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Kona,
I just can’t grasp the concept of hours of cooking either. I mean, I understand it is a cultural thing with certain ethnic groups. And I do understand people having special needs and not wanting to eat processed foods at restaurants. But to go on vacation and spend the majority of days cooking in someone else’s home just baffles me. Maybe they are not on vacation and just using Airbnb while they are displaced. I have no idea.
But wow…these guests really have no shame in their game.
Good for you Yana. The guest behavior doesn’t cease to amaze me.
After the initial acting up the lady calmed down and everything went smooth after . 
Cabin, It’s true that some people “in-between” housing situations use AirbnB. I know of such a case in Oregon. This woman suffers from schizophrenia but talks a good game. Before Oregon, she made the rounds in Kona. She had a few of us here in my subdivision highly fooled and people kindly let their extra rooms or apartments to her. The happiness doesn’t last long. She then insists you are trying to poison her and gets a restraining order on you, and takes you to court. The landlords all warned each other about this sad nutcase.
All she can find is AirBnBs to rent or homeless shelters.
I’ve never used Air as a guest but if I did I would not cook, and would be far too shy to use the kitchen and get in the host’s way.
That’s one reason why I simply prefer hotels when I travel. Also, there’s not a cleaning fee or a security deposit. Or reviews, LOL
Oh my gosh…poisoning her?? - Lol!
That one takes the cake!
You know I have always wondered if there is something wrong with me for not feeling comfortable using someone else’s kitchen for more than a short time. I have lived with so many roommates over the years. Whenever someone was on the lease and I was renting from them, I always tried to limit my use in the main area when they were home. When they weren’t home then I would use the main area. But I noticed when people rented from me some were perfectly comfortable helping themselves to my food, using my ziploc bags. That’s why my guests don’t get nice quality ziploc freezer bags. I had one roommate who would go through my stash like crazy. She would save two bites of food and waste a new ziploc with it. Every little morsel would go into a new ziploc after every meal. She would never use a tiny piece of foil or saran wrap. So I only provide sandwich bags and an assortment of Pyrex food containers 
Guests can purchase their own Ziploc bags at the grocery store if they want to take their food home in a cooler.
Cabin…LOL! How nervy! How dare they!
I used to provide all of those things for gusts… Paper towels, sandwich bags, foil, Saran Wrap, etc. Etc. But really…guests can get their own. Some high-end vacation rentals might feel obligated to provide all that stuff but I don’t do it anymore. I provide dish soap, hand soap, body wash, shampoo and TP. Anything else is at the choice of the guest. Too much out of the bottom line.
I love it! I’m going to steal some of your house rules.
My friend just called me laughing aNd told me her guest wants to bake cookies and asked how come there is no parchment paper in a kitchen.
What a weird travelling style: spend your vacation time baking cookies and on top of that thinking that she should be provided parchment paper 
Oddly, one of my guests recently left a roll of parchment paper… And I have no cookie sheets for baking cookies!
I’ve just updated my rules. Your comments would be most welcome! We Air our spare room out.
Haere mai,
Please, no large gatherings of friends, family etc. at our house; we don’t really have the space. We don’t smoke and would appreciate it if you only smoke in the back garden (no smoking inside in other words!). Also, no extra guests beyond those that have booked to stay; we don’t have the space, bedding or facilities. It’s also in violation of Airbnb terms and conditions (I have to mention this as we have had guests turn up before with more than the number of people booked!). We also don’t eat meat and would prefer the use of the kitchen to be for light cooking only (salads, sandwiches, boiling eggs, pasta, warming up stuff etc.) rather than for cooking large roasts dinners etc.
Please take your shoes off at the door and clean-up after yourselves - rubbish in the bins and leave the kitchen tidy. Please be polite and treat our home with respect, as you would your own. Quiet after 1030 pm (we live in a residential area). No very late check-ins (>1030pm) without prior consideration from us and check out before 11 am.
If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact us.
Kia pai te haere
Sounds good though I Would not tell people to be polite and respectfull as for me it sounds like I am lecturing small kids, but that’s just my opinion, I know many hosts use the wording all the time.
I also gave each rule a number. 1.2,3… It’s easier to read.
We also don’t eat meat and would prefer the use of the kitchen to be for light cooking only (salads, sandwiches, boiling eggs, pasta, warming up stuff etc.) rather than for cooking large roasts dinners etc.
Do you allow meat to be stored in the kitchen? If not, I would be clear that you do not allow meat to be brought into the home. Also, I would remove the word “prefer” about the light cooking. You could say "You are welcome to use the kitchen; however, privileges are limited to light preparation of foods only (salads, sandwiches, boiling eggs, pasta, warming up stuff, etc.)
