Airbnb's house rules changes take effect on November 20, 2026, and they reshape what hosts can ask of guests. House rules now come from a standard set of settings, checkout chores are on their way out, and rules have to live in one place.
Here is what changes, what you can still enforce, and what to update in your listing before the deadline.
Starting November 20, 2026, Airbnb house rules are built from 7 standard settings: maximum overnight guests, quiet hours, events, pets, smoking, commercial photography, and locking up at checkout. Anything else becomes a request that has to be reasonable. Cleaning chores at checkout are out, rules must all live in your listing, and breaking a standard house rule now gives hosts a penalty-free cancellation option.
Airbnb announced the update on October 20, 2026. House rule settings became simpler to set that day, and checkout instructions moved into the Listing editor. The policy itself applies from November 20.
| Area | What changes |
|---|---|
| House rules | Set through 7 standard settings in the Listing editor |
| Requests | Anything outside those 7 settings. Must be reasonable for the listing and location |
| Checkout tasks | Cleaning-type chores are no longer appropriate to ask of guests |
| Where rules live | Only in the house rules and requests section of the listing |
| Contracts | Allowed only in specific situations |
| Guest visibility | Rules show more prominently before booking, in the Trips tab, and in reservation reminders |
Every listing now draws its house rules from the same 7 settings:
Our read: set each one to match how you host in practice. These settings now appear before a guest books, so they also do some guest screening for you. A guest planning a birthday weekend can see "no events" before they ever send a request.
This is the part of the update with the biggest practical impact. Airbnb expects guests to follow house rules and encourages them to follow requests. The penalty-free cancellation option is tied to house rules.
Our read: if something on your current list needs to be enforceable, it should fit one of the 7 standard settings. Anything that does not fit becomes a courtesy you are asking for, not a condition of the stay.
A simple way to sort your existing list:
| Bucket | Examples | Where it goes |
|---|---|---|
| Standard rule | Guest count, parties, pets, smoking, nighttime noise, filming, locking up | The matching setting in the Listing editor |
| Reasonable request | Small asks a guest can finish in a minute or two | The Requests section, phrased as a favor |
| Turnover work | Tasks your cleaner would normally handle | Off the guest list entirely |
One gap to keep in mind: the guest count setting covers overnight guests. If daytime visitors are a concern at your property, ask Airbnb how your situation is handled before you rely on a request.
Not in the way many listings have done it. Airbnb's guidance draws the line at work a cleaner would normally do, since unexpected chores can hurt a guest's stay and the review that follows. Here is how common checkout asks translate under the new policy:
| Old checkout ask | What fits the new policy |
|---|---|
| Wash, dry, and put away dishes | Leave used dishes in the sink |
| Strip the beds or start the washer | Gather used towels |
| Take trash to the curb or off the property | Sort trash and recycling into the indoor bins |
| Avoid using the air conditioning | Turn the AC off when leaving |
Airbnb also notes that local conditions can make some requests reasonable, such as wildlife-proof trash handling or water limits during a drought. If you have a request like that, keep a record of the local rule or notice behind it.
Our read: a request gets done when the home makes it easy. A hamper in each bathroom, labeled indoor bins sized for a full stay, a clear sink, and one obvious key spot by the door will do more than stronger wording.
Airbnb highlights requests that need attention inside the Listing editor and suggests how to fix them. Hosts also get an email with an option to appeal. If an issue is left unresolved, guests may see a notice on the listing indicating that it includes cleaning requests.
The fastest fix is to open your Listing editor before November 20 and clear anything that has been flagged. While you are in there, it is a good time to check the rest of your listing too. The free Airbnb Listing Scorecard takes about 90 seconds and shows the three fixes worth doing first.
Only in specific cases. Under the updated policy, contracts are allowed for legal requirements, homeowners association rules, monthly-stay agreements, Airbnb Luxe listings, and optional amenities such as a golf cart. Hosts upload them under Contracts in listing settings after reviewing Airbnb's requirements. Airbnb does not enforce contracts or require guests to sign them.
| If your contract covers... | What to do |
|---|---|
| HOA or community rules | Likely still qualifies. Review the requirements, then upload it |
| A local legal requirement | Likely still qualifies. Note the ordinance it comes from |
| Stays of a month or longer | Likely still qualifies for those stays |
| An optional extra | Can cover that amenity only |
| Parties, guest count, or general conduct | Move that coverage into your standard rules |
This policy applies to Airbnb reservations. For stays booked through your own direct booking website, you set your own booking terms, including whether guests sign a digital rental agreement before arrival.
