Practical guide
Welcoming your guests: check-in, keys and self check-in
The moment a guest opens the door often decides the review they leave. In our experience, arrivals that go wrong almost always have the same cause: a missing piece of information. Here is how to leave nothing to chance.
Updated 18 September 2026 · 2 min read
It all happens the day before
A short message sent two or three days before the stay avoids most difficulties. We put three things in it:
- the expected arrival time, to be confirmed;
- how the keys will be handed over, in two sentences;
- a phone number that answers on the day.
No reply? A guest may only get in touch from the train. Make sure their number and email address are correct, send one reminder, then a second.
Two ways to open the door
In person. Someone meets the guest, shows them round and answers the questions no welcome book covers: which switch does what, where the bins go, how the heating works. Reassuring — as long as someone is there on time.
Self check-in. Code box or smart lock: the guest comes in when it suits them. Flexible, provided everything has been planned in advance.
What we recommend most often: self check-in by default, and an in-person welcome for families, stays of several weeks or a first visit to the property.
Self check-in without a hitch
- a box or lock fitted somewhere discreet, easy to find at night;
- step-by-step written instructions, with a photo of the entrance and the box;
- a code changed often, given only to the guest concerned and as late as possible;
- a plan B: a spare key with someone nearby, and a number that answers;
- a quick message from the guest once inside, to be sure.
When the time does not fit
The arrival time shown in the listing is part of what the guest accepted when booking. Letting them arrive earlier or later is therefore a favour, not an entitlement: it is up to you, depending on your availability. If they are late, try to reach them and agree another time together.
The formalities
In a furnished tourist rental, a guest of foreign nationality must fill in and sign an individual police form (“fiche individuelle de police”) on arrival (articles R814-1 to R814-3 of the French Code on the Entry and Residence of Foreigners). An adult may list the children under fifteen travelling with them, and the form is kept for six months.
Nothing obliges you to ask for ID. It is, however, the simplest way to make sure the person moving in is the one who booked.
Check-out matters as much as check-in
Keys returned, a quick tour of the rooms, then cleaning: that is when you notice the forgotten item or the stain on the sofa. A photo taken on the spot is worth more than a memory.
This guide gives general pointers. It is not legal advice, and the obligations that come with letting a property remain its owner's. The law that applies is French law; legal texts are cited in French.