental pricing since it helps your visitors realize that you didn’t choose a price point at random. If your prices change based on holidays, seasonality, or anything else, you should at least provide your visitors with a high-level explanation.
If your off-season prices are competitive, guests may elect to book an extra week later in the year, or they may decide to prolong their stay if the pricing remains the same. This might save you money in the long run in ways you hadn’t anticipated. Of course, you want your visitors to be informed, but announcing the rental costs ahead of time might help you make more money.
The ultimate purpose of having a complete Airbnb rental agreement is to educate your visitors, but there are other business prospects here.
Deposits that have been damaged
Aside from pricing, you’ll have to list any expenditures you make outside of Airbnb. One of the most popular is a damage deposit, which is sadly not mentioned in Airbnb’s list of prices. In an occurrence, Airbnb will collect the damage payment after that. This might mean tracking down the visitors, delaying payment, or, in the worst-case scenario, not receiving any money at all.
You might add a damage deposit in your rental agreement to prevent these eventualities. The deposit conditions should also be included, such as how long you intend to keep the deposited sum after the stay and what to do if the damage exceeds the deposit amount.
Discounts
You may give discounts to certain passengers in addition to prices and taxes. These reductions may be made known to guests before booking, but they should also be included in the rental agreement to clear the discount rate and limitations. Military personnel, pensioners, regular visitors, and locals, to mention a few, may be eligible for discounts.
Suggestions for insurance
Airbnb provides two types of insurance: liability and host coverage. Its purpose is to protect the visitors from property damage or harm. Depending on the scenario, damage, and case, host protection insurance may cover up to 1,000,000.
The host is covered under the other insurance. According to Airbnb’s host guarantee, you might be covered for up to $1,000,000 in damages to your home and goods.
Both plans include conditions, much as other insurance alternatives. Coverage isn’t guaranteed in any way, and certain situations aren’t covered at all (such as certain types of theft and damage from wear and tear).
You may discover that you need additional protection in the event of unforeseen harm. Explore what choices would be ideal for your home and describe the conditions of your policy in this area of your Airbnb rental agreement. If your policy compels visitors to file claims, petitions, or participate in any way, they should be informed about it in the contract.
Cancellation policy on Airbnb
You should make your visitors aware of the guidelines in your Airbnb rental agreement to prevent any misunderstandings. Just because something is mentioned on your website doesn’t guarantee it belongs here. You wish to show your visitors that your home conforms with this policy and that you will adhere to Airbnb’s requirements in the case of a cancellation.
There are techniques to avoid cancellations, yet, in any case, they do happen. If a visitor expresses dissatisfaction with how a cancellation was handled, you may calmly and diplomatically refer them to the Airbnb rental agreement for proof. This condition protects you from any potential refund issues in the future.
Payment information
Let’s look at one of the most crucial aspects: money! Your reservation process will go much more smoothly if you have a clear and straightforward explanation of the payment information.
Your visitors will better understand where their money is going if you provide a detailed cost breakdown. It’s also helpful to show how much of the total goes toward the rental vs. fees or taxes.
This might also be useful for legal considerations in the future. Certain states and municipalities levy tourist taxes, and you may use your rental agreement as extra evidence of payment. Similarly, having the payment information included for documentation reasons is beneficial for tax purposes.
Both parties’ signatures
It’s time to sign if you and your guests agree to the terms and conditions of the “short-term rental agreement Airbnb” or whatever name you choose for your contract. The rental agreement is null and void; therefore, be sure your visitors sign in to the appropriate location.
You may additionally demand initials in areas where they are more relevant, such as check-in and check-out, house rules, or anything else you think particularly vital.
To guarantee authenticity, signatures should be accompanied by printed names and dates of signing.
When should visitors be given the Airbnb rental agreement?
Don’t catch your visitors off guard by giving out the documents just as they’re about to check in. The rental agreement should be made known to guests as soon as feasible. It’s usually a good idea to mention that there will be a rental agreement upon booking on the description page.
You’ll want to offer your visitors as much notice as possible. Nobody hates to deal with unexpected paperwork, particularly while they’re on vacation.
You can automate the act of emailing, reminding, and thanking your visitors for the Airbnb rental agreement to save time and effort. Lodgable’s software enables you to automate a variety of administrative chores, such as providing newly booked guests with information about your Airbnb rental agreement or sending a thank you letter after check-out.Â
