A holiday let welcome pack tells guests, in the order they need it, how to get in, the Wi-Fi, the house rules, how the boiler and appliances work, what to do if the fire alarm goes off, which bin goes out on which day, and how to leave. In the UK, add your fire safety notes, the bin collection day and, where your nation licenses short-term lets, your licence number. Write it once, carefully, then print it for the kitchen table and put its link by the door.
What should a holiday let welcome pack include?
A holiday let welcome pack needs ten parts, in this order: getting in, Wi-Fi, house rules, heating and hot water, appliances, fire safety, bins and recycling, check-out, emergencies and contacts, and the local area. The order follows the stay: a guest needs the door before the Wi-Fi and the Wi-Fi before the restaurants.
Put one test to every line: have you explained it to a guest twice? If so, it goes in; if no guest has asked it, leave it out, however local and charming it is. For the same sections written for any country, with notes on each, see the vacation rental welcome book template.
Is there a holiday let welcome pack template I can copy?
Yes: the block below is a holiday let welcome pack template to copy into any document; fill in the brackets. The lines marked UK are the UK-only parts.
GETTING IN
[Address as a maps app needs it · what the house looks like from the lane ·
where the keysafe is and how to open it · what to do if the code does not
work · where to park, and where not to]
WI-FI
[Network and password, spelled so they cannot be misread · where the router
is · what to unplug if it drops]
HOUSE RULES
[Smoking · quiet hours · pets · how many people may stay · anything the
neighbours care about]
HEATING AND HOT WATER
[UK: where the boiler is · how to turn the heating up or on outside the
timer · how long the hot water takes · whether there is an immersion
switch, and where]
APPLIANCES
[Oven and hob · washing machine and dryer · dishwasher tablets · log burner
or open fire, if any: how to light it and what not to burn]
FIRE SAFETY
[UK: the escape route from each bedroom · where the fire extinguisher and
fire blanket are · where the smoke and carbon monoxide alarms are · what to
do if an alarm sounds: get out, call 999, then call me · where to meet
outside]
BINS AND RECYCLING
[UK: which bin is for what, by colour · collection day and the time it must
be out · where to leave it · what to do with bags if you leave before bin
day]
CHECK-OUT
[Time · what to do with the keys · what to do with bedding, dishes and
rubbish · whether to leave the heating on or off]
EMERGENCIES AND CONTACTS
[999 for fire, police and ambulance · the non-urgent medical number for your
nation · your own number and when you answer it · the nearest A&E · where the stopcock
and fuse box (consumer unit) are · a trusted local plumber or electrician]
LOCAL AREA
[Nearest shop and its hours · the pub or café you would send a friend to ·
one walk from the door · bus or taxi numbers]
UK: LICENCE
[Your short-term let licence or registration number, where your nation
requires one]
What UK-only information belongs in a holiday let welcome pack?
The UK-only parts of a holiday let welcome pack are four: fire safety notes, bin collection details, how the boiler and hot water work, and a short-term let licence where your nation requires one. Each is a few lines.
Fire safety. Write the escape route from each bedroom, where the extinguisher and fire blanket are, and what to do when an alarm sounds. If there is a wood stove or any gas appliance, say where the carbon monoxide alarm is, and ask guests never to cover, silence or disconnect an alarm but to ring you if one chirps. For your own duties, read the gov.uk guide making your small paying guest accommodation safe from fire and check which nations it covers for your let.
Bins. Say which bin takes what, the collection day and where the bin goes out. Councils can sort differently, so spell out yours: the wheelie bin’s colour for general waste, the box or sack for glass, paper and cans, and the caddy for food scraps if your council collects them. Your council sets the day: in England and Wales, the gov.uk bin collection day finder takes you to your council’s page; in Scotland and Northern Ireland, check your council’s site. Say what guests should do with full bags if they leave before it.
Boiler and hot water. Say where the boiler is, how to turn the heating on outside its timer, and how long hot water takes to come through. If there is a boost button or an immersion switch, say where it is. Name the thermostat and the programmer by what they look like, since guests from abroad may never have used either. If a combi boiler loses pressure, say what the gauge should read and whether guests may top it up or should ring you instead.
Licence. If your let is in Scotland, read short-term let licences on mygov.scot; elsewhere, check your council. Put the number in the pack if you have one.
What does a filled-in welcome pack look like?
A filled pack is the template with your own answers in it, one short paragraph per part. Here are two excerpts drawn from our sample guides (fictional places). The first is the short pack a guest reads before arriving, the second the pack inside the door. Add the UK lines from the template above where your let needs them.
Example 1: the pre-arrival pack for Lantern House, Kovači 14, Sarajevo
Address: Kovači 14, Stari Grad, Sarajevo. Check-in from 15:00, check-out
by 11:00.
The key box is on the wall to the right of the green door, at shoulder
height. The code is in the message I send the morning you arrive.
Wi-Fi: network LanternHouse, password lanterna2026.
Selma
Example 2: the pack inside the door at Apartman Lanterna, Šperun 12, Split
HEATING AND HOT WATER
The radiators run on a timer, six to ten in the morning and four to eleven
at night. The dial in the hallway raises the whole flat by a few degrees.
Hot water takes about a minute to reach the shower.
HOUSE RULES
No smoking anywhere inside, including at the windows. The building is old
and the floors carry sound, so please keep it quiet after eleven. Shoes off
in the hallway if you can.
CHECK-OUT
Any time before eleven. Strip the beds if you have a minute, leave the
dishes in the machine and start it, put both keys back in the box and spin
the dial.
Ana
How do I write the getting-in part for a keysafe, smart lock or in-person handover?
The getting-in part should match how guests get in (keysafe, smart lock or in person) and say what to do when it fails. One line changes per method:
- Keysafe: where it is, at what height, which way the dial turns, and that the code comes in your message on the day.
- Smart lock: where the keypad is, that the code arrives before check-in, and what to try if the keypad stays dark.
- In person: where you will meet, the number to text when they are ten minutes away, and what happens if they arrive late.
The full wording for each, ready to paste, is in the check-in instructions template.
Should the welcome pack be a printed folder or a link?
A welcome pack works best as both a printed folder on the kitchen table for guests who look there first, and a link or QR code by the door for the ones who reach for their phone. Keep one source and print from it, so the folder and the link never disagree. The house rules part has its own page on writing house rules guests actually read.
Questions hosts ask
Do I have to provide a welcome pack for a holiday let? For fire safety, read the gov.uk guide linked above for your let. Whatever it asks you to tell guests, the pack is a good place to write it down.
What should I put in a holiday let welcome hamper? A hamper is the food gift; the pack is the information. Keep them apart, so the pack still works when the hamper is eaten.
How long should a holiday let welcome pack be? As long as the answers need and no longer: a line or two per part. If a part runs past a page, split the how-to out of it.
Should the welcome pack include the Wi-Fi password? Yes, written out in full and spelled so it cannot be misread, in the pack and in your message before arrival.