Airbnb has just changed the rule on what you can ask your guests to do when they leave. From 20 November 2026, stripping the bed, taking out the rubbish or washing and putting away the dishes can no longer be part of your check-out instructions. Here is what the official page says exactly, what is still allowed, and what you can do starting this week.
This article relies on two pages of the Airbnb Help Center read on 23 October 2026 ("House rules and reasonable requests" and "Add house rules and requests to your listing", machine-translated by Airbnb, which we cross-checked against the English versions), as well as on the articles from CNN (22 October 2026), TechCrunch and Euronews (21 October 2026).
Last verification of sources: 23 October 2026. Airbnb's rules and menus change: check them in your account.
What is Airbnb changing for check-out instructions?
Airbnb now prohibits, for bookings made from 20 November 2026 inclusive, requests that require considerable effort or time. The official page states that hosts "generally" may not ask for tasks that require considerable effort or time, or that would normally be done by a cleaner, and it gives three examples: stripping the bed, taking out the rubbish, and washing and putting away the dishes.
Three points to keep in mind about the scope of this rule:
- The booking date is what counts, not the stay date: the page says the policy applies to all bookings made from 20 November 2026 inclusive. In the text we read, it does not detail how bookings made before that date are treated: check this in your account.
- The word "generally" matters. Airbnb says it looks at the context of the property (type of property or stay, local factors) and may grant exceptions. Its two examples: limiting shower length when drought-related water restrictions apply, or putting rubbish in an animal-proof bin in a region where bears live.
- This is a platform rule, not a law: it governs what you can write in your Airbnb listing, not your relationship with a guest who books elsewhere.
What is still allowed?
Simple gestures are still allowed, provided they are reasonable and shown before booking. CNN reports that hosts can still ask for used dishes to be left in the sink at check-out. "Reasonable" requests remain authorised, but Airbnb reserves the right to judge what counts as reasonable.
In the official pages we read, we found no precise list of permitted gestures. Our reading, to be confirmed in your listing editor: everyday gestures that take neither effort nor time (switching off the lights, closing the windows, locking the door when leaving) fall within the framework. Indeed, "lock up when leaving" is among the house rules offered by Airbnb (see below).
| Request | What Airbnb says | Our reading |
|---|---|---|
| Stripping the bed | Cited as a prohibited example | Remove it from your instructions |
| Taking the rubbish out of the property | Cited as a prohibited example | Remove it; provide a bin |
| Washing and putting away the dishes | Cited as a prohibited example | Replace with "leave the dishes in the sink" (case reported by CNN) |
| Locking the door at check-out | House rule offered ("lock up when leaving") | Keep |
| Limiting showers in drought areas | Exception example cited by Airbnb | Possible if it is a genuine local constraint |
| Fine for non-compliance | Prohibited | Stop writing it |
What other rules does Airbnb impose on host requests?
All rules and requests must meet five requirements, listed on the official page. They go beyond the topic of cleaning alone:
- Be shown in the dedicated section of the listing, before booking. You cannot communicate a new rule or request elsewhere in the listing or after booking: not by message, not by a sign in the property, not in person.
- Remain consistent with the rest of the listing.
- Comply with Airbnb's terms. For example, no separate contract to sign and no request for personal information such as an ID document, unless the law requires it and in certain other limited circumstances.
- Not restrict access to an advertised amenity. Any fee tied to an item in the listing must be included in the price displayed at booking; optional extras, such as breakfast, can be mentioned in the requests.
- Not impose fines or penalties. Airbnb points to AirCover for damage. If a co-ownership or a municipality may impose a fine, you can warn guests in the dedicated section of the listing ("local rules").
Euronews adds a point that matches Airbnb's basic rules: cleaning fees only cover standard cleaning between two stays, and a host cannot charge a guest who did not do a check-out task. For a property returned in an abnormal state, see the check-out instructions guide and the one on cleaning between two stays.
How are house rules changing?
House rules become a menu: you choose from a list of areas set by Airbnb, then add free-form requests. CNN and Euronews mention seven standard rules displayed prominently on the listing page. The help page "Add house rules and requests" lists these areas:
- pets;
- events;
- smoking, vaping and e-cigarettes;
- quiet hours;
- maximum number of guests staying overnight;
- commercial photography and filming;
- lock up when leaving.
The same page adds an eighth line: allowing all categories of Airbnb services, some of them or none at your property.
For everything else (for example taking shoes off, limiting daytime visitors), you use a request, which you can timestamp "during the stay" or "before check-out". In the listing editor, everything is under "House rules and requests". Airbnb highlights directly in the text anything that does not comply with its policies, with a short explanation; if you save without correcting it, the request is reviewed and Airbnb contacts you, leaving you the option to provide details.
Two practical details, taken from the same page: your changes only apply to future bookings (current bookings keep the rules that were in the listing when they were received), and your rules appear in the booking conditions, in automatic emails and in the guest's "Trips" tab.
What does a listing that does not adapt risk?
Airbnb provides for an escalation: information, a request to update, warnings, then a notice on the listing and reduced visibility. The official page puts it this way: in case of a non-compliant rule, Airbnb may inform the host of its policies, ask them to update their listing and send them warnings. If the violation persists, it may lead to a warning displayed on the listing, flagging the issue to guests, reduced visibility in search results or other measures provided for by the Terms of Service.
