Vacation rental agreement template
When a guest books your cabin or beach house directly, not through a listing site, there's no platform policy to fall back on. A vacation rental agreement is your policy: how many people can stay, what they pay and when, what happens if they cancel, and what a party costs them. This template is written for direct bookings of a whole home, and every guest can sign it from their phone before they arrive.
Updated November 5, 2026 · 4 min read
The contract
Gray blanks are yours to fill in before you send. Each signer fills in the blanks in their color.
- You, before sending
- Guest
- Host
Vacation Rental Agreement
This Vacation Rental Agreement (the "Agreement") is made on Booking date between Host or owner name (the "Host") and Guest name (the "Guest"), who is at least Minimum age to book years old and will stay at the property for the whole booking.
1. The property and the stay
The Host rents the Guest the property at Rental property address (the "Property") for a short-term vacation stay. Check-in is on Check-in date after Check-in time, and check-out is on Check-out date by Check-out time. This is a short-term stay for vacation use and does not create a residential tenancy. Local short-term rental permit or registration number, where one applies: Rental permit number.
2. Guests
No more than Maximum overnight guests people may stay overnight, and no more than Maximum people at any time may be at the Property at any time. Names of everyone staying overnight: Names of overnight guests. The Guest is responsible for the conduct of everyone in their party and every visitor they invite.
3. Price and payment
- Rent for the stay: Rent for the stay
- Cleaning fee: Cleaning fee
- Lodging, occupancy or sales taxes: Taxes
- Total: Total price
A booking payment of Booking payment is due when this Agreement is signed, and the balance is due by Balance due date. Accepted payment methods: Payment methods. If the balance isn't paid on time, the Host may cancel the booking under section 5 as if the Guest had cancelled.
4. Damage deposit
The Guest pays a refundable damage deposit of Damage deposit before check-in. The Host will return it within Days to return deposit days after check-out, less the cost of any damage beyond normal wear, missing items, extra cleaning, or fines caused by the Guest's party, with a written list of deductions. If costs exceed the deposit, the Guest pays the difference.
5. Cancellation
If the Guest cancels in writing at least Full refund cutoff in days days before check-in, all payments are refunded less a processing fee of Cancellation processing fee. If the Guest cancels later, the Host keeps the booking payment, but will refund any nights it re-books at the same rate. No refund is given for a late arrival or an early departure. If the Host has to cancel, or the Property becomes unusable through no fault of the Guest, the Guest gets a full refund of everything paid for the nights affected, and the Host has no further liability.
6. House rules
- No parties or events without the Host's written permission.
- Quiet hours are from Quiet hours, in line with local noise rules.
- No smoking or vaping indoors.
- Pets: Pet policy. Service animals are always welcome.
- Parking only in these spaces, for no more than this many vehicles: Parking rules.
- Other house rules: Other house rules
7. Pools, hot tubs and other features
The Property's pool, hot tub, fire pit, grill, boats, bikes or similar features, if any, are used at the Guest's own risk and in line with posted instructions. Children must be supervised by an adult at all times near water. This doesn't excuse the Host from responsibility for its own negligence.
8. Entry and maintenance
The Host or its staff may enter the Property during the stay to make repairs or deal with an emergency, after notifying the Guest when possible. The Guest will report any damage, breakage or problem promptly to Host contact phone.
9. Check-out
At check-out the Guest will load and run the dishwasher, take out trash, lock all doors and windows, return keys as instructed, and follow these steps: Check-out steps. A late check-out without permission may be charged at Late check-out charge.
10. Breaking the rules
If the Guest's party seriously breaks the house rules, exceeds the guest limit, or causes a nuisance that draws complaints or police, the Host may end the stay and require the party to leave, as local law allows, without a refund for the remaining nights.
11. General
This Agreement is governed by the laws of the state where the Property is located, State. It is the whole agreement about the stay and can be changed only in writing signed by both parties. Electronic signatures count as original signatures.
Guest contact details
Phone: Guest phone Email: Guest email Home address: Guest home address
I have read the house rules in section 6 and the cancellation terms in section 5, and will share the rules with my party.
