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Who Makes The Rules?

When my children were young we had a special spot in our home that we called the "Naughty Step." Occasionally they would be sent to this spot, which was a few steps up the main stairwell of our home. If they demonstrated deliberate defiance to a clear rule then the consequence was always the same... time on the naughty step. After a few minutes, I would ask "Who makes the rules in our house?" and they would reply "You do." I would follow up with "And, who follows the rules in our house?" and they would say "I do." We would then exchange a hug and they would go on about their business with a renewed understanding and compliance.


I share this story as an illustration that a clear statement of your house rules is a very important aspect of your listing. Your guests will appreciate your clarity on this subject and I encourage you to put serious thought and time into outlining your expectations for their stay in your home.

A few topics for you to consider are: maximum occupancy for sleeping, maximum occupancy for a gathering, minimum age of primary guest, noise levels, firearms, fireworks, candles, drugs, parties, smoking, pets, rearrangement of furniture, general cleanliness, checkout responsibilities and parking restrictions. It is also helpful to list the accountability measures you have in place to assure your rules and home security are enforceable (i.e. neighborhood watch, security cameras, noise monitoring technology, etc).


The more clear that you are about your rules and the consequences for any violation the greater chance you will have of deterring guests that are not a good fit while welcoming those valued guests who are.

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© 2020 by Lisa Stewart Eriks

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