House rules are how you say, before anyone arrives, what this place is and is not. Written well, they prevent the two arguments every host has: the extra people who appear at midnight, and the party you find out about from a neighbour.
Copy what fits below, in English, Tagalog or both. Keep it short. Rules nobody reads protect nobody.
The template
Check-in and check-out
- Check-in: 2:00 PM onwards. Check-out: 12:00 NN.
- Early check-in and late check-out depend on the schedule that day. Message us and we will tell you honestly.
- *Check-in: 2:00 PM pataas. Check-out: 12:00 NN. Depende sa schedule ang early check-in at late check-out — magtanong lang po.*
How many people
- Maximum {n} guests, including children.
- The number of guests in the booking is the number we expect at the door. Extra guests are ₱{amount} per person per night, if there is room.
- Please tell us who is coming. Unannounced extra guests may be asked to leave.
- *Hanggang {n} katao lang po, kasama ang mga bata. May bayad ang sobra: ₱{amount} kada tao kada gabi, kung may espasyo.*
Visitors
- Guests staying overnight must be in the booking.
- Day visitors are welcome until 10:00 PM. Please let us know beforehand.
- *Ang mga bisitang matutulog dito ay dapat kasama sa booking. Hanggang 10:00 PM lang po ang day visitors, at pakisabi muna.*
Noise
- Quiet hours are 10:00 PM to 7:00 AM. Please keep music and voices inside.
- No parties or events.
- *Quiet hours: 10:00 PM hanggang 7:00 AM. Walang party o event po.*
Smoking
- No smoking and no vaping indoors. There is an ashtray at the {place}.
- Smoking inside means a ₱{amount} cleaning charge, because the smell stays for the next guest.
- *Bawal manigarilyo at mag-vape sa loob. May ashtray po sa {place}.*
Pets
- Pets are welcome / are not allowed. (Pick one and say so plainly.)
- If welcome: tell us the size and how many, keep them off the beds, and clean up outside.
- *Pinapayagan / hindi pinapayagan ang alaga. Kung pinapayagan, pakisabi po kung ilan at gaano kalaki.*
Cooking
- The kitchen is yours. Please wash what you use.
- No cooking inside the bedrooms.
- *Puwede pong magluto. Pakihugas lang po ang nagamit. Bawal magluto sa loob ng kuwarto.*
Before you leave
- Put rubbish in the bin outside, dishes in the sink, keys on the table.
- Turn off the aircon and the lights.
- *Ilabas po ang basura, iwan ang pinggan sa lababo at ang susi sa mesa. Patayin po ang aircon at ilaw.*
Damage
- Accidents happen. Tell us and we will sort it out calmly.
- Damage found after check-out, and not mentioned, is charged at repair cost.
- *Nangyayari po ang aksidente — sabihin niyo lang. Ang sirang hindi nabanggit ay sisingilin sa halaga ng pagpapaayos.*
Safety
- Do not leave cooking unattended.
- Candles, fireworks and open flames are not allowed.
- The house is not responsible for belongings left behind, but we will keep anything we find for 30 days.
- *Bawal ang kandila at paputok. Itatabi po namin ang naiwang gamit sa loob ng 30 araw.*
The rules worth keeping
The ones that actually prevent trouble are the countable ones: how many people, until what time, and what costs extra. "Be respectful" prevents nothing, because everyone already believes they are.
Say the number. "Maximum 6 guests" is a rule. "No overcrowding" is an opinion, and you will be the one arguing at midnight.
Give a reason for the odd ones. "No smoking inside, the smell stays for the next guest" is followed more often than "No smoking", because it explains who gets hurt.
Put the charge in writing, or do not charge. An extra-guest fee mentioned for the first time at check-out is a fight and a bad review. The same fee written in the rules is just the price.
The ones that start arguments
- Rules you do not enforce. If you allow late check-out every time, stop writing 12:00 NN, or write what you really mean.
- Long lists. Twenty rules read as a warning about the last guest. Eight are remembered.
- Rules that contradict your listing. "Family friendly" plus "no children" happens more often than you would think.
- Charges with no number. "Additional fees may apply" tells a guest to expect the worst.
- House rules used as an apology. If the shower is slow, fix it or say so in the description. A rule cannot mend it.
Where to put them
Put the same rules everywhere a guest will look, so none of the copies disagree:
- On your booking page. In UpaKwarto, open the property, and put one rule on each line in House rules. They appear on your booking page and go out with the booking emails. Paste a list straight in — bullets, numbering and blank lines are cleaned up when you save.
- On Airbnb and Booking.com, in each site's own house rules section.
- On the wall of the house, printed, where the aircon remote lives. This is the copy people actually read.
Keep check-in and check-out times in the time fields rather than only in the rules, so the correct times appear in what guests are sent.
One more thing
Rules set the tone of the stay before it starts. Read yours aloud once. If it sounds like a notice in a dormitory, soften the words but keep the numbers — the point is that a guest knows what to expect, not that they feel told off before they arrive.