Blog · Airbnb hosts
Airbnb welcome book: what to include (and how to stop rewriting it)
Hosts search for an Airbnb welcome book or welcome book PDF because guests need clear answers. The problem isn’t the checklist. It’s that static books go stale the moment anything changes.
A good Airbnb welcome book is not a novel. It’s a fast answer sheet: how to get in, how to get online, what the house rules are, and where to eat nearby. Guests who find that in seconds message you less. Guests who can’t find it text you at 11pm.
What every Airbnb welcome book should include
- Wi‑Fi name and password: the #1 reason guests open any guide.
- Door / lockbox / entry steps: written like a stranger is arriving in the dark.
- Check-in and check-out times: plus what to do if they’re early or late.
- Parking and building access: permits, gates, EV notes if you have them.
- House rules: quiet hours, smoking, pets, max guests, parties.
- Appliances: washer, TV, heating, coffee machine in plain language.
- Local tips: your real cafés, groceries, and “don’t miss this” spots.
- Checkout checklist: keys, bins, towels, thermostat.
- Emergency contacts: local emergency numbers, hospital, gas/electric.
Host reality check
If you change the Wi‑Fi password twice a year, a printed binder or Airbnb welcome book PDF is already wrong for the next guest unless you reprint or re-upload every time.
The pain of the “classic” welcome book
Most hosts start with a Word template, export a PDF, print a binder, or attach a file in the listing. It feels finished. Then:
- The password changes → you edit, export, reprint, or re-upload.
- A restaurant closes → the “local guide” lies to guests.
- Guests don’t open the PDF on their phone → they message you instead.
- You run multiple properties → you maintain multiple outdated files.
You’re not bad at hosting. The format is fighting you. A static Airbnb welcome book is a snapshot. Your property is a living thing.
Educate yourself out of the rewrite loop
The calmer approach is a digital welcome book guests open on their phone, usually from a QR code at the property or a stay link you send. You set it up once with the sections above. When something changes, you update that one place. Every future guest sees the latest version. No reprint. No “did I upload the new PDF?”
That’s the shift: stop treating guest info as a document you finish. Treat it as a living page you maintain lightly.
How welcomein.to does this
welcomein.to is built for vacation-rental hosts who want that digital book without building a website. You get Wi‑Fi & access, amenities, getting around, local guide, house rules, appliances, checkout, extras, and emergency contacts, plus a private QR guests can scan. Update once; keep it forever (until you change it on purpose).
See a full Airbnb-style welcome book live
Open the Garden Studio example, then start your own. Set it up once and stay stress-free when the next guest arrives.
See a live example Start free trialFAQ
What to include in an Airbnb welcome book?
Wi‑Fi, entry, check-in/out, parking, house rules, amenities, appliance tips, local recommendations, checkout steps, and emergency numbers.
What to put in an Airbnb welcome book first?
Put Wi‑Fi and door access at the top. Guests need those before local tips.