GuidesRental agreement
Short-stay rental agreement: a free template
What a holiday rental agreement should cover, a template you can copy, and how to have every guest sign it before arrival — without printing anything.
Updated September 22, 2026
In short
- A short-stay agreement protects both sides: dates, price, deposit, house rules and who answers for what.
- Keep it to one page. Guests read a page; they do not read a contract.
- Rules differ by country and region — check yours before you use it.
What it must contain
The parties and the property
Your name or company, the guest's full name, and the property's address and registration number, where your country issues one.
Dates, times and number of guests
Arrival and departure dates, check-in and check-out times, and the most guests allowed, children included.
Price, deposit and payment
The total price and what it includes, the tourist tax if it is added, the deposit, how and when it is paid, and when it comes back.
Cancellation
What the guest gets back, and until when — in days before arrival, not in vague terms.
House rules
Quiet hours, smoking, pets, parties, visitors, waste and parking — only the rules you will actually enforce.
Damage and registration
Who pays for damage and how it is assessed, that faults are reported at once, and that every guest registers as the law requires.
The template
RENTAL AGREEMENT FOR A SHORT STAY
Host: [name or company], [address], [tax or registration number].
Guest: [full name], [address], [ID or passport number].
Property: [name and address], registration number [number].
Stay: from [date] (check-in from [time]) to [date] (check-out by [time]), for up to [number] guests.
Price: [amount] in total, including [what is included]. Tourist tax: [amount, or included].
Deposit: [amount], paid by [method] on [date], returned within [number] days of departure, less any documented damage.
Cancellation: free until [number] days before arrival; after that, [percentage]% of the price is kept.
House rules: [quiet hours], [smoking], [pets], [parties and visitors]. Breaking them may end the stay without a refund.
The guest answers for damage caused during the stay and reports any fault at once. The host hands over the property clean, safe and as described.
Every guest gives the details required for registration with the authorities, before or at arrival.
Signed — Host: [name, date]. Guest: [name, date].
This template is a starting point, not legal advice. Rules for short stays differ by country and region; check them, or have them checked, before you use it.
Signed before arrival, without paper
In Staywick the agreement is part of online check-in: the guest reads it in their own language, ticks and types their name, and both of you receive the signed PDF. It is stored exactly as shown, with a fingerprint that proves nothing changed afterwards.
Questions
Is a signed agreement required for a short stay?
In most places the law does not require one, but it is the simplest proof of what was agreed — above all about the deposit, damage and house rules. Some regions do require it; check yours.
Does a typed name count as a signature?
In the EU an electronic signature cannot be refused as evidence merely because it is electronic. A typed name kept with the exact text, the time and a fingerprint of the document is strong evidence of what was agreed; how much weight it carries is for your country's courts.
Which language should the agreement be in?
The guest's, if you can. A guest who understood the rules is a guest who keeps them. Staywick shows the agreement in the guest's language by itself.
Can I add my own rules?
Yes. Keep them specific and few — every rule you add is one you must be ready to enforce.
Ready to run it from one place?
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