Short-Term Rental Agreement: What to Include, With Examples

A short-term rental agreement is the written set of terms a guest accepts before the stay: how the property may be used, who may be there, what happens if something is damaged, and any risks the guest takes on, such as a pool or hot tub. A good one is short, specific to your property, shown before the guest books, and accepted with a record of the exact text.

For a long time many hosts sent a separate agreement by email after an Airbnb booking. Airbnb's house-rules policy from 20 November 2026 limits that, so more hosts now keep the terms that matter to them for bookings that come direct. This guide covers what to put in the agreement, what to leave out, two starter clauses you can adapt, and how guests should accept it.

Why hosts use a rental agreement

House rules tell guests how to behave. An agreement goes a step further: the guest confirms in writing that they've read the terms and accept them. That helps in three situations.

• Risky features. A pool, hot tub, sauna, fireplace, bikes or a boat. The agreement explains the risks and the safety rules before anyone arrives.
• Parties and crowds. Limits on day visitors and events are much easier to enforce when the guest agreed to a number in advance.
• Disputes. If something goes wrong, you can show what the guest accepted, and when.

An agreement doesn't replace insurance, and it can't make an unfair term fair. It works best as clear communication that both sides can point back to.

What a short-term rental agreement should include

Keep it to the points that are specific to your home. Everything that's already in your listing (price, dates, check-in time) doesn't need repeating.

Visitor and event limits

The most common reason hosts want an agreement is to stop a quiet booking for four people turning into a party for forty. Write the numbers down:

• the maximum number of overnight guests
• the maximum number of visitors at a time, and the latest time they can stay
• whether events are allowed, and if so, that they need your approval in advance and a maximum number of people
• that the person who booked is responsible for everyone on the property

Ask about events up front too. When the booking form asks for the purpose of the trip and the expected number of event guests, you find out about a birthday party before you confirm, not when the music starts.

Minimum age and ID checks

A minimum age for the person booking (often 21 or 25) is a common way to reduce party bookings. It only works if you check it, so pair it with an ID check: before you confirm, the guest sends the name, date of birth, nationality and ID document number of everyone staying.

In many European countries you have to register guests with the authorities anyway, so you'd collect these details at check-in regardless. Collecting them before confirming just moves that step earlier. Only ask for what you need, store it securely, and delete it if you decline the booking. See our guide to guest registration and tourist tax for the rules in Italy, Spain, Croatia and Slovenia.

Damage and rule charges

Say how the guest should report damage and how you'll handle it. If you list charges for breaking a rule, tie each one to a real cost you can explain, such as a deep clean after smoking. A round "fine" is harder to justify, and in the EU and the UK a disproportionate penalty in a consumer contract may not be enforceable. Our Airbnb house rules guide explains how to word charges as costs rather than fines.

If you take a damage deposit, explain the amount, when it's returned and what it covers. The direct payments guide covers the options.

What to leave out

A long agreement full of legal language is less likely to be read and not more likely to hold up. Leave out:

• Blanket liability waivers. In the EU and the UK, and in most US states and Canadian provinces, you generally can't exclude liability for injury caused by your own negligence. A clause claiming you're never responsible for anything doesn't protect you and makes the rest of the agreement look unfair.
• Hidden fees. Every fee the guest pays for the stay belongs in the price shown before booking, not in the small print.
• Terms that conflict with your cancellation policy. Keep one cancellation policy, in one place.
• Chores dressed up as terms. Asking guests to strip beds or run the dishwasher is a request, not a contract term. Keep it as a courtesy in your checkout notes.
• Anything you wouldn't enforce. If you'd never charge for a late checkout, don't threaten to.

This guide isn't legal advice. If you rely on the agreement, for example because you have a pool or host events, have a local lawyer check it.

Two starter clauses you can adapt

Adapt these to your property. Change the wording until it describes your home and the way you actually host.

Pool and hot tub

• Swimming and use of the hot tub are at your own risk. There is no lifeguard.
• Children must be supervised by an adult at all times in and around the water.
• No glass, no diving, and no swimming after drinking alcohol.
• Keep the pool gate closed and the hot tub cover on when they're not in use.
• Tell the host straight away about any damage or fault.

Events

• Events need the host's approval before arrival, with the expected number of people.
• The number of people on the property, guests and visitors together, may not exceed the agreed limit.
• Quiet hours apply to events too. Music stays indoors once quiet hours start.
• The guest who booked is responsible for everyone at the event and for any damage.

Write the agreement in the languages your guests speak. A German family is more likely to read and follow terms written in German, and an agreement the guest couldn't understand is a weak record of consent.

How guests should accept it

The way the guest accepts the agreement matters as much as the text. Three things make acceptance clear:

1. Show it before the booking. The guest should see the full text on your page and in the booking step, not in an email after they've paid.
2. Ask for an active yes. An unticked checkbox ("I've read and accept the rental agreement") that the guest has to tick before sending the request.
3. Keep a copy of the exact version. If you edit the agreement next spring, you still need to know what this guest accepted in July, and when.

On OpenSty you write the rental agreement in your property's policies, in each language you serve, with starter text for pools, hot tubs and events. Guests read it on your page and tick that they accept it before sending a request, and each booking keeps a copy of the exact text and the time it was accepted. You can also set visitor and event limits, a minimum age, and an ID check that lets you see everyone on the booking before you confirm.

Rental agreements and Airbnb's new rules

Airbnb's house-rules policy from 20 November 2026 restricts chores at checkout and fines. Coverage of the policy also describes limits on separate rental agreements and on collecting guest ID, with exceptions where local law requires it. For Airbnb bookings, follow Airbnb's rules: put what you need in the listing's house rules and requests.

For guests who book direct, you set the terms yourself, as long as they're fair and shown before booking. That's one more reason to bring repeat guests to your own booking page; our guide to getting repeat direct guests shows how.

Common questions

Do I need a rental agreement for a vacation rental?

It isn't required everywhere, but it's worth having if you have a pool or hot tub, allow events, or want firm limits on visitors. For a simple apartment, clear house rules shown before booking are often enough.

Is a checkbox acceptance legally binding?

Online acceptance with a checkbox is widely used for consumer contracts, provided the guest saw the full terms before accepting and you keep a record of what they accepted. Whether a specific term holds up depends on local law and on whether it's fair.

Can I ask guests for ID before the stay?

On your own direct booking site, yes, if you need it for a real reason, such as checking a minimum age or registering guests with the authorities. Ask only for what you need, keep it secure and delete it when you no longer need it. Airbnb limits ID requests for Airbnb bookings.

What should a pool or hot tub waiver say?

That use is at the guest's own risk, that children must be supervised, and the basic safety rules: no glass, no diving, no swimming after drinking, and keeping the gate closed. It can't exclude your liability for your own negligence, such as a broken pool fence you knew about.

Can I send a rental agreement to Airbnb guests?

Coverage of Airbnb's house-rules policy from 20 November 2026 describes limits on separate agreements, except where local law requires one. Put the terms that matter in the listing's house rules instead, and use a full agreement for direct bookings.