Accessibility Details to List for Short-Term Rental Guests
Guest Experience · · 8 min read · By the Welcome Kit Pro team at PropKitCo
The accessibility details to list for short-term rental guests are the facts someone needs to decide, before booking, whether they can get in, move around and sleep safely: step counts, door widths, bathroom layout, bed height, parking distance and lighting. List them with real measurements and plain descriptions, and skip vague labels like "accessible" that mean different things to different people. This guide gives you a full checklist, shows you how to measure, and shares wording you can copy into your listing and welcome book.
Why accessibility details matter to guests before they book
A guest who uses a wheelchair, walks with a cane, or is traveling with an older parent can't "figure it out when they get there." If the front path has three steps you didn't mention, their trip may be over before it starts. That's stressful for them and a tough conversation for you.
Clear details help everyone:
- Guests can self-select. They book with confidence or move on without wasting a night.
- You get fewer surprise complaints. Honest info sets honest expectations.
- Lots of guests benefit. Parents with strollers, people recovering from surgery, and anyone hauling heavy luggage all care about stairs and parking.
You don't need a fully adapted home to do this well. A rental with a long staircase can still earn trust by describing that staircase accurately.
Accessibility details to list for short-term rental guests: the full checklist
Walk through your property with this list and a tape measure. Note what's true today, not what you plan to fix.
Arrival and entry
- Distance from parking to the entrance, and the surface (paved, gravel, grass, sand)
- Number of steps to the entrance, and whether there's a handrail
- Ramp, if any, with its length and rise
- Entry door clear width and threshold height
- Lock type (keypad, lockbox, key) and how high it's mounted
- Outdoor lighting along the path
Inside the home
- Which floor each bedroom and bathroom is on
- Interior stairs: count, handrails, steepness
- Doorway widths for bedrooms and bathrooms
- Hallway width and any tight turns
- Flooring type (hardwood, tile, carpet, area rugs)
- Elevator in the building, if any, and its door width
Bathroom
- Shower type: step-in tub, walk-in, or roll-in
- Grab bars and where they are
- Toilet height
- Shower seat, handheld showerhead, non-slip mat
- Clear floor space next to the toilet and sink
Bedroom, kitchen and extras
- Bed height from floor to top of mattress
- Clear space beside the bed
- Counter and appliance heights, and how cabinets open
- Smoke alarm type, including any visual alerts
- Pets on site or recent pet use (useful for allergies and service animal handlers)
How to measure and describe entrances, doorways and stairs accurately
Numbers beat adjectives. "Wide doorway" means nothing to a guest whose chair is 28 inches across. Here's how to measure the things guests ask about most.
- Door clear width. Open the door fully. Measure from the face of the open door to the stop on the opposite side of the frame. That's the usable width, and it's usually smaller than the door itself. For reference, the ADA Standards for Accessible Design use 32 inches of clear width as a common benchmark for doorways.
- Thresholds. Measure the height of any lip or step at the door, even half an inch. Small lips can stop a walker.
- Steps. Count every step, including a single step into a sunken living room. Note whether handrails are on one side or both.
- Ramps. Measure the length and the total rise. Say whether it has rails.
- Pathways. Estimate the distance in feet from where a car stops to the door. Pace it out if you need to.
Then describe what you found in plain sentences. "Two steps up to the front door, 7 inches each, handrail on the right" is far more useful than "easy access."
One caution: don't call your property "ADA compliant" or "wheelchair accessible" unless a qualified professional has confirmed it. Describe features instead and let guests decide.
Bathroom, bedroom and kitchen features worth spelling out
Bathroom
The bathroom is where most accessibility questions land. Say exactly what's there. If the shower is inside a tub with a high wall, say so and give the height of the tub edge. If you have a grab bar by the toilet but not in the shower, say that too. Photos help a lot here. Take one from the doorway so guests can see the turning space.
Bedroom
Bed height matters for transfers. Measure from the floor to the top of the mattress. Mention clear space on each side of the bed and whether the bed is against a wall. If you have a ground-floor bedroom, put that near the top of your description, since it's often the deciding factor.
Kitchen
Note counter height, whether the microwave sits above the stove, and if commonly used items are stored up high. A quick note like "Plates and cups are in the lower drawer left of the sink" can make a big difference for a guest who can't reach upper cabinets.
