Do you ask for a copy of the guest's ID before arrival, a contract to sign, an app to install to open the door, or an online form to fill in? From 20 November 2026, Airbnb strictly limits these habits for bookings made from that date. This article complements the one on the end of check-out chores: same Airbnb policy, but a different part of it, covering contracts, personal data and apps.
It relies on the official pages read for the occasion: Airbnb's policy "Limiting host-imposed contracts and other requirements", the policy "Reasonable house rules and requests", the help page "Add house rules and requests to your listing" and two answers from the CNIL (the French data protection authority): on the individual police form and on copying an ID document. The Airbnb pages are in English: quotes and paraphrases are our own translation.
Last verification of sources: 27 October 2026. This is not personalised legal advice: check against your own situation.
What is Airbnb changing, and from when?
Airbnb applies its updated policy to bookings made from 20 November 2026. The official page states that the updated policy applies to bookings made from that date, and that bookings made before remain covered by the previous policy, kept at the bottom of the same page. The principle is set out like this: guests should be able to use Airbnb without running into unexpected requests that harm their stay or their privacy. Hosts therefore cannot have guests sign a contract, collect personal data or impose certain other requirements, except in limited cases.
Can you still have a guest sign a contract?
In principle no, except in four cases. According to Airbnb's official page, a host generally cannot ask guests to sign a separate contract or a rental agreement, unless that contract is:
- required by law or by the rules of a co-ownership or a venue (for example a building safety instruction);
- necessary to access an optional amenity, such as renting a golf cart;
- requested for a monthly stay (28 nights or more);
- linked to a stay in an Airbnb Luxe listing.
Even in these cases, the contract terms must comply with Airbnb's rules and relate to the stay. The host must display them in the dedicated section of the listing, may have to prove that one of the cases applies, and must not include personal data in them, because these contracts are publicly visible. Airbnb adds that it does not require guests to sign these contracts and does not help enforce their terms: the signature remains the host's business.
Which personal data can you no longer ask for?
Except in specific cases, you cannot ask for personal data at any point of the booking or the stay. Airbnb's official list includes:
- contact details: phone number, postal address, email address;
- identity documents and information: passport, driving licence, social security number, photo;
- bank card numbers, bank details and other financial data, except what Airbnb's policy on price and payment transparency allows;
- credit background or history;
- biometric or health data.
An important nuance for check-in: a host can physically check a guest's ID on arrival, if this was announced in the "requests" section of the listing, but cannot keep any copy of it, digital or paper, outside the exceptions below. Looking at an ID card is therefore allowed; photographing or photocopying it is not.
The same rules apply to tools: a pre-registration form that asks for contact details, a passport photo or a bank card number falls within the scope of the policy. This is our reading of the list above, to be confirmed with Airbnb for your tool.
What does the previous policy say, for bookings already made?
For bookings made before 20 November 2026, the previous policy remains in force. It already prohibited asking a guest to send a photo of their ID before arrival, except for a legal or compliance obligation, and asking for their contact details before booking. It allowed contracts, provided their terms were displayed in the listing and repeated in the conversation with the guest. What is new is therefore mainly the limitation of contracts to four cases, and the default ban on data collection.
In France, what happens to the fiche de police for foreign guests?
The fiche de police (individual police form) remains required by law for foreign guests, and Airbnb provides an exception for what the law requires. According to the CNIL, operators of tourist furnished rentals must have every foreign person fill in and sign an individual police form on arrival (article R814-1 and following of the code de l'entrée et du séjour des étrangers et du droit d'asile, known as CESEDA). The CNIL specifies that the data may only be passed on to the police and gendarmerie services, at their request and for one of the three legal grounds, that only the data listed in the arrêté du 1er octobre 2015 (the ministerial order that sets the content of the form) may be collected, and that people must be informed of their right of access and rectification.
Airbnb's exception covers data collection "necessary to comply with applicable law". In our reading, the fiche de police is part of it. Airbnb then specifies that the host must state clearly, in the "requests" section of the listing, what information is requested and why, so that the guest can read it before booking. The host must not collect more than the law requires, must store and destroy sensitive data securely, and may have to prove that the exception applies.
On copying the document, the CNIL answers the question "Can a hotelier make a copy of my ID?" with "No", while recalling that a hotelier may ask to see a document to establish nationality because of the fiche de police. This answer is aimed at hoteliers: we found no equivalent CNIL page for tourist furnished rentals, so do not take it as a rule written for you, but as an indication of the CNIL's line. For details on the register and retention periods, see our article on the guest register.
Mandatory app, wifi portal, reviews elsewhere: what is banned?
You can no longer require an app or a sign-up on another site to enter the property or to access an essential amenity. According to Airbnb's official page, hosts may offer keyless entry apps that require registration, but must offer another access method if the guest asks for it. Optional apps that improve the stay (the page mentions Sonos, Nest or concierge apps) remain allowed. Wifi portals that ask for an email address or other personal information are no longer allowed, except for a hotel or resort, or if one of the legal exceptions applies. If your wifi goes through a login portal, now is the time to remove it: see our article on wifi and connection data.
