Airbnb’s new house rules: what you can still ask guests

Airbnb rewrote how house rules work. From November 20, 2026, every rule and request has to sit in one section of your listing, guests can no longer be asked to do the cleaner’s jobs, fines are out, and you can’t add a new rule later by message or by a sign on the wall. Most hosts don’t need to start over. You need to sort what you already have into three piles: keep it, turn it into a request, or delete it. This page walks through that, with wording you can paste.

By Halivs · Updated October 23, 2026 · Sources linked throughout

What changed, in one minute

Airbnb announced the change on October 20 in its Resource Center and published the house rules policy the same day. The policy applies to reservations booked on or after November 20, 2026. The main points:

• Seven standard rules. Maximum overnight guests, quiet hours, events, pets, smoking (including vaping), commercial photography, and lock up at checkout. These are the only things labelled “rules”.
• Everything else is a request. Guests are “encouraged” to follow requests. The old checkout instructions tab is gone. Checkout steps are now requests too.
• No cleaner tasks. No stripping beds, starting laundry, washing and putting away dishes, or taking trash off-site.
• No fines or penalties. Damage goes through AirCover.
• One place only. Rules and requests have to be in the house rules section at booking. Hosts “may not communicate new house rules or requests” in messages, signs in the home or in person after booking.
• Consequences. Airbnb highlights non-compliant requests in the editor and emails you. If you don’t fix them, guests can see a notice like “includes cleaning requests” and your listing can drop in search.

It got a lot of attention for a policy update. AP and the BBC covered it as a win for guests tired of checkout chores. On the host forums the worry is about everything else: hot tub safety, septic systems, and whether a sign by the door is now against the rules.

Sort your current rules: keep, request, or delete

Open your listing’s house rules, your welcome book, any signs, and your saved messages. Put every line into one of these rows.

Copy-paste: a checkout that fits the new rules

Airbnb sends guests its own checkout reminder with your requests (Airbnb Resource Center), so keep the list short. Five lines is plenty. Paste this into House rules and requests, edit the brackets, and use the same words anywhere else in the home.

Before you go (checkout by [11:00 am]):
- Please put used dishes in the sink.
- Please gather used towels in [the bathroom hamper].
- Please sort trash and recycling into the bins [under the kitchen sink].
- Please turn off the [AC / heat] and the lights when you leave.
- Lock the door and leave the keys [on the kitchen counter].
That's it. Please leave the beds as they are. Our cleaner takes care of the rest.

The last line matters more than it looks. Many guests strip beds because they think it’s polite, and you used to have to ask them not to. Saying it once, kindly, gets rid of the 10 am “what do you want us to do?” message.

Copy-paste: requests that usually pass

These are ordinary things to ask that don’t add work for the guest. Use the ones that apply and give a reason when it isn’t obvious. Guests are more patient with a request that has a reason.

- Please take shoes off upstairs. The carpet is new and pale.
- Please keep the gate closed. The dog next door gets out.
- Please park only in [space 12]. The street is permit-only after 6 pm.
- Please flush only toilet paper. The house is on a septic system and anything else can block it.
- Please run the hot tub cover back on after use. It keeps the water safe and warm.
- Please use the [animal-proof bin by the garage] for all trash. This is bear country.
- Day visitors are welcome for meals. Please message us first if more than [2] people are coming.

Two of these lean on Airbnb’s own exceptions. The policy gives “animal-proof container in bear country” and drought shower limits as examples of local reasons that can make a request reasonable. A septic or hot tub line is the same idea: a real reason tied to the home. Keep these factual and short, and don’t phrase them as threats.

Safety information is not a chore

A lot of hosts read the policy as “no more safety rules”. It isn’t quite that. Information is still fine: where the fire extinguisher is, that the pond has no lifeguard, that the trail is steep after rain. The policy is about what you require guests to do and where you say it. Put safety notes in the listing (the house rules section and the description) and repeat them in your welcome book. If your county requires a posted notice with occupancy and emergency numbers, that is a legal requirement, not a house rule, and our guide to what to post inside a short-term rental covers it.

Your welcome book, signs and messages

• Welcome book: keep it. Make the rules page a copy of your listing’s rules and requests, word for word, and delete anything that isn’t in the listing. Then keep the house manual parts (WiFi, appliances, parking, trash days). That’s information, not rules. Our welcome book guide shows what to keep.
• Signs: a small card with the same checkout lines is fine. A new “NO GLASS IN POOL AREA — $100 FINE” sign that isn’t in the listing is exactly what the policy bans.
• Messages: you can remind guests of rules that are already in the listing. Airbnb now offers your house rules as a quick reply. You can’t introduce new ones. Our message templates are written that way.
• Templates you bought or downloaded: most were written before October 2026, including the example text in ours. Look for “load the dishwasher”, “strip the beds” and “take the trash out”, and swap in the lines above.

A 20-minute update, in order

1. Open the listing editor and go to House rules. Set all seven standard rules, including the new Lock up at checkout and Maximum overnight guests.
2. Move every free-text line into Requests, then reword or delete using the table above.
3. Paste the checkout block. Edit the brackets.
4. Fix anything the editor highlights. Read Airbnb’s tip, edit, and appeal if you think your request is reasonable for local reasons.
5. Update the welcome book rules page and any signs so they match word for word.
6. Update your saved messages and scheduled quick replies. Delete any line that adds a rule.
7. Tell your cleaner. Guests will do less at checkout, so the turnover may take a little longer. Check whether your cleaning fee still covers it.

Questions hosts ask

When do the new Airbnb house rules start?

Airbnb announced the change on October 20, 2026, and the new house rules policy applies to reservations booked on or after November 20, 2026. Bookings made before that date are not judged by the new policy, but the new rule editor is already live, so it is easiest to update your listing now.

Can I still ask guests to load the dishwasher or take out the trash?

Not as a requirement. The policy says hosts generally cannot ask guests to wash and put away dishes, strip beds or take trash off-site. You can ask guests to put used dishes in the sink and to sort trash and recycling into the indoor bins you provide. Airbnb may allow exceptions for local reasons, such as an animal-proof bin in bear country.

Can I keep a house rules sign or a welcome book in the home?

Yes, as long as it repeats what your listing already says. The policy bans new rules or requests that appear only on signs, in messages or in person after booking. Copy the wording from your listing into the welcome book and any sign, and delete anything that is not in the listing.

Can I still charge a fine for breaking a rule?

No. The policy says hosts may not impose fines or other penalties on guests. If a guest damages something, use the AirCover damage process. If your HOA, building or local government might fine you for something a guest does, you can tell guests about that risk in the house rules section of the listing.

What happens if my listing still has an unreasonable request?

Airbnb says requests that do not follow the policy are highlighted in the listing editor, and you get an email with tips and a way to appeal. If a problem stays unresolved, guests may see an alert such as “includes cleaning requests,” and the listing can lose visibility in search.

What can I do if a guest breaks one of the standard rules?

Contact Airbnb. Its Resource Center says you can cancel without fees or other consequences if a guest breaks a house rule during the stay or says before check-in that they intend to. Requests are different: guests are encouraged to follow them, but they are not rules.