Airbnb's new house rules: What hosts can and can't ask guests from 20 November 2026

Airbnb has rewritten what hosts can ask of their guests. From 20 November 2026, checkout chore lists are mostly out, fines are banned, and hosts lose the right to require rental agreements, ID copies, or guest contact details unless the law demands them.

The headlines focused on the washing up. The industry is far more worried about everything else.

Here's what has changed and what you should do before the deadline.

Key takeaways about Airbnb's new house rules

• The new policy applies to all Airbnb reservations booked on or after 20 November 2026, worldwide.

• Hosts can choose from seven standard house rules. Everything else is a "request", which guests are encouraged, not required, to follow.

• Hosts can no longer require guests to wash and put away dishes, strip beds, start laundry, or take rubbish off-site.

• Fines and penalties set by hosts are banned.

• Rules can't be added after booking, including by message, signs in the property, or in person.

• Rental agreements, ID copies, email addresses, and phone numbers can only be required where a law or building rule demands it.

• The policy applies to Airbnb only. Your direct bookings, Booking.com, and Vrbo reservations are not affected.

  
  

What has Airbnb changed?

Airbnb announced the changes to hosts on 20 October 2026. In a statement, an Airbnb spokesperson said house rules had become "confusing, onerous, and hard to manage" for its community.

The new listing editor is already live. The policy itself covers bookings made from 20 November. Reservations made before then keep the rules that were on the listing at the time of booking.

The seven standard house rules

These are the only rules guests must follow:

1. Maximum number of overnight guests

2. Quiet hours

3. Pets

4. Smoking

5. Events

6. Commercial photography

7. Locking up at checkout

If a guest breaks one of these, you can cancel the reservation without penalty.

What counts as a "reasonable request"?

Anything beyond the seven rules becomes a request, and it must be reasonable. Airbnb's examples draw a clear line:

You can ask guests to	You can't ask guests to
Put used dishes in the sink or dishwasher	Wash and put away dishes
Gather used towels	Strip beds or start a wash
Separate rubbish and recycling	Take rubbish to an off-site location
Turn off appliances when leaving	Restrict access to advertised amenities

Airbnb's listing editor now checks every request when you save it. Problem wording is flagged, and hosts can appeal.

Why the industry says it's not about the dishes

The chores rule got the press coverage. Professional hosts and property managers are focused on what sits underneath it: contracts, guest ID, and who carries the risk.

What Airbnb's new rules checker flags

Thibault Masson, Founder of Rental Scale-Up by PriceLabs, wanted answers to the questions Airbnb's announcement didn't cover. "Can hosts still set safety rules? Ask for ID? Require a rental agreement? Tell guests they may be fined for breaking a rule?"

So he reviewed Airbnb's policies and tested its new AI-powered house rules editor, which checks the wording of every request and explains anything it flags. He shared his results on LinkedIn:

• Asking guests to load and start the dishwasher was flagged.

• A fee for leaving the home dirty was flagged.

• Asking for a passport photo and email address triggered a personal information warning.

• A general request to sign a rental agreement was flagged.

• An optional breakfast offer passed.

• Some safety requests passed, but asking guests to use an animal-proof bin because of bears was flagged, despite Airbnb using a similar example in its own demo.

His advice: treat the editor as a useful guide, not a guarantee. "Passing the initial check does not guarantee a request will be approved later."

Tech suppliers feel the squeeze

The new rules also restrict Wi-Fi login portals that collect guest emails. Arthur Colker, Founder and CEO of StayFi, believes his company is the target.

"StayFi is the only widely used Wi-Fi portal in short-term rentals," he wrote on LinkedIn. "So when a platform rewrites its rules to restrict Wi-Fi portals, there's really only one company that rule is about."

StayFi is responding by giving hosts channel-specific control over the Wi-Fi experience. But Colker sees a bigger pattern: "Dominant platforms will keep using their position to squeeze the businesses that depend on them."

"Hosts are missing the point"

Not everyone thinks hosts should be fighting the chores rule.

David Anthony Scott argues it sets a new minimum standard for the industry: "This is not a war on hosts. It is a professionalisation floor." In his view, operators who relied on guest labour and off-platform controls had a structural problem that the checkout checklist was only hiding.

Ed Maughan of GroupAccommodation.com agrees hosts should be able to set their own rules, and expects the change to hurt Airbnb. But he says high-quality operators shouldn't be relying on guests to clean.

"Guests would never strip a bed or drive to a recycling centre when staying at a hotel," he said. "If you want those sweet repeat bookings, then guests should be able to walk out the door at the end of their stay without having to do a load of work. 99% will stack the dishwasher anyway because they're decent people."

In the UK, the backlash has a self-catering flavour. A change.org petition, "Airbnb: Keep Self-Catering Self-Catering", started by Harry Newington on 21 October, passed 5,000 signatures within a day. Its argument: guests shouldn't clean someone else's home, but they should clean up after themselves.

Can UK hosts still ask Airbnb guests for ID?

Only where the law requires it, and only the information the law requires.

In the UK, the Immigration (Hotel Records) Order 1972 requires accommodation providers to record the name and nationality of guests aged 16 and over, and passport details only from foreign nationals. Collecting more than that from an Airbnb guest could breach the new policy.

You can still check ID in person at check-in, as long as your listing says so. What you can't do is ask guests to upload passport photos or send their email address before arrival.

Can you still win Airbnb guests back as direct bookings?

Asking Airbnb guests for their email was already banned under the 2025 off-platform policy. What's new is that the workarounds are closing: Wi-Fi login pages, required guest apps, and rental agreements used to capture contact details.

Airbnb's rules only apply to Airbnb bookings. On your own direct booking site, your rules, your agreements, and your guest relationships are still yours.

What should hosts do before 20 November?

1. Review your listing in Airbnb's listing editor. Save each section and see what gets flagged.

2. Rewrite requests to match Airbnb's examples. Keep them short and tied to the stay.

3. Move contracts, local fines, and fees into the sections Airbnb points you to.

4. Put safety instructions in your listing requests, and keep your physical signs too.

5. Check which laws apply to you. Collect only what the law requires, and say so in your listing.

6. Talk to your insurer. Find out how your cover works alongside AirCover without signed agreements.

7. Take condition photos at every turnover. Without ID or contracts, they'll be your strongest evidence in a damage claim.

8. Invest in direct bookings. Build your brand, website, and email list on channels you control.

Frequently asked questions

When do Airbnb's new house rules take effect?

For all reservations booked on or after 20 November 2026. Earlier bookings keep the rules shown when the guest booked.

Can Airbnb hosts still charge for cleaning?

Yes. Cleaning fees set in your pricing settings are still allowed. Fines for leaving the property dirty are not.

Can I leave a house rules sign in my property?

You can remind guests of rules already on your listing. You can't introduce new rules after booking, including through signs.

Does the policy apply to Booking.com, Vrbo, or direct bookings?

No. It applies to Airbnb reservations only.

Can I still ask guests to sign a rental agreement?

Only in four cases: where a law or community rule requires it, for optional amenities, for stays of 28 nights or more, or for Airbnb Luxe listings.

What happens if my requests break the rules?

Airbnb will flag them and you can appeal. Repeated breaches can lead to lower search visibility or listing suspension.

The bottom line

Most hosts won't miss the chore list. Many guests never followed it anyway. But this update shifts more of the guest relationship to Airbnb, while the risk stays with you.

Get your listing compliant before 20 November. Then put serious time into the channels where you set the rules.