Host notes

Airbnb message templates for hosts, written for the new rules

Twelve guest messages you can paste into Airbnb, from booking confirmed to the review request, plus replies for early check-in, late checkout, problems and parties. They’re written for Airbnb’s new house rules policy (bookings from November 20, 2026), which says you can’t add a new rule or request by message after booking. So these remind, and never add.

By Halivs · Updated October 23, 2026

Short answer. Most stays need only a handful of messages: booking confirmed, check-in details a few days before, a check-in day note, a first-morning check, a note the evening before checkout, and a thank-you with the review request. For Airbnb bookings from November 20, 2026, a message can remind guests of rules in your listing, but it can’t add new ones.

The one rule for messages now

Airbnb’s house rules policy says rules and requests must be in the house rules section of the listing at booking, and hosts “may not communicate new house rules or requests” after booking, “including by message”. In practice:

Fine: reminding guests of a rule that’s already in the listing, in the same words. Airbnb now offers your house rules as a quick reply.
Fine: information. Door code, WiFi, parking, trash day, how the heating works.
Not fine: “One more thing, please strip the beds and take the trash to the curb.” That’s a new request, and a cleaner task as well.
Not fine: asking for ID, a signed agreement or payment outside Airbnb, except in the limited cases the policy allows.

If a message keeps needing a rule that isn’t in your listing, add it to the listing for future bookings. Our guide to Airbnb’s new house rules has the sorting table and compliant wording.

Set them up once

Airbnb calls these scheduled quick replies: Messages → Settings → Manage quick replies → Create. Choose the listings, paste the text, insert details like the guest’s first name, check-in time, address and WiFi from the menu instead of typing them, and pick a trigger and timing. Missing listing details show as “unavailable”, so fill in your WiFi and check-in instructions first (Airbnb Resource Center). In the templates below, anything in [brackets] is either one of those details or something to fill in.

When	Message
Right after booking	1. Booking confirmed
2–3 days before	2. Check-in details
Check-in morning	3. Check-in day
Next morning	4. First morning check
Evening before checkout	5. Checkout
After checkout	6. Thanks + review

The 12 templates

1. Booking confirmed

Send: right after booking (scheduled quick reply)

Hi [Guest first name], thanks for booking [Listing name]! We're looking forward to having you.

You'll get check-in details on [day] before you arrive. Your house rules and requests are in the Trips tab, so take a quick look when you have a minute. They're short.

If you have questions before then (parking, early arrival, a cot for the little one), just message here.

[Your first name]

2. Before arrival: check-in details

Send: 2–3 days before check-in

Hi [Guest first name], here's everything for [Check-in date].

Check-in: from [Check-in time]
Address: [Address]
Getting in: [Check-in instructions, e.g. keypad on the front door, your code arrives on the day]
Parking: [Space 12 / driveway, one car]
WiFi: [Network] / [Password] (it's also on a card by the bed)

Our house rules and requests are in your Trips tab and on page 2 of the welcome book. Quiet hours are [10 pm to 8 am]. Same as the listing.

Safe travels!

No card by the bed yet? Get the free printable WiFi card (4×6, room for a scan-to-join QR code). It saves you the 11 pm “what’s the WiFi?” text.

3. Check-in day

Send: check-in day, morning

Good morning [Guest first name]! The place is ready for you from [Check-in time].

Your door code is [code]. If anything is missing or not working when you arrive, message me here and I'll sort it out quickly.

4. First morning check

Send: the morning after the first night

Hi [Guest first name], hope you slept well! Just checking that everything's working: WiFi, hot water, heating. If anything's missing, tell me now and I can fix it while you're here.

5. Evening before checkout

Send: the evening before checkout (Airbnb also sends its own reminder)

Hi [Guest first name], hope you had a good stay! Checkout is [Checkout time] tomorrow.

The short list is in your Trips tab: dishes in the sink, towels in the hamper, trash sorted into the bins under the sink, AC and lights off, then lock up and leave the keys on the counter.

Please leave the beds as they are. Our cleaner will take care of the rest. Safe trip home!

