When friends or family visit from out of town, hosting them as overnight apartment guests can be a fun experience for all parties. Even with the space restrictions of a small apartment, it is easy to accommodate guests for an enjoyable, stress-free visit when you follow a few considerations.
Your guests may be eager to explore your city, but don’t worry too much about planning an exact itinerary to follow. Do have some potential activities jotted down, so you can turn to the list for quick ideas on the go. Think about unexpected treasures in your city that guests would appreciate a chance to experience. As tempting as it might be to take your guests out on the town for fancy meals at top local restaurants, this can get expensive. Save money by dining in at the apartment as often as possible during the visit, and cook together with your guests. Preparing the meal can be half the fun!
If you’ll be at work during the day, recommend local hangouts like a great coffee shop or lunch spot for them to enjoy. Also, there will be less tension and stress overall if you put some faith in your guests and invite them to make themselves at home in your apartment when you aren’t there. Relax and enjoy the company, and they will feel relaxed and happy as well. Of course, having more people (and their luggage) in the apartment means more clutter and noise. While of course keeping tidy is important throughout, don’t put to much time into thorough cleaning during the visit. Rest assured that you will get everything reorganized and back to normal after they leave.
As soon as you know of a potential visit, talk to your roommates and make sure they’re okay with having guests— your best bet is the “go in asking” strategy. Assure them that your friends or family members will know to be respectful to the apartment. To most guests, it is second nature to respect the home, and do immediately address the issue if they become more obtrusive than expected. You have every right to politely confront them about being particularly messy or loud, as you are doing the guests a favor and service by allowing them to crash at your apartment. They should understand that their alternative would be paying for a hotel— and the housekeeping service that comes along with it.
To avoid having guests overstay their welcome, be upfront and clear about the parameters of the visit right off the bat. Have the conversation before they even arrive, ensuring there is a clear departure date on their agenda. If they decide they love your city too much to leave, recommend that they find an apartment using our great tools at ApartmentSearch. Whether they’ll need Dallas apartments, Phoenix apartments, Austin apartments, or Seattle apartments, we have tons to look through in our searchable nationwide database.