Other bans from the same page: requiring or pushing the guest into an activity unrelated to the stay (a timeshare presentation, a subscription), and asking for a review or a questionnaire on a site other than Airbnb (except hotels). On the other hand, the host can still recommend places, restaurants or shops, provided this is optional and any direct financial benefit, such as a commission, is disclosed. This is what a local guide does: see our article on which addresses to put in the local guide.
What is still allowed, what no longer is: the table
| What you did | After 20 November 2026 (bookings made from that date) |
|---|---|
| Have a guest sign a separate rental contract | Only in four cases: law or co-ownership rules, optional amenity, stay of 28 nights or more, Luxe listing |
| Ask for a photo or copy of the ID | Prohibited, unless required by law and announced in the listing |
| Look at the ID on arrival | Possible if announced in the "requests" section; no copy kept |
| Fiche de police for a foreign guest (France) | Legal exception: announce it in the listing, with what is requested and why (our reading) |
| Ask for phone, email or address before the stay | Prohibited, unless required by law or by an authorised contract |
| Ask for bank details or credit history | Prohibited |
| Require an app or an account to enter the property | Prohibited: a keyless entry app is allowed with another access method on request |
| Wifi portal that asks for an email address | Prohibited (except hotel or legal exception) |
| Ask for a review or a survey on another site | Prohibited (except hotel) |
| Recommend local addresses | Allowed, if optional and any commission is disclosed |
What should you do before 20 November?
Go through your listing and your tools with this checklist, from the quickest to the longest:
- Reread the "requests" section of each listing: if you check an ID on arrival, or if you fill in the fiche de police for foreign guests, write it down and explain why.
- Remove requests for ID copies by message or by form: keep only what the law requires.
- Check your contracts: a contract you have guests sign must fall within one of the four cases and be displayed in the dedicated section of the listing, without personal data.
- Check your access: if entry depends on an app, plan another method (key box or keypad code). See our guide to smart locks and access codes and the one on self check-in.
- Remove the email wifi portal and simply give the network name and password.
- Remove requests for reviews elsewhere (survey QR code, link to another platform).
- Check with your provider: if check-in or messaging software collects your guests' data, ask how it is adapting to the rule.
For Booking, direct bookings or any other platform, the pages read here only describe bookings made on Airbnb: Booking's rules or general law (including the GDPR) are separate topics, which we have not covered here.
How does Majordia fit in?
The Majordia welcome guide asks the guest for no data: it is read via a QR code, without an app or an account, and is automatically translated into 6 languages. It can hold the wifi, the keypad code, contacts and good addresses. It replaces neither your contract (when allowed) nor the fiche de police: these are separate obligations, to be handled as before.
Key takeaways
Information
- Date: bookings made from 20 November 2026; earlier bookings remain under the previous policy (Airbnb official page).
- Contracts: prohibited except in four cases (law or co-ownership rules, optional amenity, stay of 28 nights or more, Luxe listing).
- Data: no more contact details, ID copy, bank or credit data; the ID can be looked at on arrival if announced, never copied.
- France: the fiche de police for foreign guests is required by law (CNIL, article R814-1 and following of the CESEDA); in our reading it falls under the legal exception, to be announced in the listing.
- Apps and wifi: no mandatory app to enter (alternative on request); no email wifi portal; no review requested outside Airbnb.
- Not read: Booking's terms, other platforms' rules, the full text of the code de l'entrée et du séjour des étrangers et du droit d'asile: check against your situation.
FAQ
Can I still ask for a copy of a guest's ID?
No, according to Airbnb's policy for bookings made from 20 November 2026: the host can check the ID in person if announced, but cannot keep a copy, except under a legal exception.
Can I keep having foreign guests fill in the fiche de police?
The law requires it according to the CNIL, and Airbnb provides an exception for what the law imposes. In our reading, you can, provided you state it in the "requests" section of the listing with the reason, and collect only the data provided for.
Can I still have guests sign house regulations or a deposit?
A separate contract is only allowed in four cases. In our reading, a deposit requested by message or by form with bank details falls under the limit on financial data. For damage, Airbnb points to AirCover in its policy on house rules.
Does my online check-in software apply?
If it collects contact details, an ID photo or a bank card number from Airbnb guests, yes according to our reading of Airbnb's list. Ask its publisher how it is adapting.
Can I keep my keypad code or my smart lock?
Yes. Keyless entry apps are allowed, but you must offer another access method if the guest asks for it.
What if the guest books before 20 November?
The previous policy applies to bookings made before that date: it already prohibited the ID photo before arrival unless required by law or for compliance.
Prepare your listing now
Reread your requests, remove unnecessary data collection and prepare an alternative to any mandatory app. To give your guests wifi, access and good addresses without asking them for anything, the welcome guide generator of the Essential offer (free, add-ons à la carte) creates a guide and its QR code without sign-up.
Image credits. Cover: photo "An open passport with numerous ink stamps on the pages on a table" by Global Residence Index, Unsplash, Unsplash licence. Body photos: "a person writing on a piece of paper with a pen" by Hannah Olinger, Unsplash, and "gray and black digital device" by Erik Mclean, Unsplash, Unsplash licence.