Guest
Host
Opens it in SignMaster as a template you can edit and send.
A starting point, not legal advice. Have a lawyer review it for your state and situation.
On this page
When you need your own rental agreement
Bookings made through a platform come with that platform's terms, and many hosts add their house rules on top. Direct bookings, from your own website, a repeat guest or a referral, come with nothing. Without a signed agreement, a dispute over a lost deposit, a last-minute cancellation or a twelve-person party in a six-person house comes down to your word against theirs.
It also keeps you on the right side of local rules. Many towns require a short-term rental permit, cap occupancy and expect hosts to collect lodging taxes; the agreement shows your permit number, the occupancy limit and the tax line, so guests know the rules came from you.
What the template covers
- The stay: address, check-in and check-out dates and times, a minimum booking age, and a line that it's a vacation stay, not a tenancy.
- Guests: an overnight limit, a separate limit for visitors, and the names of everyone staying.
- Price: rent, cleaning fee, taxes and the total, a booking payment and a balance due date.
- Damage deposit: the amount, how fast it comes back, and an itemized list of deductions.
- Cancellation: a full-refund window, what you keep after it, and a full refund when you cancel.
- House rules: no parties, quiet hours, smoking, pets, parking and your own rules.
- Pools and hot tubs: use at the guest's own risk, with adult supervision near water.
- Entry, check-out and rule breaking: when you can enter, the check-out steps, a late check-out charge, and ending the stay for serious violations.
Mistakes hosts regret
- Setting one guest limit. Six can sleep there, but sixteen can show up for a barbecue; set an overnight limit and an any-time limit.
- Writing "non-refundable" with no exceptions. If you cancel or the power is out for days, refund the affected nights, or a card dispute will do it for you.
- Taking the deposit with no return date. Say how many days it takes and promise an itemized list; guests trust a host who does.
- Leaving out the permit number and taxes. Some places require the permit number on the booking, and taxes you forgot to charge still come out of your pocket.
- Letting the agreement turn into a tenancy. Long stays can give a guest tenant rights in some states; keep stays short and say it's for vacation use.
How to send it with SignMaster
- 1
Open the template
Choose Use this template to save it in SignMaster, set up with the guest signing first and you, the host, second.
- 2
Fill in the booking
Complete the gray blanks for this stay: dates and times, guest limits, the price lines and total, deposit, cancellation window and house rules. Keep your standard rules in the template so you only change the booking details each time.
- 3
Send it with a sign-by date
Email it to the guest who booked and set a sign-by date before the balance is due. They add the names of everyone staying, their contact details and home address, and sign on their phone.
- 4
Guests who prefer another language
The signing page and emails can appear in any of 6 languages, which helps with visitors from abroad; the contract text stays as you wrote it.
- 5
Share the door code once it's signed
You countersign, and both of you get the signed PDF with its certificate of completion. SignMaster doesn't take payments, so send your payment link or invoice separately.
Hosts with several properties
If you manage a dozen cabins and a summer's worth of direct bookings comes in from your website's booking form, bulk send turns the export into one agreement per booking. Name the columns after the gray blanks, such as Rental property address, Check-in date, Check-out date and Total price, add each guest's name and email, and save the sheet as CSV UTF-8. Every guest gets their own agreement with their own dates.
Questions? Answers.
Do I need a rental agreement if I book through Airbnb or Vrbo?
Those platforms have their own terms, and some limit what extra paperwork you can ask a guest to sign unless it was disclosed in the listing before booking. This template is meant for direct bookings; check the platform's host rules before sending it to a platform guest.
Can a vacation rental guest become a tenant?
In some states, a stay that runs long enough, often around 30 days or more, can give the occupant tenant protections. Keep vacation stays short, describe them as vacation use, and check your state's rules for long stays.
How big should the damage deposit be?
Many hosts choose an amount that covers a deep clean and a small repair. Whatever you pick, say how long it takes to come back and promise an itemized list of anything you keep.
Can every guest in the party sign?
The guest who books signs for the party and lists everyone staying. If you want every adult to sign too, add more guest roles in the template editor, each with a signature field, and set them to sign all at once.