6. After checkout: thanks and a review

Send: a few hours after checkout

Thanks for staying with us, [Guest first name]. It was a pleasure to host you.

If you have a minute, a review helps small hosts like us a lot. And if anything wasn't right, I'd rather hear it from you directly so I can fix it for the next guests.

You're welcome back any time.

7. Early check-in request

Reply: when a guest asks

YES: Good news, the cleaner should be done by [time], so you're welcome to come at [time]. I'll message you here when it's ready.

NOT SURE: There's a guest checking out that morning, so I can't promise yet. I'll know by [time] on the day and will message you here. You're welcome to drop your bags at [place] from [time] if that helps.

NO: I'm sorry, we have a checkout the same day and the cleaner needs until [Check-in time]. [Café / park nearby] is a nice place to wait.

8. Late checkout request

Reply: when a guest asks

YES: Sure, [time] is fine. No one is arriving today. Enjoy the slow morning.

NO: I'm sorry, we have guests arriving today and the cleaner starts at [Checkout time]. You're welcome to leave bags at [place] until [time].

9. Something isn’t working

Reply: when a guest reports a problem

Thanks for telling me, and I'm sorry about that. [I'm sending (name) over at (time) / Here's how to reset it: ...]. I'll check back with you at [time] to make sure it's sorted.

10. A rule is being broken (extra guests, party, smoking)

Reply: calm reminder of a rule that is already in the listing

Hi [Guest first name], a neighbor mentioned [more people / music] at the house tonight. Just a reminder that the booking is for [4] guests, quiet hours start at [10 pm], and events aren't allowed. These are in the house rules on the listing. Could you take care of it now? Thank you. I'd really like this to stay a good stay for everyone.

11. Asked to pay or book outside Airbnb

Reply: decline politely

Thanks for asking! I keep all bookings and payments on Airbnb. It protects both of us, and it's part of Airbnb's terms. You can book the dates right on the listing, and I'm happy to answer anything here first.

12. Before booking: “What are the rules?”

Reply: an inquiry, before they book

Great question. Everything is in the house rules section of the listing so there are no surprises: up to [4] guests overnight, quiet hours [10 pm to 8 am], no events, [pets policy], no smoking or vaping. Checkout is light: dishes in the sink, towels gathered, lock up. No stripping beds or taking trash out.

Small things that make them work

Match the listing word for word. If the listing says quiet hours start at 10 pm and the message says 11, the guest picks 11.
One message, one job. Check-in details in one, checkout in another. Nobody scrolls back three days for a door code.
Put the reason in. “The walls are shared” does more than “please be quiet”.
Say what you don’t need. “Please leave the beds as they are” saves a lot of anxious guests ten minutes and a message.
Sign with a name. Guests write kinder messages, and kinder reviews, to a person than to a property.
Keep the printed version the same. The welcome book and any checkout card should use these exact words.

Questions hosts ask

Can I send house rules to guests in a message after they book?

You can remind guests of rules and requests that are already in your listing. Airbnb even offers your house rules as a quick reply. From November 20, 2026, you cannot use a message to add a new rule or request that is not in the listing’s house rules section.

How do I schedule automatic messages on Airbnb?

In Messages, open Settings and Manage quick replies, create a reply, choose the listings it applies to, and set a trigger and timing, such as two days before check-in. Insert details like the guest’s first name, check-in time and WiFi password from the menu so they fill in for each booking.

What should a checkout message say now?

Only what is already in your listing’s requests: checkout time, dishes in the sink, towels gathered, trash sorted into the indoor bins, and lock up. Airbnb sends guests its own checkout reminder with your requests, so keep yours short and friendly.

Can I ask guests for ID or to sign a rental agreement by message?

Generally no. The policy says hosts may not ask guests to sign separate contracts or provide personal information such as a government ID, except where the law requires it and in other limited cases. Allowed contracts have to be uploaded in your listing settings.

Should I message guests every day of their stay?

No. Most guests want check-in details, one quick check that everything works, and a short checkout note. More than that starts to feel like being watched. Answer fast when they write, and otherwise leave them alone.