Hosting private rooms: Top tips and benefits

Hosting a private room can have incredible advantages: attracting guests who value a local connection, making new friends from all over the world, and creating a sense of belonging right in your own home. It can also come with a few unique challenges, from sharing a kitchen to securing belongings. That’s why we asked experienced private-room hosts for their top tips. If you already host in a private room, their responses might help inspire some ideas. And if not, their suggestions may inspire you to start.

Sometimes guests scan listings quickly, so be as explicit as possible. Hosts have a few keywords they suggest using when you’re putting together your listing.

• “Write ‘room’ in the title and listing details, and send a welcome message before booking that includes ‘this is a private room and the [home] is shared with the host.’” —Till and Jutta, Stuttgart, Germany
• “Remember to include: ‘Guests must be mindful that it's one's home where they are sharing.’” —Helen, Auckland, New Zealand
• “I am excruciatingly honest in the listing description. I repeat the big things: one bathroom, one antenna-only TV, gravel road, no wifi, no air-conditioning.” —Laurene, Florence, Canada

One of the big reasons guests choose private rooms over entire homes is to have a deeper connection with locals. So, it can be a surprise when there are other guests, family members, or pets in the home that they weren’t expecting. “Wait, who are you?” one guest commented about a private-room stay. “Everything was great ... until the morning, when it was clear that my ‘shared bathroom’ was not shared with just the host, but also with three other rooms she rented out.” These hosts have found that setting expectations is key:

• “Be clear on your listing that it is a shared space. When I first started hosting, I felt like I had to tiptoe around and not have anyone drop in, but this is not sustainable. So I have now written on my listing that this is a functioning home and that friends may drop in from time to time, etc. so they know upfront what to expect.” —Kath, Albany, Australia
• “A [female guest] might feel uncomfortable sharing a bathroom with a male guest. A [male guest] might be having problems with the type of space he will have to share with other guests. You must ensure that the experience is as good as possible for guests, so make sure you are always clear in your communications.” —Emily, Italy

Welcoming guests in person is especially helpful if you’re hosting a shared space. Many hosts told us that when guests arrive, they welcome them with a tour of the room and house, break the ice by sitting down for a tea or coffee, and chat about details like these:

• “Guests arrive tired and a little disoriented. If you [greet them] at the beginning of their stay, there are usually no problems.” —Maria Jose, Spain
• “Upon check-in, clearly communicate what area guests can use and which are absolutely private. Don’t forget to say that you expect the kitchen to stay tidy, as there are some guests who come from cultures that cook and eat later at night.” —Thomas, Basel, Switzerland
• “I make my rules clear in my house manual and chat to guests about lights, windows, quiet time, coming home late/early.” —Paul, London

Keep your own schedule and needs in mind when you create guidelines for how guests interact with your space.

• “Guests can use the kitchen to make food, but I specify our own meal times so we don’t feel invaded.” —Francoise, Paris
• “Specify if they can use the washing machine and the shower freely or only during certain time slots.” —Emily, Italy
• “For me, saying this is paramount: ‘This is a non-smoking home.’ Guests are allowed to smoke on the back patio so that nonsmokers can sit on the front patio.” —Gerlinde, Kempen, Germany
• “Be friendly and flexible, but do NOT be a pushover! My check-in is 4:00 PM and you ask to check in at 10:30 AM? I reply: ‘Unfortunately that will not be possible as my current guests won't check out until 11:00 AM, and it takes a couple hours to make sure the room is cleaned completely. If you'd like to drop your luggage off at 11:00 AM, I'm happy to allow that and arrange to have the room cleaned a little early for you. How does 2:00 PM sound?’" —Suzanne, Wilmington, North Carolina

Personal touches such as homemade breakfast, decor by local artists, and even a piece of chocolate can make a guest’s stay special. Here are more ideas from hosts:

• “For me [breakfast is] the most fun time because we converse a lot. Many guests choose my listing for the organic breakfast, which is in the title.” —Celine, Saumur, France
• “I slept in the private room I've listed to get a feel of it to establish how warm/cold it can get, and experience it firsthand how guests would experience it. I've added a natural timber, tiered plant stand beside the bed where guests can place their phones, books, drinks, etc., and it’s become a talking point.” —Helen, Auckland, New Zealand
• “I added leaflets about the city and magazines. We [decorate with] paintings by local artists. Guests appreciate this and often ask me where they can buy them. We added a folding desk because we have a lot of guests on business trips.” —Emmanuelle, Rennes, France
• “I arranged the rooms as I would like to be hosted. In the rooms, there are spare towels, a kettle with cups, tea and coffee, and glasses. There are even basic pharmacy items.” —Christine, Clohars-Carnoët, France
• “I added an extendable plug and power strip, and each room has a night lamp. In the evening, I always put two glasses of fresh water out so [guests] do not have to get up at night, which means less noise.” —Ana, Galicia, Spain
• “Supply earplugs for yourself—seriously! Place a few Breathe Easy nose strips in a little dish with a little handmade sign: ‘If you feel like you would like to try, please go ahead!’” —Cathie, Darwin, Australia

How do you know when to spend time with guests and when to give them their space? Hosts say it’s easy: Just ask them ahead of time how much interaction they’d like to have. They also suggested some other details to keep in mind:

• “Some guests are shy because they’re scared of disturbing others, so I [invite] them to join others around the table.” —Emily, Italy
• “Business people, I see little, as they are often with clients and they want to have their peace in the evening. For tourists, I give them a lot of insider tips for the city and sometimes they make it clear they want to do something together. And solo travelers are always well-organized and have a lot of interesting political and cultural discussions.” —Christa, Munich, Germany
• “Be open and neutral: Your guests have different world views and politics. This is a fantastic opportunity to learn. Stay neutral to start with and let conversations evolve naturally.” —Kath, Albany, Australia

You’re sharing a part of your home, but also a part of yourself. Once you have a few housekeeping details squared away, the benefits really begin. Paul, a host from London, put it best: “I see every guest as a chance to learn something new and get to know a person I may not have otherwise met! Some have been really interesting, been from a walk of life I have never walked, and have views and opinions I don't share. But I love meeting these people and sharing my space with them. There really is not much more personal than opening your private home to an absolute stranger when you are living there too, but also there is nothing more rewarding!”

Information contained in this article may have changed since publication.