Airbnb is changing cleaning rules: what to update before 20 November

Verified on 22 October 2026.

Cleaning is not banned. Responsibility is changing

If your checkout instructions say ‘strip the beds and wash the dishes’, it is time to revise them. Airbnb has published a policy limiting the cleaning work hosts can pass on to guests. This is a platform policy, not a new Czech law. Airbnb's new policy

Changing sentence is not enough. Who will wash the dishes after checkout? How long will it take? Have old instructions stayed in an automated message while your listing says something different?

These details are easily missed when stay follows another quickly.

The booking date matters, not the checkout date

For example, a reservation made on 19 November for a December arrival is not the same as made on 21 November for the same arrival date. Do not assess the change solely from your stay calendar.

For older bookings, do not treat that date as automatic permission to demand any task. Airbnb also has general rules on guest conduct and cleaning charges. Ground rules for guests

What to ask guests and what to leave to the cleaner

Airbnb gives specific examples. Use them rather than assuming every request is acceptable if you add ‘please’.

Examples from: Airbnb – changes to house rules. Airbnb allows individual assessment based on the type of stay and local circumstances, but do not assume an exception without checking.

Be careful with the shorthand ‘taking out rubbish is banned’. The official example distinguishes taking it off-site from sorting it into designated indoor bins. It is not a ban on every request involving rubbish.

Guests are still responsible for the condition they leave behind

The new rules do not give guests permission to damage the apartment or leave an exceptional mess. Airbnb still expects guests not to leave a condition requiring excessive or deep cleaning. It distinguishes normal preparation between stays from damage or unexpected costs. Guest cleanliness and responsibility rules

Separate these situations in your own operations:

• Normal preparation: used bed linen, vacuuming, bathroom cleaning and checking the kitchen. Include these in the cleaner's workload.
• Possible damage or exceptional cleaning: first document the actual condition, time and costs. Do not confuse a reimbursement request with an automatic penalty.

‘We charge 500 CZK for an unfinished checkout task’ is not a reliable safeguard. The new policy generally does not allow host-imposed fines or other penalties. Airbnb's policy

Check every place guests receive instructions

Open of your reservations and follow it as a guest would. Editing the listing does not mean every other copy has been updated.

1. Your Airbnb listing. Review house rules and other requests. Airbnb now uses seven standard areas, including the maximum number of overnight guests and locking up at checkout. Editor changes explained
2. Automated messages. Search for mentions of dishes, beds, laundry and charges for unfinished tasks.
3. Guest guide. Check the checkout section, translations and old PDF attachments you still send.
4. Instructions inside the apartment. Check signs beside the sink, washing machine and entrance.
5. Agreement with your cleaner. Confirm the revised workload, who replenishes supplies and who reports a problem before the next guests arrive.

Requests should be disclosed in the designated listing section when the booking is made. A later message or sign should not add new obligations. Reminding guests of instructions already disclosed is different. Disclosure requirements

This is not just advice for better reviews. Persistent violations can lead Airbnb to display a warning on the listing or reduce its visibility in search. Policy enforcement

A short checkout message instead of a chore list

Adapt the following text to your actual amenities and previously disclosed instructions. It is not automatically suitable for every apartment.

10:00 is an example. Use the time for your reservation and the actual key-return procedure. If you do not have air conditioning, leave that sentence out. Every unnecessary item makes it more likely guests will miss the important.

Plan cleaning around the actual workload

If your cleaning arrangements assumed washed dishes and stripped beds, you need to change the plan, not just the guest message.

For the next few departures, record when the cleaner arrives, the kitchen's condition and when the apartment is genuinely ready. That gives you your own basis for pricing and turnaround time. Without it, you are guessing the cost of the change.

Raising prices is not the option. Redistributing work, preparing a second linen set or removing unnecessary journeys may help. But if the apartment cannot be prepared in the available time, do not hide that behind optimistic calculations. Change the schedule or include the costs in your price.

Does this ban check-in?

Not across the board. Airbnb's accompanying policy still allows collecting personal information or registration outside the platform where necessary, for example to comply with law. Before booking, guests must know what information you require and why; collection must stay within the necessary scope. Airbnb – personal data and other requirements

Do not confuse information required for statutory records with an optional marketing form. An exception is not blanket permission to demand a copy of every ID. Check the purpose and legal basis for each field.

What about Booking.com?

The verified change concerns Airbnb. It does not itself establish the same change at Booking.com. Check shared templates used across channels, but do not treat this report as another platform's policy.

Keep every message consistent

Frequently asked questions

Sources checked on 22 October 2026: Airbnb – new policy, Airbnb – announcement of changes, Airbnb – ground rules for guests, Airbnb – personal data and contracts. Also reported by BBC and Euronews. The Airbnb policy itself, rather than a shortened news headline, determines how to interpret the change.