HOW TO CREATE FILM-FRIENDLY HOUSE RULES

If you rent your home, business or other property for film and photography productions, having a clear set of house rules can help protect the property and prevent misunderstandings.

The key is making those rules production-friendly.

A film crew needs room to work. Equipment will move through the property, furniture may need to be shifted and dozens of small logistical decisions can happen throughout a shoot day.

Good house rules establish the things that genuinely matter without making normal production activity unnecessarily difficult.

WHAT ARE FILM LOCATION HOUSE RULES?

House rules are property-specific guidelines that explain what a production can and cannot do while using your location.

They might cover:

  • Restricted rooms

  • Furniture movement

  • Artwork

  • Floors and surfaces

  • Food and drinks

  • Smoking

  • Open flames

  • Exterior areas

  • Parking

  • Bathrooms

  • Pets

  • Noise

  • Landscaping

  • Security

  • Cleaning

  • Restoration

These rules can be shared during the initial booking process and incorporated into your final location agreement.

For more information about production agreements, read What Is a Location Release?.

START WITH WHAT ACTUALLY MATTERS

Before creating your rules, walk through the property and identify the things you genuinely need to protect.

Maybe you have:

  • Original hardwood floors

  • Fragile antiques

  • Valuable artwork

  • A newly landscaped yard

  • A septic system

  • A private upstairs area

  • A neighbor-sensitive driveway

  • A room that should never be filmed

  • A surface that cannot support heavy equipment

Those are useful things for production to know.

Avoid creating rules for every possible scenario. Focus on the restrictions that are specific to your property or would cause meaningful damage, expense or disruption.

KEEP THE RULES CLEAR + SPECIFIC

"Be careful with the house" isn't particularly useful.

Neither is "Don't damage anything."

Instead, give production clear instructions.

For example:

Instead of:
Do not damage the floors.

Try:
Production should protect hardwood floors in equipment and high-traffic areas. Equipment should not be dragged directly across finished flooring.

Or:

Instead of:
Don't move anything.

Try:
Furniture may be moved with owner approval and must be returned to its original position at wrap. The antique cabinet in the dining room may not be moved.

Specific rules are easier for a location manager to communicate and enforce.

ALLOW FOR NORMAL PRODUCTION ACTIVITY

If you're offering your property as a filming location, expect some degree of temporary disruption.

Productions may need to:

  • Move furniture

  • Bring in lighting equipment

  • Run cables

  • Cover windows

  • Adjust existing lighting

  • Bring in props

  • Set up wardrobe racks

  • Protect floors

  • Stage equipment

  • Move between interior and exterior spaces

That doesn't mean you need to allow everything.

It means your house rules should distinguish between reasonable production activity and things that require special permission.

A rule like "No furniture may ever be moved" can make an otherwise great property difficult to use.

A better approach might be:

Furniture may be moved with approval. Heavy, fragile or designated pieces may not be moved without the owner or site representative present.

IDENTIFY RESTRICTED AREAS

If certain areas are off-limits, establish that before the shoot.

Examples might include:

  • Private bedrooms

  • Home offices

  • Storage rooms

  • Attics

  • Roofs

  • Children's rooms

  • Garages

  • Neighboring property

  • Certain landscaped areas

Clearly identify these spaces during the scout and again when production arrives.

Whenever possible, physically close or mark restricted rooms so there is no confusion.

CREATE RULES FOR FLOORS + SURFACES

Production equipment can be heavy, and crews may make hundreds of trips through a property during a shoot.

If you have sensitive floors or surfaces, establish appropriate protection requirements.

You might require production to use:

  • Floor protection

  • Mats at entrances

  • Tennis balls or protective caps on stand legs

  • Furniture pads

  • Protective coverings under equipment

The exact precautions should reflect the property and production.

ADDRESS FURNITURE + ARTWORK

Determine what can be moved and what cannot.

If certain pieces are fragile, valuable or difficult to replace, identify them specifically.

You can also photograph rooms before production arrives so there is a clear reference for how furniture, artwork and decorative objects should be restored.

For particularly valuable or irreplaceable items, the safest option may be to remove them before production begins.

ESTABLISH FOOD + DRINK AREAS

You don't necessarily need to ban food and drinks throughout the entire property.

Instead, identify where crew meals, snacks and beverages are permitted.

Productions frequently establish designated catering and crew-holding areas away from the primary filming space.

You may also choose to prohibit certain items—such as red wine or strongly staining foods—from sensitive areas.

