Airbnb Updates House Rules Policy: What Short-Term Rental Hosts Need to Know
New requirements take effect November 20, 2026, affecting checkout instructions, guest expectations, rental agreements, and more.
ed. note: Remember this exchange between Brian Chesky and Rainn Wilson?
Airbnb has announced significant changes to its house rules policy, introducing new restrictions on what hosts can require of guests and how those requirements must be communicated. The updated policy applies to reservations booked on or after November 20, 2026, and affects hosts who use Airbnb to manage everything from checkout procedures to rental agreements and guest registration.
The changes are intended to make expectations more transparent before booking and reduce unexpected requirements during a guest's stay. For hosts, however, they also mean reviewing existing house rules, automated messages, checkout instructions, and any additional agreements or registration procedures.
Standard House Rules and Guest Requests
Airbnb has reorganized its house rules into seven standard categories: pets, smoking, events, quiet hours, commercial photography, maximum overnight guests, and locking up at checkout. The final two are new standard rule options.
Hosts can also communicate additional expectations through a separate Requests section. However, Airbnb distinguishes between enforceable house rules and requests that guests are encouraged, but not necessarily required, to follow.
This distinction matters because hosts cannot simply designate any preference as a mandatory house rule. Airbnb's policies determine which requirements are permissible and how they may be enforced.
New Limits on Checkout Instructions
One of the most noticeable changes concerns checkout chores. Airbnb generally prohibits hosts from requiring guests to perform cleaning tasks that take significant time or effort or would ordinarily be performed by professional cleaners.
For example, hosts cannot require guests to wash and put away dishes, strip beds, start laundry, or take trash to an off-site location. They can, however, ask guests to place used dishes in the sink, gather used towels, and separate trash and recycling into indoor containers.
Airbnb may consider exceptions based on the type of property or local circumstances.
Importantly, this does not eliminate guests' responsibility to treat a property respectfully. Airbnb's guest ground rules still require guests to avoid leaving accommodations in a condition that requires excessive cleaning. Hosts may also be eligible to seek reimbursement for qualifying unexpected cleaning expenses.
Rules Must Be Disclosed Before Booking
Airbnb now requires hosts to disclose their rules and requests in the designated section of their listing before a reservation is made.
Hosts cannot introduce additional requirements through automated messages, printed signs, house manuals, or verbal instructions after booking. They may remind guests of previously disclosed rules, but cannot use other communications to impose new obligations.
This makes it particularly important for hosts to review their scheduled messages and digital guidebooks to ensure they are consistent with the information provided in the listing.
Restrictions on Rental Agreements and Guest Registration
The updated policy also places limits on hosts requiring guests to sign separate rental agreements, provide additional personal information, or register through third-party websites or applications. Read more about this new policy here.
In general, Airbnb does not allow hosts to require guests to complete a separate contract or registration process outside the Airbnb platform unless a permitted exception applies.
Exceptions may include legal or regulatory requirements, certain homeowners association or building requirements, monthly stays, and circumstances involving optional amenities or services.
Where additional agreements or registration requirements are permitted, hosts must disclose them before booking. Hosts should not assume that including a requirement in their listing automatically makes it permissible under Airbnb's policy.
This is particularly relevant for property managers and hosts who use property management software, third-party check-in systems, or separate rental agreements. Existing procedures should be reviewed to determine whether they are permitted under Airbnb's rules.
Hosts who have legitimate legal obligations to collect guest information or obtain signed documents should verify how those requirements fit within Airbnb's stated exceptions rather than simply removing necessary compliance procedures.
Advertised Amenities and Additional Fees
Airbnb also limits restrictions on amenities advertised as part of a listing. If a property offers an amenity, hosts generally cannot prohibit guests from using it or impose undisclosed conditions on its availability.
For example, hosts cannot advertise air conditioning and then prohibit guests from using it.
Mandatory fees associated with advertised amenities must be included in the price presented to guests at booking. Certain optional services or amenities may carry additional charges, subject to Airbnb's policies.
Fines, Penalties, and Enforcement
Hosts generally cannot establish their own fines or penalties for violations of house rules. However, they may disclose applicable fines imposed by government authorities, homeowners associations, or similar entities.
This restriction does not eliminate Airbnb's existing processes for reporting property damage, excessive cleaning, or other qualifying losses. Hosts should use Airbnb's established procedures rather than attempting to impose their own financial penalties.
Airbnb has indicated that it may flag house rules or requests that conflict with its policies and provide hosts with an opportunity to correct them. Continued violations may lead to warnings, reduced listing visibility, or other enforcement measures.
What STRASA Recommends
STRASA encourages hosts to review their listings and guest communication procedures before the November 20 effective date. Particular attention should be given to checkout instructions, additional house rules, rental agreements, guest registration requirements, and automated messages.
Hosts should also review any procedures managed by cohosts or property management companies, since those communications and requirements may still be subject to Airbnb's policies.
These changes do not replace local short-term rental ordinances, licensing requirements, or other legal obligations. However, hosts must understand how Airbnb's platform policies interact with those requirements, especially when using third-party agreements or collecting guest information.
The most important takeaway is that hosts should clearly disclose permissible expectations before booking and avoid imposing additional requirements after a reservation is confirmed.
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