In one place. Airbnb asks hosts to keep every rule and request in the listing's house rules and requests section, and not to add rules in messages or on signs in the home.
That affects your vacation rental welcome book, your scheduled messages, and any signs around the property. A quick test for each item:
To scan quickly, search your guidebook and message templates for words like "don't," "no," "never," and "must."
Two changes work in your favor. Rules are now more visible to guests before booking, during the trip, and in reminders. And hosts can cancel without fees or other consequences if a guest breaks a house rule during the stay, or tells the host before check-in that they intend to.
Our read: that second part makes a short, friendly pre-arrival message one of the most useful tools you have. If a guest mentions a celebration with friends stopping by, you learn it while there is still time to clarify or contact Airbnb.
If something does go wrong mid-stay, our guide on what to do when an Airbnb guest breaks your house rules walks through documentation, trip change requests, and when to involve Airbnb.
Hi {guest name}! We're excited to host you. To get everything ready, could you let us know how many guests will be staying overnight, what brings you to town (any special occasion we should prepare for?), and whether anyone is bringing a pet? Looking forward to it!
Hi {guest name}, hope the stay is going well! Sharing our house rules here as a friendly reminder, especially quiet hours after {time}. Thanks so much.
Hi {name}! Starting November 20, guests won't be doing cleaning tasks at checkout, so turnovers may take a bit longer. Can we look at a few upcoming stays together and agree on a fair adjustment? I want this to work for you.
If guests used to strip beds, run the dishwasher, or haul trash, that time now lands on your turnover team. Work out the change in your turnover cost before it shows up on an invoice:
(Extra minutes per turnover ÷ 60) × cleaner's hourly rate × turnovers per month = added monthly cost
Then pick how to cover it:
| Option | How it helps | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| Nudge the nightly rate | Spreads the cost across the stay | Small change to how your price compares |
| Adjust the cleaning fee | Ties the cost to the turnover | Shows in the guest's total price |
| Add 1 night to the minimum stay in slow periods | Fewer turnovers per month | May lose some short bookings |
| Absorb it | No price change | Lower margin per stay |
If you also take direct bookings, Rates & Fees and Booking Rules let you adjust your nightly rate, cleaning fee, and minimum stay in one place, and the Turno integration schedules cleanings automatically from your reservations.
If you are weighing outside help, see the benefits of hiring a third-party cleaning service, and factor the change into your short-term rental operating costs.
Want this as a worksheet? The free House Rules Playbook includes a fill-in sheet for all 7 standard rules, copy-and-paste message templates, a turnover cost calculator, and a printable checklist.
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The updated house rules policy takes effect on November 20, 2026. Airbnb announced it on October 20, 2026, when the simplified house rule settings and the move of checkout instructions into the Listing editor also rolled out.
There are 7: maximum overnight guests, quiet hours, events, pets, smoking (including vaping and e-cigarettes), commercial photography and filming, and lock up at checkout. Hosts set them in the Listing editor.
Not under the new policy. Hosts can ask guests to leave used dishes in the sink and gather used towels, but washing dishes, stripping beds, and starting laundry are treated as cleaning work.
Hosts should not ask guests to take garbage off the property. Asking guests to sort trash and recycling into the indoor bins fits the new policy.
Only in limited cases: legal requirements, HOA rules, monthly-stay agreements, Airbnb Luxe listings, and optional amenities. Airbnb does not enforce contracts or require guests to sign them.
Yes. Hosts can cancel without fees or other consequences if a guest breaks a house rule during the stay, or says before check-in that they plan to. Contact Airbnb about next steps before acting.
Airbnb asks hosts to keep all rules and requests in the listing's house rules and requests section and not to add rules on signs or in messages. Instructions that explain how things work can stay in your guidebook.
Airbnb highlights the request in the Listing editor, emails you with an option to appeal, and may show guests a notice that the listing includes cleaning requests if the issue is not resolved.