Sensory and safety details
Accessibility isn't only about mobility. Mention lighting levels, nearby noise (a bar next door, train tracks), and whether smoke alarms have visual alerts. Guests with low vision or hearing differences will thank you.
Parking, pathways and outdoor areas guests need to know about
The trip from the car to the couch is where many surprises happen. Cover these points:
| Area | What to describe | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Parking | Type, distance, slope | Driveway parking, 15 feet from door, flat |
| Path surface | Material and condition | Paved walkway, some uneven pavers near the gate |
| Lighting | Motion lights, porch light | Motion light over the driveway and porch |
| Outdoor spaces | Steps to deck, pool, yard | Deck is three steps down from the kitchen, no rail |
| Weather | Seasonal changes | Gravel drive can get muddy after rain |
If you're near a beach, trail or downtown, add a line about how accessible the nearby spots are. Your things to do list for guests is a natural place to flag which places are flat, paved or have accessible parking. Families with strollers will use the same info, so it pairs well with guidebook ideas for families.
Where to share accessibility info: listing, Airbnb features and your welcome book
Share it in more than one place, because guests look at different times.
Your listing
This is where guests decide whether to book. Put the key facts (step-free entry or not, ground-floor bedroom, shower type) in the description and add clear photos. Airbnb and VRBO both let hosts note accessibility features, but the options and photo requirements change over time, so check each platform's own help pages for current rules.
Your pre-arrival message
Repeat the arrival details guests need right before the trip: where to park, which door to use, and where the lockbox is mounted.
Your welcome book
Once guests arrive, a welcome book is where they'll look for how things work. Add a short accessibility page covering the path in, bathroom setup, where the step stool is, and how to reach you. If you're building one from scratch, our guide on how to make an Airbnb welcome book walks through every section. A digital version helps here because guests can zoom text on their own phone, and with Welcome Kit Pro the live mobile guidebook has tap-to-call and map links, which is easier than squinting at a binder.
Keep door codes and WiFi passwords in the printed book and private guidebook link only, never on a public listing page.
Copy and paste wording examples for an honest accessibility section
Adjust these to match your home. Replace the bracketed parts with your measurements.
Arrival: Parking is in the driveway, about [15] feet from the front door on a flat paved path. There are [2] steps up to the porch, about [7] inches each, with a handrail on the [right]. The keypad is mounted [42] inches from the ground.
Inside: The main bedroom and a full bathroom are on the ground floor. Interior doorways are [30 to 32] inches wide when fully open. The upstairs bedrooms are reached by [14] stairs with a rail on one side.
Bathroom: The ground-floor bathroom has a walk-in shower with a [2]-inch lip, a handheld showerhead and a fold-down seat. There's a grab bar next to the toilet. The toilet seat is [17] inches high.
What we don't have: There's no elevator and no step-free entry. If you have specific needs, message us before booking and we'll answer honestly or send extra photos and measurements.
That last line matters. Saying what you don't have builds trust. You can use the same clear, direct style in your check-out instructions, for example by noting where to leave trash if the bins are down a flight of steps.
Frequently asked questions
Should I call my rental wheelchair accessible?
Only if it truly works for a wheelchair from the car to the bed and bathroom, and ideally after a professional has checked it. Otherwise, list the specific features and measurements so guests can judge for themselves.
What's the most important accessibility detail to list?
The number of steps to get inside and whether there's a bedroom and bathroom on the entry level. Those two facts rule a home in or out for many guests.
Do I need photos of accessibility features?
Photos help guests a lot, especially of the entrance, the shower and the path from parking. Check your booking platform's help pages for any specific photo requirements for accessibility features.
How often should I update my accessibility details?
Update them any time you renovate, move furniture, add a rug or change the entry. A quick walk-through each season is a good habit.
Next steps: add an accessibility page to your digital welcome book
Grab a tape measure, walk the checklist above, and write down what's true today. Add the key facts to your listing, then put the fuller version in your welcome book where guests will see it after they arrive.
If you'd like help pulling it together, Welcome Kit Pro turns your rental's address and house details into a print-ready PDF, a live mobile guidebook and a QR code for the fridge or a welcome sign. Your house details include how things work and photos, so your accessibility notes and pictures of the entrance and shower fit right in. Edits to the live guidebook republish right away, so updating a measurement or noting a new grab bar is quick. Your first welcome book is free, and it works on the web and the iPhone app. Create your first welcome book free and include your accessibility details today.