EveryManSkills
People and Etiquette

How to be a good houseguest

To be a good houseguest, confirm your arrival and departure times, bring a small gift, and follow the house's routines, from shoes at the door to quiet hours. Keep your space tidy, offer to help with meals and dishes, and plan some of your own time so the hosts get a break. Strip the bed or ask what to do with it, and send thanks afterward.

About 10 minutes to learnEveryday skill

Mark it once you can do it without this page open.

How to do it

  1. Confirm the dates and times you will arrive and leave, and stick to them.
  2. Bring a small gift, such as something local, a bottle, or a treat for any children or pets in the house.
  3. Ask about house rules on shoes, pets, showers and quiet hours, and follow them.
  4. Keep your bags and things in the room you are given, and make the bed each morning.
  5. Offer to cook one meal or buy dinner out, and help clear up after every meal.
  6. Plan some time on your own so the hosts are not entertaining you every hour.
  7. On the last day, strip the bed or ask what they prefer, and leave the room as you found it.
  8. Send a thank-you message or note within a few days.

Common mistakes

  • Arriving early or leaving later than agreed without asking.
  • Treating the host's home like a hotel with room service.
  • Using up the hot water or the last of anything without replacing it.
  • Forgetting to say thank you afterward.

Quick self-check

Three questions. Your last score is kept in this browser.

1. What should you settle before you arrive?
2. How can you give hosts a break?
3. What do you do with the bed when leaving?

Teach this to someone

A one-page sheet for showing a friend, a roommate or a kid: what to say, what to show, and one question to check it landed.

Last reviewed . First published .