ADDRESS SMOKING, VAPING + OPEN FLAMES

If smoking or vaping is prohibited, state it clearly and identify whether there is an approved exterior area.

Open flames deserve separate consideration.

Candles, fireplaces, cooking flames, fire pits and other flame effects should be discussed and approved in advance rather than assumed to be permitted.

Depending on the production activity, additional safety requirements or permits may apply.

SET EXPECTATIONS FOR PARKING

House rules should explain where production vehicles can and cannot park.

Consider:

  • Driveway capacity

  • Lawns

  • Neighboring driveways

  • Mailboxes

  • Fire hydrants

  • Private roads

  • HOA restrictions

  • Loading areas

  • Equipment trucks

For larger productions, parking may need to be arranged somewhere other than the filming property.

If filming affects public streets, sidewalks or other public areas in Nashville, additional requirements may apply. Production information is available through the Metro Nashville Film Office.

THINK ABOUT YOUR NEIGHBORS

A production doesn't stop at your property line.

Crew arrivals, vehicles, equipment movement and noise can affect nearby residents.

Reasonable house rules might establish:

  • Approved arrival times

  • Quiet hours

  • No blocking neighboring driveways

  • No crew parking in designated areas

  • Limits on exterior activity

  • Requirements for advance notice to neighbors

For larger shoots, the production's location department may handle neighborhood notifications and other coordination.

INCLUDE PET RULES

If pets remain at the property during filming, decide where they will stay and whether production needs to be aware of them.

In many cases, it is easier and safer to arrange for pets to be elsewhere during a busy shoot day.

If animals live on the property—particularly on farms or rural locations—make sure production understands any gates, fencing or access rules that are essential to keeping them secure.

ESTABLISH BATHROOM ACCESS

Be clear about which bathrooms production may use.

For larger crews, you may prefer or require production to bring portable restrooms rather than relying entirely on the property's facilities.

This is especially important for properties with septic systems or limited plumbing capacity.

ADDRESS CLEANING + RESTORATION

Production should leave the property substantially as it found it, subject to whatever terms are established in the location agreement.

Your rules can clarify expectations around:

  • Trash removal

  • Furniture restoration

  • Floor protection removal

  • Cleaning

  • Landscaping

  • Prop removal

  • Exterior cleanup

Consider taking before-and-after photographs when the production involves extensive furniture movement, set dressing or property alterations.

DON'T FORGET OVERTIME

House rules aren't a replacement for your financial terms.

Your location agreement should establish the approved hours and any overtime charges if production remains beyond the agreed schedule.

Read What Location Fees Actually Cover for more information about shoot hours, prep, wrap and overtime.

KEEP YOUR HOUSE RULES SHORT

Your rules should be thorough enough to protect the property but short enough that a location manager can realistically communicate them to the crew.

A simple set might look something like this:

Sample Film Location House Rules

  • No smoking or vaping inside the property.

  • No open flames without prior approval.

  • Protect hardwood floors in equipment and high-traffic areas.

  • Furniture may be moved with approval and must be restored at wrap.

  • Designated artwork and antiques may not be moved.

  • Upstairs office and primary closet are private and off-limits.

  • Food and crew meals should remain in designated holding areas.

  • Production vehicles may park only in approved areas.

  • Do not block neighboring driveways or mailboxes.

  • No equipment or vehicles on landscaped areas without approval.

  • Production must remove its trash and restore used areas at wrap.

  • Any property damage should be reported immediately.

  • Additional activities or alterations not previously discussed require owner approval.

From there, add or remove rules based on your particular property.

SHARE THE RULES BEFORE PRODUCTION ARRIVES

Don't introduce a long list of restrictions on the morning of the shoot.

Provide house rules while the production is evaluating or booking the property so the location team can determine whether they can work within them.

Important restrictions should also be discussed during the scout or technical scout.

If a rule materially affects how the production intends to film, everyone should know about it before the location is officially locked.

THE BOTTOM LINE

Good film-location house rules protect your property while still allowing production to do its job.

Focus on the things that genuinely matter, communicate them clearly and establish important restrictions before the shoot.

The goal isn't to create as many rules as possible.

It's to create a property where the owner knows what to expect, the crew knows what's allowed and everyone can get through the shoot without unpleasant surprises.

Nashville Location Company provides location scouting, location management and location consulting for film, photography and commercial productions throughout Nashville and Middle Tennessee.