The Questions Guests Ask Most in a Short-Term Rental, and How to Answer Them Before They Ask
published 28 September 2026
Anyone running an Alojamento Local (AL), Portugal's short-term rental regime, knows the feeling: the same question, from different guests, at different times, usually while you are driving, having dinner or asleep. "What's the wi-fi password?" "Where does the rubbish go?" "Can we leave our bags after check-out?" None of these is hard. The trouble is that they repeat, and each one interrupts your day.
The good news is that most of them have a fixed answer that does not change from one stay to the next. If it is written in the right place, at the right time, guests find it themselves. This article gathers the most common questions and what your guide should say to answer them in advance.
Why the Same Questions Keep Coming
It is rarely because guests do not pay attention. Usually the information exists but sits in the wrong place: in a message sent three weeks before arrival, in a PDF nobody opens on a phone, on a laminated sheet stuck to the fridge that you only see once you are inside. Language matters too: a guest who struggles with English or Portuguese would rather ask than risk misreading an instruction.
A question appears when the answer is not at hand at the moment it is needed. So preventing questions is mostly about organisation: one place, on the phone, in the guest's language, arranged in the order things happen.
The Most Common Questions, Stage by Stage
Before Arrival
- "What's the exact address and how do I get there?" Give the full address, a visible landmark and, if the entrance is not obvious, a photo of the door. Add directions from the airport or nearest station.
- "Where can I park?" Say whether there is a private space, whether street parking is paid, where the nearest public car park is and what it costs, and whether there are resident-only restrictions.
- "What time is check-in? Can I arrive early?" Check-in time, what happens if a flight is late, and whether you accept early arrival requests.
On Arrival
- "How do I get in?" The most critical step. Clear instructions, in order, with photos of the key box, entry phone or lock. See our guide to self check-in.
- "What's the wi-fi?" Network name and password, written exactly as they are, and where the router is in case it needs restarting.
- "How do the air conditioning, water heater and hob work?" Anything that is not universal: remotes, fuse boxes, the valve that needs opening first.
During the Stay
- "Where does the rubbish go and how do I sort it?" Where the bins are, collection days if there is door-to-door collection, and the recycling colours, which many foreign guests do not know.
- "Where's the supermarket, pharmacy, bus stop?" The three or four nearest practical places, with opening hours.
- "Where should we eat?" This is where a host beats any platform: you know which places are worth it. A few personal recommendations, with the reason, are worth more than a long list.
- "How late can we make noise? Can we have visitors?" These are your house rules. Written clearly and politely, they rarely become a question.
At Check-Out
- "What time is check-out and what do I need to do?" The time and a short list: where to leave the keys, whether to run the dishwasher, what to do with the rubbish, close the windows.
- "Can we leave our bags?" If you allow it, until when; if not, where the nearest luggage storage is.
At Any Time
- "What do I do in an emergency?" The European emergency number (112), your contact or that of whoever covers for you, the nearest health centre or hospital, the duty pharmacy, and where the fire extinguisher and first-aid kit are. For AL properties with up to 10 guests, Turismo de Portugal's technical guide states that a fire extinguisher, fire blanket, first-aid kit and a visible notice of the 112 number must be provided.
How to Structure Your Guide So Questions Do Not Arise
- Organise it by stage of the stay, not by abstract topics: before arrival, arrival, during, departure. That is the order guests search in.
- Put the essentials at the top: address, how to get in, wi-fi, contact. These are the answers people look for in a hurry, often in the street with a suitcase.
- Write in the guest's language. For an AL in a building under horizontal property (a multi-owner building), the law also requires the information book given to guests to be in Portuguese, English and at least two other foreign languages, including the relevant building rules.
- Use photos where words fail: the right door, the key box, the right bin.
- Keep it current. An old password or a restaurant that has closed creates more questions than saying nothing.
- Send it before arrival, not only at the door. Guests plan their trip ahead; the guide should be available from booking and stay accessible throughout.
Some questions no guide will remove, and rightly so: a breakdown, a special request, a problem with the booking. Those should reach you. The aim is not to stop talking to guests; it is to stop answering the same question for the twentieth time.
How ciceroni Helps
ciceroni creates a digital guide for each stay, in Portuguese, English, French and Spanish, organised by stage of the stay. You write in one language and the content is translated automatically. When a guest asks something that is already in the guide, an AI concierge answers on WhatsApp or in the guide, at any hour, using only what you wrote. Anything it cannot answer, such as a breakdown, is passed to you by email or WhatsApp. It is free during launch.
FAQ
What do guests ask most often?
The most common questions are practical and have a fixed answer: how to get in, the wi-fi password, where to park and when check-out is. They are also the easiest to prevent, as long as they sit at the top of the guide.
Is a welcome guide mandatory for an Alojamento Local?
The law requires certain information for guests, such as the operator's contact and the emergency number. For an AL in a multi-owner building, it also requires an information book in Portuguese, English and at least two other languages, with the building rules. The format is up to you.
Should I send the guide before arrival or only at check-in?
Before. Questions about the address, parking and how to get in come up during the journey. A guide sent in advance and available on the phone answers them before they reach you.