The check-in instructions you write will be read at the worst possible time — when a guest is standing outside your property, possibly tired from travel, possibly in the dark, possibly with a car full of luggage. This is not the moment for ambiguity.
Most check-in instruction problems aren’t about missing information. They’re about too much information, in the wrong order, written in a way that assumes the guest already knows your property. Here’s how to fix that.
Lead with the access code, full stop
The first thing in your check-in section should be the lockbox or door code. Not “welcome to our property” — the code. Guests are looking for this one thing. Give it to them immediately:
Lockbox code: 4821 — the lockbox is on the left gate post as you face the front door.
That’s the whole entry. Location, code, orientation cue. Nothing more is needed until they’re inside.
Include what to do if the code doesn’t work
Keypads fail. Batteries run out. Guests fat-finger codes. Have a fallback written down: “If the code doesn’t work on the first try, hold the * key for 3 seconds to reset, then re-enter.” Or include your phone number with a note that you’re available until 10pm.
Specify the parking situation before they arrive
If you have a driveway, say so and clarify how many cars fit. If parking is on the street, include: is a permit required? Is it free? Where exactly? “Park on the street outside” is not enough if your street has permit zones, clearways, or a neighbour who parks in the obvious spot every night.
Address non-obvious entry points
The front door that looks like the front door might not be the right entrance. If guests should use a side gate, a back lane, or a specific building entrance, say so explicitly. “Enter via the blue gate on Smith Street, not the main building entrance on Jones Street” is the kind of sentence that prevents 10-minute panicked phone calls.
Keep the format scannable
Use short lines or a numbered list. Guests will be reading this on a phone screen with one hand while managing bags with the other. A single block of prose is a guarantee they’ll miss something. Three clear steps beat a paragraph every time.
Check-in instructions written with the arriving guest in mind — tired, navigating a new place, probably a little rushed — will eliminate the vast majority of messages you receive on arrival day.