On the guest side, Airbnb specifies that its basic rules require guests to respect the house rules, with possible consequences for repeated or serious violations. Requests, for their part, are "encouraged" to be followed. If a guest does not follow a rule, you can contact Airbnb to find out what to do.
How are hosts reacting?
The reactions reported are mixed. TechCrunch notes that several hosts criticise the measure on the Airbnb community forum: for them, basic tasks protect hygiene and the property. CNN, conversely, quotes an American guest for whom a list of chores sent the day before departure, with a threat of a fine, amounted to an hour of work on holiday. We do not cite forum comments as a source of fact: these reactions only show that the subject is divisive.
One thing to keep in mind: the rule is not a complete surprise. Our article of 18 October on check-out instructions already pointed out that, since November 2022, Airbnb has considered it unreasonable to ask guests to remake beds or start a laundry load. What is new is that the rule is now written in black and white in a community policy, with enforcement measures.
What should you do this week?
Sort through your instructions before 20 November, listing by listing. Here is a six-step approach:
- Reread your check-out instructions and your house rules. Strike out anything that looks like stripping the bed, taking the building's rubbish out, washing the dishes, starting a machine.
- Replace with a two-minute gesture. For example: "Leave the used dishes in the sink"; "put waste in the kitchen bin"; "lock the door when you leave".
- Remove any mention of a fine or penalty from the listing, the guidebook and your messages. Keep only the information about co-ownership or municipal fines, in the "local rules" section.
- Review your house rules (pets, events, smoking, quiet hours, number of guests, filming, locking up at check-out) and check that they are consistent with the rest of the listing.
- Update your cleaning. If you were counting on the guest to save time, work out what this changes for your cleaning time or that of your provider. The amount of your cleaning fee remains your decision, within the limits of Airbnb's pricing rules: we have read no rule that requires or forbids it at this stage.
- Align your messages and your guidebook. Airbnb prohibits communicating a new request after booking. A day-before message or a page of the welcome guide must therefore only repeat what is already in the listing. This is our reading of the rule: check it in your account.
A well-kept welcome guide also helps with a clean check-out without chores: stating clearly where to leave the dishes, where the bins are and what time the cleaning arrives avoids misunderstandings. See the house rules guide and the one on the welcome guide.
What about Booking, Vrbo, direct bookings?
The pages we read only talk about Airbnb: we have read no equivalent announcement from another platform. If you also rent elsewhere or directly, your instructions may differ: adapt the text per channel, without contradictions visible to a guest who looks at several listings. This point will be worth watching in the coming weeks.
Key takeaways
Information
- When: bookings made from 20 November 2026 inclusive (Airbnb Help Center).
- Prohibited: tasks that take considerable effort or time, or are usually done by a cleaner, including stripping the bed, taking out the rubbish, washing and putting away the dishes; fines and penalties; new requests after booking.
- Allowed: reasonable requests shown in the listing before booking, for example leaving the dishes in the sink (CNN), and local exceptions (drought, bears).
- Enforcement: information, warnings, then a notice on the listing and reduced visibility.
- To do: reread instructions and house rules, replace chores with simple gestures, remove any fine, align messages and guidebook.
FAQ
When does the Airbnb rule start to apply?
To bookings made from 20 November 2026 inclusive, according to the "House rules and reasonable requests" page of the Airbnb Help Center. The explanations for earlier bookings are not in the text we read: check your account.
Can I still ask guests to leave the dishes in the sink?
Yes according to CNN, which reports that hosts can ask for used dishes to be left in the sink at check-out. However, washing and putting away the dishes is among the examples of prohibited tasks.
Can I charge a guest who did not do a check-out task?
No. Airbnb prohibits fines and penalties in hosts' rules and requests, and Euronews points out that cleaning fees only cover standard cleaning between two stays. For damage, the official page points to AirCover: check according to your situation.
What happens to my existing house rules?
You keep them, but they must fit the new framework: areas offered by Airbnb for rules, free-form requests for the rest, all shown before booking. Changes only apply to future bookings.
Is a guest who leaves a very dirty property protected from any sanction?
Not necessarily. Airbnb states that its basic rules require guests to respect the house rules, with possible consequences for repeated or serious violations, and that you can contact it if there is a problem; for damage, the official page points to AirCover. Document with dated photos at arrival and departure; see the check-out instructions guide.
Prepare your instructions without chores
Between now and 20 November, the right method is simple: cut your instructions down to a few two-minute gestures, show them in the listing, and repeat exactly the same ones in your guidebook. So that your guests find these instructions on their phone without an app, create your guidebook with the free welcome guide generator, then discover the Essential (free, add-ons à la carte) offer and the other plans on the Pricing page.
Image credits. Cover: photo "White bath towel on white ceramic bathtub" by the blowup, Unsplash, Unsplash licence. Body photos: "Brown wooden door with padlock" by iMattSmart, Unsplash, and "A neatly made bed with a grey blanket" by Justin Ghang, Unsplash, Unsplash licence.
