# Holiday Hosting Safety Checklist: Railings, Rugs and the Guest Bathroom > Hosting family this holiday season? Check your front steps, railings, rugs and guest bathroom first. A quick walkthrough to prevent falls before guests arrive. - URL: https://www.bqhs.com/blog/home-safety/holiday-hosting-safety-checklist - Topic: Home Safety - Published: 2026-09-24 - Updated: 2026-11-04 - Author: The BQHS Team, Baeumler Quality Home Services (BQHS) ## Quick answer Before hosting for the holidays, clear and light your front steps, make sure stair railings are solid, secure or remove loose rugs and cords, add grab bars and a non-slip mat in the guest bathroom, and put night lights between the guest room and the bathroom. When family comes to stay for the holidays, your home suddenly has to work for people who don't know it. Your parents won't know which stair creaks or that the hallway rug slides, and a toddler will find every cord within reach. Falls are the biggest risk. Between [20% and 30% of Canadians aged 65 and over fall each year](https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/publications/healthy-living/seniors-falls-canada-second-report.html), and half of the falls that end in a hospital stay happen at home. Most of what causes them, like a loose railing or a dark hallway at 3 a.m., is easy to fix if you catch it a week or two before your guests arrive. The simplest way to find these problems is to walk through your home the way a guest would, starting at the front door. ## Practical Takeaways - Do your walkthrough at least a week before guests arrive, so there's time to fix what you find. - Make sure every stair railing is solid, and add one where there isn't one. - Remove loose rugs or add non-slip backing, and keep cords out of walkways. - Add a grab bar, a non-slip mat and a night light in the guest bathroom. - Light the path from the guest room to the bathroom. ## The front steps and entrance Your guests' first steps are often the riskiest ones. In a Canadian December, the walkway and front steps may be icy, wet or covered in snow, and they're usually in the dark by late afternoon. - Keep salt or sand by the door and clear the steps before guests are due to arrive. - Check that the outdoor light by the entrance works, and consider a motion-sensor light. - Grab the railing and give it a firm push. It shouldn't move. - Put a sturdy boot tray and a mat just inside the door so wet boots don't end up in the hallway. If the front steps don't have a railing at all, or the one you have wobbles, it's worth fixing before the holidays. Loose posts and missing handrails are common [porch and step repairs](https://www.bqhs.com/services/exterior-care/deck-and-porch-maintenance), especially after a few winters of frost movement. ![Front porch steps with railings decorated for the holidays](https://whhcdpfddpbfzglzpays.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/public_media/blog/2026/holiday-hosting-safety-checklist/holiday-hosting-safety-checklist-2.webp) ## Stairs and railings inside Indoor stairs deserve the same check. Your guests may be carrying luggage, a plate or a sleeping child, and they'll be using your stairs in the middle of the night. The best setup is [solid handrails on both sides of the stairway](https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/publications/healthy-living/you-prevent-falls.html). If you only have one, or the one you have moves when you lean on it, that's the first thing to fix. Loose handrails usually come down to brackets that have pulled out of the drywall instead of being screwed into studs, and re-securing them properly is a straightforward [carpentry and trim](https://www.bqhs.com/services/carpentry-and-finishing/carpentry-and-trim) job. Look at the stairs themselves too. Loose carpet, worn treads and a step with something stored on it are all easy to trip on. Make sure there's a light switch at both the top and bottom of the stairs, or at least a night light, so nobody has to walk down in the dark. ## Rugs, cords and holiday decorations This is where a lot of holiday falls happen. Small area rugs and runners are the main culprit, especially on hardwood or tile. Either remove them while you have guests or put a non-slip pad underneath. Rugs with curled edges should go. Holiday decorating adds its own hazards. Extension cords for lights and the tree often end up running across a walkway, and a cord on the floor is hard to see. Run cords along the walls instead, and tape them down if they have to cross a path. With extra furniture, gifts and bags around, it's also worth keeping the main walkways clear: front hall, living room, kitchen and the route to the bathroom. ## The guest bathroom Bathrooms are one of the most common places for falls at home, and a guest bathroom is often the least set up for them. - Grab bars: one beside the toilet and one by the tub or shower helps anyone sit, stand and step in or out. They need to be anchored into studs or solid backing. - Non-slip mat: put one inside the tub or shower and an absorbent mat with a rubber backing outside it. - Night light: a plug-in night light makes a big difference for someone who doesn't know where the switch is. - Towel bars and hooks: make sure they're within reach of the shower and firmly attached, since people grab them for balance. A towel bar is never a substitute for a grab bar. If you're adding grab bars or replacing loose [bathroom accessories](https://www.bqhs.com/services/installations-and-assembly/bathroom-accessories-and-fixtures), have them installed into proper backing so they'll take a person's full weight. ![Slippers on a non-slip rug beside the bed](https://whhcdpfddpbfzglzpays.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/public_media/blog/2026/holiday-hosting-safety-checklist/holiday-hosting-safety-checklist-3.webp) ## The guest room and the path at night Most guest falls happen at night, between the bed and the bathroom. Walk that route yourself with the lights off and notice where you hesitate. A couple of plug-in night lights along the way, a lamp within reach of the bed and a clear floor usually take care of it. If young children are visiting, check that dressers, bookcases and TVs in the room are secured, which is one of the first [things to install in a new home](https://www.bqhs.com/blog/new-home-ownership/what-to-install-in-a-new-home) and just as useful in one you've lived in for years. Finally, test the smoke and carbon monoxide alarms on every floor, especially near the bedrooms, and replace any batteries that are low. ## Get a second set of eyes It's hard to see your own home the way a guest would. A [BQHS Home Health Check](https://www.bqhs.com/home-health-check) includes a safety check of your stairs, railings, smoke and carbon monoxide alarms and other common hazards, and you'll get a plain-language report on anything that needs attention. It's a good way to start the holidays knowing the house is ready. Disclaimer: This article is general information for homeowners. Grab bars and railings must be installed to support a person's full weight, so follow the manufacturer's instructions or have them installed by a professional. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How do I make my home safe for elderly guests? Make sure stair railings are solid, remove or secure loose rugs, add grab bars and a non-slip mat in the bathroom and put night lights along the route from the guest room to the bathroom. ### Can I use a towel bar as a grab bar? No. Towel bars aren't designed to hold a person's weight. Grab bars need to be anchored into studs or solid backing. ### How do I fix a loose stair railing? Most loose railings have brackets that have pulled out of the drywall. Re-securing the brackets into wall studs usually fixes it. If the railing post itself is loose, it may need to be re-anchored. ### Where should night lights go for guests? Along the route from the guest room to the nearest bathroom, at the top and bottom of the stairs and in the bathroom itself. ### How can I make holiday lights safer? Keep extension cords out of walkways by running them along walls, and tape them down if they have to cross a path. Turn decorative lights off when you go to bed or leave the house. ### When should I do a holiday safety walkthrough? At least a week before your guests arrive. That gives you time to buy supplies or book any repairs you find.