October 26, 2026, 10:38 am | Read time: 6 minutes
Booking a vacation rental, paying a cleaning fee, and still having to strip the beds and wash the dishes before leaving: Such requirements from Airbnb hosts often frustrate travelers. Starting in November, the platform will put a stop to certain demands.
Airbnb will introduce new rules for hosts on November 20, 2026. These focus on house rules and tasks that hosts can impose on guests during their stay or before departure. In the future, such additional requirements must be “reasonable.” Airbnb will also consolidate its existing check-out instructions with the house rules in one place in the listing.
What initially sounds like a minor change can be quite relevant for travelers. Airbnb is now much more specific about what tasks hosts can require from their guests and what they cannot.
Tasks Airbnb Hosts Can No Longer Require
The most significant change concerns typical check-out tasks. Airbnb will now draw a line between small tasks that guests can still be expected to do and tasks that are essentially part of cleaning the accommodation.
Under the new guidelines, hosts can no longer require guests to wash and put away used dishes. Stripping bed linens or starting a washing machine is also not allowed. Additionally, guests cannot be required to dispose of trash outside the accommodation.
This doesn’t mean vacationers won’t have to do anything at all. Hosts can still ask that used dishes be placed in the sink or that used towels be gathered. Guests can also sort trash and recycling into designated containers within the accommodation. Turning off the air conditioning when leaving the accommodation can also be required.
The main change is the scope of allowed tasks.
An Airbnb spokesperson explained to TECHBOOK:
“House rules help guests understand what hosts expect. However, we’ve learned from our community that they can often be confusing, burdensome, and difficult to implement. That’s why we’ve revised them: They’re now easier to find and simpler to set. Additionally, there’s a new policy ensuring that requirements remain reasonable and there are no unpleasant surprises.”
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Airbnb’s House Rules Are Also Changing
The new regulations aren’t limited to cleaning. Airbnb is also reorganizing the system of house rules.
Hosts can now set seven standard rules. These include the maximum number of overnight guests, quiet hours, events, pets, smoking, commercial photo and film shoots, and locking up at check-out. For the latter, hosts can specify where keys should be returned, for example.
Hosts can still set individual requirements. However, these additional tasks must be reasonable under the new guidelines.
This should make it easier for travelers to understand what is expected of them during their stay and at check-out before booking.
What Does Airbnb Mean by “Reasonable”?
This term initially allows for some interpretation. TECHBOOK asked Airbnb for clarification on what it specifically means.
There is no universal checklist. According to Airbnb, factors such as the type of accommodation or stay and local conditions are considered in the assessment. Depending on the situation, exceptions may be possible.
The basic idea is relatively clear: Tasks that require significant time or effort or would typically be handled by a cleaning service should not be passed on to guests. Placing dishes in a specific location can be reasonable, but washing and putting them away is not.
Airbnb illustrates this with examples. In an area with wildlife, it may be appropriate to give guests specific instructions for safe trash disposal. In regions affected by drought and water restrictions, a request to limit shower time may be permissible.
Hosts can still set and change their house rules and additional requirements. However, they must adhere to the new guideline of reasonableness, as Airbnb explained to TECHBOOK.
Will Airbnb’s New Rules Increase Cleaning Costs?
The changes may raise another question for many travelers: If guests have to do less themselves, will cleaning fees increase?
The new policy does not automatically lead to an increase. When TECHBOOK asked Airbnb how likely it is that cleaning fees will rise due to the changes, Airbnb did not provide a forecast in its statement.
Hosts still set their cleaning fees independently. The new policy does not link the fee to the number of allowed or prohibited tasks. Reports on the changes also confirm that Airbnb is not abolishing the cleaning fee, and hosts continue to set it themselves.
Whether individual hosts will raise their prices due to potentially higher cleaning efforts cannot be predicted at this time.
The initial reaction to the announcement shows that this possibility is being discussed among hosts. An Airbnb host expressed to the Australian news agency ABC the expectation that some hosts might increase their prices if they have to hire someone else to do the additional tasks. However, this is the opinion of a host and not an announcement from Airbnb.
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Can Airbnb Hosts Simply Raise the Cleaning Fee?
Here, too, it’s important to distinguish between the new house rules and pricing. The policy effective November 20 sets out what requirements hosts can impose on travelers. The change published by Airbnb does not include a new cap or specific calculation formula for cleaning fees.
The consequence is significant: The ban on certain tasks does not mean Airbnb is simultaneously introducing higher cleaning fees. However, it cannot be ruled out that individual hosts may adjust their own prices or cleaning fees.
Travelers should therefore continue to pay attention to the total price of their accommodation when comparing prices, not just the price per night.
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When Do the New Airbnb Rules Take Effect?
The new policy will take effect on November 20, 2026. Airbnb announced the changes on October 20. According to Airbnb, hosts should review their existing house rules and adjust them to the new guidelines if necessary.
For travelers, the change will likely be most noticeable at check-out: Hosts can still require a minimum level of tidiness. However, there should no longer be an extensive list of tasks that are essentially part of cleaning.
Or put simply: Placing a used glass in the sink: yes. Quickly cleaning the kitchen before departure: no.