The small print

House Notes

We would rather call these notes than rules. There are only a handful, each exists for a good reason — usually a neighbor, a cat, or the old house itself — and none of them should get in the way of a wonderful stay.

Care of the house

Treat it as your own

Please treat the property and everything in it with care. Things break — that is life — but please tell us if something is damaged so we can fix it before the next guest. We will never make a fuss about an honest accident.

Quiet hours

After 11 pm

Our upstairs neighbor, Susan, has lived in this building for many years and has been wonderful to us. Please keep things quiet after 11 pm — voices low, music down, and mind the front door.

Especially the kitchenSusan's bedroom is directly above our kitchen, and old houses carry sound. Late-night cooking, clinking dishes and cabinet doors travel straight up — so after 11 pm, please keep the kitchen gentle.

Smoking

Outside only

This is a non-smoking home. If you smoke, please do so outside: in front of the house, or on the deck through the back door. When you use the back door, watch for the cats — they are quick.

Shoes

Off at the door

We keep a shoes-off house. Leave yours by the entry bench when you come in. The floors thank you, and so do the cats, who spend a lot of time on them.

Trash, recycling & compost

Three bins in the garage

San Francisco composts and recycles seriously, and the three-bin system is easy once you have seen it. The large bins are in the garage, on the right-hand side.

  1. Take the garage clicker — it is on the entry bench by the front door.
  2. Open the garage from the front of the house and find the bins on the right.
  3. Sort into the three bins as below, and close the garage on your way back.
Grey · TrashLandfill: plastic wrap, chip bags, broken glass, cat waste, anything that is neither recyclable nor compostable
Blue · RecyclingClean paper, cardboard, glass bottles & jars, metal cans, hard plastics (rinse containers first)
Green · CompostAll food scraps, coffee grounds & filters, soiled paper napkins, pizza boxes, plants
Collection nightThe bins go out to the curb on Tuesday night. If your stay includes a Tuesday, we would be grateful if you rolled all three bins to the curb in front of the house that evening, and tucked them back into the garage once they have been emptied.
TipA small bag of compost taken out every couple of days keeps the kitchen fresh — especially in summer.

Guests & keys

Two small requests

  • Please keep your door code to your party — it opens the gate and the front door.
  • Please don't leave the doors or the gate open, even briefly — for the cats' sake and the neighbors'.

Otherwise: have friends over for dinner, use the kitchen, put on music. This is your home while you are here.