What Airbnb asks you to set
Airbnb has a set of standard house rules every host fills in. They include:
- Pets
- Events
- Smoking, vaping and e-cigarettes
- Quiet hours
- Check-in and checkout times, and the check-in method
- Maximum number of guests
- Commercial photography and filming
On top of those, you can write additional rules in your own words for anything specific to your home. Airbnb's conditions: they must not contradict your standard rules (a different check-out time, for example), and they must follow Airbnb's policies, including its nondiscrimination policy.
Guests see your rules on the listing, in the booking terms, in Airbnb's automated emails, in the Arrival Guide and, after booking, in the Trips tab of the app. To change them on a computer, go to Listings, open the listing, then Listing editor → Arrival guide → House rules, and save. (Checked on Airbnb's help pages on 20 October 2026; menus change, so if yours look different, search the help centre for "house rules".)
Guests who book on another platform or directly with you never see your Airbnb rules. Keep one copy where every guest will see it: a sign by the door, your welcome book, or the page you send before arrival.
The template
Copy it with the button or print the page. Replace everything in [brackets] and delete the lines that do not apply to your place.
HOUSE RULES — [Property name] Check-in: from [time]. Check-out: by [time]. Maximum guests: [number]. Visitors: [your rule, e.g. "please ask us first"]. Quiet hours: [22:00] to [08:00]. Sound travels here; our neighbours thank you. Smoking and vaping: not inside, including the balcony. [Where it is OK, if anywhere] Pets: [not allowed / allowed with [conditions] — please tell us when you book]. Parties and events: not allowed. Shoes: [please take them off at the door — the floors scratch easily]. Rubbish: [which bin is which] — collection is on [day]. [Hot tub / pool / wood burner]: [the one rule that keeps it safe]. Parking: [where to park, and where not to]. Something broken? Tell us. Accidents happen; we'd rather know. Before you leave: [the 2–3 check-out tasks that matter]. Thank you for looking after our home. [Your name], [phone]
Short version for a house rules sign
Five or six lines, big enough to read from across the room. Put it by the front door or inside the kitchen cupboard guests open first.
HOUSE RULES Quiet hours [22:00]–[08:00] No smoking or vaping inside No parties or events [Shoes off, please] Maximum [number] guests Check-out by [time] Questions? [Your name], [phone]
How to write rules guests actually follow
- Keep the list short. Airbnb's own advice is to avoid overwhelming guests with rules. Every extra rule makes the important ones easier to miss.
- Give the reason. "Please take your shoes off; the floors scratch easily" gets more shoes off than "No shoes". One of the examples in Airbnb's guide does exactly this: shoes off because the house is carpeted and it is muddy outside.
- Be specific. "Quiet hours 22:00–08:00" beats "Be respectful of neighbours". Times, numbers and places leave nothing to interpret.
- Sound like a host, not a landlord. "Please" and "thank you" cost nothing. A list of fines reads as if you expect the worst.
- Put the rule where it applies. The shoe rule by the door, the hot tub rule by the hot tub, the bin days on the bin cupboard.
- Only write rules you will act on. A rule you ignore teaches guests that the others are optional too.
Rule ideas, with wording
| Topic | Wording that works |
|---|---|
| Noise | "Quiet hours are 22:00 to 08:00. Sound travels here, so please keep music and voices low." |
| Smoking and vaping | "No smoking or vaping inside, including the balcony. You're welcome to smoke in [place]." |
| Visitors | "Only the guests on the booking can stay overnight. Please ask us before inviting anyone over." |
| Pets | "Dogs are welcome, up to [number]. Please keep them off the beds and sofas." |
| Parties and events | "No parties or events, whatever the size." |
| Shoes | "Please take your shoes off at the door. Slippers are in the basket." |
| Rubbish | "Green bin for recycling, black bin for everything else. Collection is on [day]." |
| Hot tub or pool | "No glass in or around the hot tub, and no children in it without an adult." |
| Wood burner | "Only use the logs in the basket, and never leave the fire unattended." |
| Parking | "Please park in space [number]. The spaces by the gate belong to our neighbours." |
What not to put in house rules
- Anything that singles out a type of guest. Additional rules must follow Airbnb's nondiscrimination policy.
- Rules that contradict your standard ones. If your standard check-out is 11:00, do not write 10:00 in the additional rules.
- Door codes and WiFi passwords. House rules appear on your public listing. Send codes privately, closer to arrival. Our guide on changing a key safe code covers when and how.
- How-to instructions. How the heating works or which washing machine programme to use belongs in your welcome book, not in the rules.
If a guest breaks a rule
Airbnb's advice is to talk to the guest first and try to sort it out together. Most problems end there, especially if your message is calm and specific ("the music was still on at 23:30 and a neighbour knocked"). If it does not, you can report the issue to Airbnb, and request payment for any damage through its Resolution Center.
The best prevention is a guest who has read the rules before arriving. Send them with your check-in instructions, and keep only the ones that matter on arrival in that message.
Sources
- Airbnb Help Centre, "Add house rules to a listing" (article 472), read on 20 October 2026.
- Airbnb Resource Centre, "Writing helpful house rules" (updated 9 March 2023), read on 20 October 2026.
Questions hosts ask
What house rules should I have on Airbnb?
Start with the standard rules Airbnb asks every host to set: pets, events, smoking and vaping, quiet hours, check-in and checkout times, and the maximum number of guests. Then add only the rules that are specific to your home, such as shoes off, the hot tub or the bins.
How many house rules is too many?
There is no fixed number, but Airbnb itself advises hosts not to overwhelm guests with rules. If your list does not fit on one printed page, cut it, and move how-to instructions (heating, appliances) into your welcome book.
Where do guests see my Airbnb house rules?
Airbnb shows them on your listing, in the booking terms, in its automated emails to the guest, in the Arrival Guide, and in the Trips tab of the app after booking. Guests who book through another platform or directly with you will not see them, so keep a copy where every guest will.
What can I do if a guest breaks a house rule?
Airbnb recommends talking to the guest first. If that does not solve it, you can report the issue to Airbnb, and request payment for damage through its Resolution Center.
Should I print my house rules?
A short version, yes: five or six lines on a sign by the door or in the welcome book. The full list belongs in your listing and in the guide guests read before they arrive.