Airbnb is limiting the tasks that hosts can request from guests upon check-out. The changes go into effect for all reservations made on or after November 20th, 2026, and affect hosts and guests worldwide.
Under the new policy, guests cannot be required to perform tasks that require “substantial time or effort“ or are typically performed by a professional cleaner. The list includes removing linens, taking trash out of the property, and washing and putting away dishes.
Hosts can still ask that used dishes be left in the sink. They can also make other specific requests, but they must be reasonable. Self-imposed fines or other penalties for guests will no longer be allowed.
Rules must be clear before booking
Airbnb is introducing seven standard categories of rules that will be displayed more prominently on the listing page. Hosts can specify maximum guest numbers, quiet hours, pet policies, event options, key return policies, and restrictions on commercial photography.
The new rules must be announced at the time of booking. Hosts will not be able to add new requirements via message, a note in the property, or verbally after a guest arrives. They also generally won't be able to require guests to sign a separate agreement outside of their Airbnb contract, except in limited circumstances.
“House Rules help guests understand what hosts expect, but we've heard from our community that they can be confusing, burdensome, and difficult to manage,“ an Airbnb spokesperson told CNN. The company is revamping them to be easier to find and clearer, “without surprises“, he said.
Guests welcome change, hosts argue
The change comes after complaints from guests who were given long lists of chores despite paying a cleaning fee. Ellen, known online as Tall Mom Running, said that during a previous stay, she was given instructions the day before check-out and threatened with a fine if she didn't follow them.
“It was an hour of work. An hour of cleaning… Thanks, but I don't want to do that on vacation,“ she says.Not all hosts approve of the new policy. Rossana Imbrogno, who rents out a property in Rome that has been designated a “guest favorite,“ thinks it's less about obligation and more about education.
“I clean, change the sheets, and take out the trash even when I'm staying in a hotel,“ she says.Airbnb connects travelers with more than 5 million hosts around the world. The new rules aim to level out expectations and prevent hosts from passing on work that is usually done by cleaners to guests.
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