What is an Airbnb house rule?
Airbnb house rules are a set of guidelines that explain how a host expects their guests to behave while they’re staying on the property.
Your Airbnb house rules list is clearly displayed on your listing for guests to see before they book a stay. They can be seen as a contract – a list of policies that the guest agrees to abide by during their stay. It can even include potential penalties for Airbnb guests breaking house rules.
Airbnb house rules can have a big impact on the sort of guest you attract, whether party people, young families, pet owners or digital nomads. As such you should keep your ideal guest in mind when creating your rules, to ensure you don’t drive bookings and revenue away, but instead attract more of your target customer.
Airbnb’s commitment to enforcing ground rules for both hosts and guests
If Airbnb allowed guests to do whatever they wanted, or make their own rules, the company would struggle to attract willing hosts. Without willing hosts, the company doesn’t have a business.
By allowing hosts to lay down their own Airbnb laws, the platform gives hosts the confidence they need to let perfect strangers into their home, knowing that rules around everything from quiet hours to smoking and pet policies have been clearly outlined.
Airbnb rules help guests too: if you have animal allergies you can confidently book an apartment with a no pet policy
In this blog we will reveal all that you need to know about Airbnb rules for hosts and guests: what they are, how they work, and some examples you might consider implementing on your listing.
The easy way to manage your Airbnb listing
No more navigating to different OTA dashboards: the Little Hotelier Channel Manager puts all your listings – Airbnb Booking.com, Expedia – in one place, where you can update all of them at once.
Learn more
Why establish house rules for Airbnb?
With house rules, Airbnb gives hosts an element of control over what happens on their property. You could go completely rule free, but then you risk turning your hotel into a land-based version of international waters where (almost) anything goes.
House rules for Airbnb can ensure you avoid all manner of issues; everything from property damage to disputes with your neighbours. It can also help you to hold guests more accountable.
Are Airbnb house rules legally binding?
Good news: Airbnb house rules do have some legal standing. When a guest books a stay with you, they agree to your terms. However, some rules are easier to enforce than others, and some rule breakages are easier to prove than others.
A more legally binding option is to get the guest to sign a rental agreement, though this will be a step too far for most hoteliers.
Humans being humans, you need to expect that at some point your rules may be broken, whether accidentally or otherwise. The consequences will depend on the circumstances and severity of the rule breakages. It’s wise to:
- Act fast: Document any evidence and get in touch with the guest immediately.
- Talk it out: The guest will often be apologetic and willing to pay for any damage. Remember that reviews are as important for guests as they are for hosts on Airbnb, so you have some leverage.
- Use AirCover: Airbnb includes insurance cover on every booking, so if you have trouble getting reimbursement from the guest, this is your fallback option.

What is not allowed on Airbnb: House rules examples
To get a sense of what your guidelines might look like, let’s look at some common Airbnb house rules. You can either take the following sample Airbnb house rules as they are, or tweak them to suit your needs and situation.
Parking
“Please do not park in the permit-only spaces at the front of the building.”
Consider whether you offer guests a dedicated parking space on site, whether there are places where guests definitely can’t park, and the maximum number of cars per booking.
Pets
“No pets allowed.”
This can either be a blanket rule, or can be made more specific, such as ‘house-trained dogs only’ or ‘pets to be kept outside’. You also might want to make exceptions for service dogs.
Smoking
“No smoking.”
Once again, this rule can be changed to allow smoking in certain areas, but just be aware that it can be tricky to ensure your guests only smoke on the balcony (for example), so it may be easier to implement a blanket ban.
Check in & check out
“Please respect check in and check out times. We are unable to offer early check ins and late check outs.”
It’s important to clearly state check in and check out times, particularly if you don’t offer self-check in. While it’s better to offer guests flexibility wherever possible, you may choose to have a blanket ban on early check ins and late check outs.
Parties & events
“No parties or events.”
This one is relatively self-explanatory, although one person’s party might be another person’s get-together, so it’s wise to be specific, which brings us to…
Visitors
“Please confirm with the hotel before you accept visitors.”
As a hotelier, your site may only be open to guests, in which case it’s important that you make this clear. This can be an effective way to avoid unwanted parties, but you should also offer flexibility on this policy where appropriate.
Noise
“No excessive noise 11pm-7am – please be respectful if checking in/out between these hours.”
Quiet hours are an effective way to avoid parties and to ensure all of your guests enjoy a comfortable stay.
Airbnb FAQs: Cancellations & Violations
What are the Airbnb rules for host cancellation?
A key part of the rules for hosting Airbnb guests is to ensure that you don’t leave your guests high and dry. As such hosts can incur fees (and sometimes other penalties) if they cancel a reservation. The fee depends on when the cancellation occurs:
- Within 48 hours or after check-in: 50% of the reservation amount for unused nights.
- Within 2-30 days of check-in: 25% of the reservation amount.
- More than 30 days before check-in: 10% of the reservation amount (minimum US$50).
On top of the fees, you might be prevented from accepting another reservation for the cancelled dates, you might lose your Superhost status, and in certain situations you might have your listing suspended or removed.
There are however a range of valid reasons for cancellation, such as major disruptive events and other unique situations, where a host won’t be penalised for cancelling bookings.
What are Airbnb hosts not allowed to do?
On top of the rules for guests, there are also a few Airbnb rules for hosts (though most are self-evident). Airbnb owner rules include:
- Discrimination: Hosts cannot refuse guests due to their race, gender, religion, sexual orientation and other discriminatory reasons.
- Misrepresentation: Listings must accurately describe the property, amenities and location.
- Safety standards: Hosts must provide a safe environment, including basic safety features like smoke detectors.
- Spying: Hidden cameras or recording devices in private spaces (e.g. bedrooms, bathrooms) are strictly prohibited.
- Hidden fees: All fees must be clearly listed on the booking page.
- Local laws: Hosts must abide by local laws regarding things like permits, occupancy limits and taxes.
- Evict or harass guests: Hosts cannot interfere with a guest’s stay unless those guests have violated house rules or Airbnb terms.
What are the Airbnb requirements for hosts when appealing violations?
If Airbnb deems that you have violated any of the hosting rules listed above, you do have the opportunity to appeal, provided:
- You do so through customer support or the link in the violation notice.
- The appeal is filed within six months of Airbnb’s original decision.
- You include all pertinent details (guest name, reservation code, evidence supporting your appeal).
After the appeal is submitted, a case handler will review and you’ll receive an email with the final decision.
How to add and edit house rules on Airbnb
Wondering how to add house rules to Airbnb? It’s simple:
- Head to the Airbnb dashboard and click on ‘Menu’ > ‘Listings’.
- Click on ‘Policies and rules’ > ‘House rules’ on the side bar.
- Click the tick or cross symbols against each of the preset rules, and add any important information for each.
- Add custom rules in the ‘Additional rules’ field at the bottom.
Wondering how to edit house rules on Airbnb? Use the same process as above!
By Dean Elphick
Dean is the Senior Content Marketing Specialist of Little Hotelier, the all-in-one software solution purpose-built to make the lives of small accommodation providers easier. Dean has made writing and creating content his passion for the entirety of his professional life, which includes more than six years at Little Hotelier. Through content, Dean aims to provide education, inspiration, assistance, and, ultimately, value for small accommodation businesses looking to improve the way they run their operations (and live their life).
Table of contents
“The new app is a vast improvement, allowing our personnel to obtain price information while on the go, as well as providing a visual status for each booking.”
Elaine Milne,
Owner
Calder House