Writing the house rules for a home swap is probably the task people least want to do and the one that prevents the most trouble. Almost no disagreement between two families comes from bad faith. It comes from each of them quietly assuming something different. This is what is worth putting in writing, with concrete wording you can copy.
Why they are needed when there is already trust
Precisely because there is trust. A clear document is not an expression of suspicion, it is a courtesy: it saves the other family from having to guess, and it spares them the awkwardness of messaging you every two hours.
House rules for a home swap also work in both directions. You write yours, you receive theirs, and both sets act as a guide.
The eight points that cannot be missing
- Number of people. How many sleep in the house and whether visitors are allowed.
- Smoking. Whether it is permitted and where. The usual formula is not indoors, allowed on the terrace.
- Pets. Whether they are accepted, in which areas, and whether they may go on sofas or beds.
- Restricted rooms. A locked study, a storeroom, a cupboard. Entirely normal.
- Noise and neighbours. Quiet hours, and whether the building has its own rules.
- Use of the car or the bikes, if included, and under what insurance.
- Utilities. Who covers consumption and what counts as unusual consumption.
- Final clean. What state the home is expected to be left in.
How to write them without sounding unfriendly
Tone is everything. Compare: Smoking is prohibited throughout the property, against We are non smokers, so we would ask you to smoke on the terrace if you do. Thank you. They say the same thing and they read completely differently.
Three simple rules: explain the why where there is one, use the first person plural, and thank them. Well written house rules for a home swap read like a letter, not like a building regulation.
A complete worked example
Welcome to our home. Here are four things that help everything go smoothly. We are non smokers, so please smoke on the terrace if you do. We keep the study at the end locked because we store work documents there. The building asks for quiet after eleven at night, as the neighbours below have a baby. And with the bins, food waste goes out on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Any questions at all, just message us.
Four sentences, zero ambiguity and no policing tone.
Where to put them
In two places. First in the written agreement you both sign before the exchange, so they are on record from the start. Then printed and left in the house alongside the practical guide, because nobody is going to dig through their email on day three.
What should not go in the house rules
Avoid turning it into a list of twenty prohibitions. If you have more than eight points, you are probably regulating things that need no regulating, and the effect is counterproductive: it signals that you do not trust them.
Do not put the practical information there either. The wifi password and how the boiler works belong in the house guide, which is a separate document. We cover it in the article on preparing your home for guests.
And if somebody does not follow them
Usually they do, because anyone swapping homes knows their own house is on the line. If something does happen, you mention it at the time and resolve it by talking.
For whatever cannot be resolved by talking, there are the platform guarantees and your home insurance, which we cover in the guide to home swap insurance. If an incident affects the wider building, it is worth knowing your rights and obligations as a leaseholder, which are summarised on the official leasehold guidance.
Frequently asked questions
Are they legally binding? They form part of an agreement between private individuals that both parties accept. Not a tenancy, but a written commitment.
What language should I write them in? Your own and English if the exchange is international.
Can I ask people not to enter a room? Of course, and it is very common.
How many house rules for a home swap are too many? More than eight usually means you are over regulating.
Write them once
Spend twenty minutes on them and save the file: they will serve every future exchange with minimal edits. If this is your first swap, start with the complete home exchange guide.
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