Hospitality
Emergency Contact Sheet for Vacation Rental Guests: What to Put On It
By MAXORI Studio · Updated 20 October 2026 · 5 min read
In an emergency, guests are stressed, in an unfamiliar place and often without the local language. A one-page emergency contact sheet gives them the few facts they need at that moment: which number to call, the exact address to say, where the nearest help is and where the safety equipment sits. This guide lists what to put on it and how to keep it reliable.
Why a separate emergency sheet
House rules, Wi-Fi details and local tips fill most welcome folders, and emergency information gets lost among them. A single sheet in a fixed place (fridge, door, welcome folder) is easier to find under stress than a page buried in a long guide.
What to put on the sheet
Keep it short and fill in every field for your own property.
- The emergency number valid where the property is. In the European Union 112 is the single emergency number, but it is not valid everywhere, so check your own country.
- The property address written exactly as the guest should say it to the emergency services, including town and any entrance or floor details.
- Your phone number and a backup contact for when you cannot be reached.
- The nearest hospital or emergency room, pharmacy and police station, with address and phone.
- Where the fire extinguisher, first-aid kit, gas shut-off, water shut-off and electrical panel are.
- The exits and, if relevant, any quiet hours or safety reminders for the property.
Make the address easy to dictate
Guests may have to read the address over the phone to someone who does not speak their language. Write it in the local form, add a landmark if the street is hard to find, and keep the text large and clear.
Keep it accurate
A wrong number is worse than no sheet.
- Verify every number and address against official or current local sources before printing.
- Walk the property and confirm that the extinguisher, kit and shut-offs really are where the sheet says.
- Update the sheet when something changes, such as a new host contact or a moved first-aid kit.
- Print it at actual size and place it where guests will see it on arrival.
What a sheet cannot do
An information sheet is not a safety certification. It does not replace local regulations, equipment checks or the instructions of the emergency services. Rules on smoke alarms, extinguishers and other safety equipment differ by country and by property type, so check what applies to you.
Questions
What should an emergency contact sheet for guests include?
The local emergency number, the property address to give to the emergency services, host and backup phone numbers, nearest hospital, pharmacy and police, and where the fire extinguisher, first-aid kit and gas, water and electric shut-offs are.
Is 112 the emergency number everywhere?
No. 112 is the single emergency number in the European Union, but other countries use different numbers. Always put the number valid at your property's location.
Where should I place the sheet?
Somewhere guests see it without searching: the fridge, the inside of the front door or the first page of the welcome folder.
Does the sheet make my rental compliant with safety rules?
No. It informs guests, but it is not a certification and does not replace local requirements. Check the rules for your property and country.
Ready-made tools for this
The Guest Emergency & Local Information Sheets are fillable PDFs (A4, US Letter and a compact A5) with an Emergency Information page, a Local Contacts & Services page and a Safety & Quiet Hours page, in English, Italian, Spanish, French and German. You type your details into real form fields and print; no number is pre-filled, and the kit is a template, not legal or safety advice.