I think the rest sounds good!
Hi Kirsty!
I think you may want to adjust your first sentence - no large gathering of friends, etc. - that leaves it up to interpretation of what is large? To some that would mean 5, to others, 50. I might not even think of bringing other family and friends over until I read that - I would read it as “It’s ok to bring people to my home to hang out, as long as it’s not to many people”.
Perhaps something more clear - such as - "Unfortunately we are able to accommodate ONLY those guests who were included in the airbnb reservation. As much as we love a party, we are not able to host yours. Do not arrive at the home with more guests than specified in the reservation. This violates Airbnb policy; parties arriving at the home with additional guests will not be allowed to check-in until the reservation has been amended to the correct number of guests.
You are welcome to use our kitchen to make sandwiches or salads, or to boil pasta or eggs or warm up food. We are not able to accommodate cooking of meats of any kind, or full meal preparation… Our kitchen would not be suitable for guests cooking meals. And of course, as you would anywhere, clean up after yourself so the kitchen is pleasant for everyone.
We enjoy sharing our home and hope it will be a pleasant place for everyone. You can help by keeping your conversations private by speaking quietly, leaving the bathroom clean and tidy for the next guest, and keeping our quiet hours of 10:30 - ??
sorry, maybe that was more advice than you wanted - just got started and lost track!!
Thanks team I really appreciate it. It’s getting the right balance!
Kirsty, I too think your rules sound a bit wishy washy. Make them firmer. NO use of the word “prefer.”
Light, vegetarian cooking only (define).
Also you might want to turn the Dont’s into DOs…
“Only your approved and registered guests allowed on property.” Instead of no extra people, large gatherings, etc. You don’t have to justify why! Or tell them about the linens, etc… No need to mention the Air violation. That goes overboard. Just only your registered guests allowed on property, and that should do it.
“NO use of the word prefer”. Made me laugh. But it is oh so true!!
Thanks team this forum is great
I have an iPad for guest use and it has the house rules as the opening page, as well as a printed version in the apartment. And i point them out to the online directory which is on the site.Mmaybe all very European but I like to keep things neat and simple. I send the links in an introduction mail so people can familiarise themselves before or on the way to the location… thoughts?
Hosts develop house rules to set expectations with their guests.
These rules can cover anything that’s important for guests to know, like limits on smoking, areas beyond the listing space that are off-limits, and permission to have visitors.
This has the benefit of allowing hosts to be upfront in their expectations, and eliminate any surprises that guests only learn about to their disappointment throughout their stay.
Despite these benefits, it also has the effect of potentially scaring off guests that are considering staying at your place.
Being too heavy-handed with your house rules gives prospective guests the impression that you’re the kind of host that’s likely to be a pain-in-the-youknowwhat… even if the rules themselves are fair.
The unfortunate reality is that from your perspective, most of your rules are simply there to be transparent in clarifying your expectations. Most are unlikely to eventuate into real problems that need dealing with. And even should things escalate, the house rules alone provide limited recourse for doing so.
When it comes to house rules, the best strategy is to strike the right balance between articulating your expectations and not coming across as an imposing or overbearing host. You ideally want to be using your house rules as an opportunity to demonstrate your commitment to providing consistently positive experiences for ALL of your Airbnb guests, as well as enable your personality and character to shine through.
Below is a summary of of the more common and frequent rules included on Airbnb listing pages:
These should not be viewed as a definitive list that you copy and paste onto your listing.
Rather, review this sample and select the 3-5 that are of most importance to you (if any at all). Prior positive experiences and a problem-free track-record may indicate no need to implement any house rules.
If this is the case for you, then these examples may be best kept as tricks up your sleeve for a time that you feel it important to start implementing house rules.
Issue: Are there prohibitions on any areas that guests are allowed to access?
Issue: Are there areas of the home that are expressly off-limits or accessible only in special circumstances?
Issue: Do you have a minimum age requirement?
Issue: Are there any rules for using any amenities of the home?
Issue: Do you have any behavioral expectations?
Issue: Are there limitations and/or flexibility with check-in / check-out times?
Issue: Are there any cleaning expectations?
Issue: Do you have a no-shoes policy?
Issue: What are your expectations around spills or damage to property?
Issue: Do you allow smoking?
Issue: Illicit drugs
Issue: Lights / AC / Heating
Issue: Do you have rules around making noise or the volume that music can be played at?
Issue: Do you have a maximum occupancy?
Issue: Are you prepared to allow additional guests to spend the night?
Issue: Do you allow pets in your place?
Issue: Do you have rules about keeping doors, gates or areas locked?