- Airbnb updated policies from 20 November 2026.
- Hosts cannot demand guests wash dishes or strip beds.
- Seven standard house rule categories replace custom mandates.
- Hosts cannot issue arbitrary monetary fines.
- Existing bookings remain bound by rules at time of booking.
Airbnb has introduced a new rule restricting the tasks hosts can require of guests at checkout. Guests will no longer have to wash dishes, strip beds or perform other significant cleaning duties that would typically fall to professional cleaners.
The new global policy update restricting checkout chores and standardising property regulations will apply from 20 November 2026. Hosts are prohibited from demanding guests wash and put away dishes, strip bedsheets, start laundry or take garbage off-site. The policy applies to all new reservations.
Airbnb is replacing unlimited custom host mandates with seven standardisable house rule categories covering quiet hours pet policies smoking boundaries maximum guest limits key return and check-out procedures event holding permissions and commercial photoshoot allowances. Hosts cannot add new rules after a booking is secured or issue arbitrary monetary penalties.
Hosts cannot demand guests sign separate external rental contracts except in limited local legal instances. Existing bookings made before 20 November 2026 remain bound by rules active at time of booking. Both guests and hosts can report non-compliance to Airbnb Support with penalties including account removal for repeated violations.
Holiday lett expert Hayley Bretherton shared “A lot of owners of large houses have negotiated a cleaning fee based on a normal turnaround. Many of them simply won’t be able to cover the cost of doing 40 people’s washing up on top of that. It’s a small courtesy, but it makes a huge difference to the people who look after these houses, and it helps keep big group holidays affordable.”
