Airbnb house rules template: Ready-made examples for hosts

Hosting guests in your property comes with a range of responsibilities, from protecting your home to making sure guests understand what is expected of them during their stay.

Read on to find out what Airbnb house rules are, what they can cover and how to use them effectively as a host.

Why are Airbnb house rules important?

Airbnb house rules help hosts set clear expectations about how their property should be used during a stay. They can cover practical issues such as pets, smoking, quiet hours, guest numbers and check-in or check-out arrangements.

Airbnb also has platform-wide policies that apply to guests and hosts. For example, its Community Disturbance Policy prohibits disruptive gatherings, open-invite gatherings and listings being advertised as party-friendly.

House rules allow hosts to add property-specific expectations alongside Airbnb's wider policies. Making these clear before a booking can help reduce misunderstandings and give guests a better idea of what to expect during their stay.

If a guest breaks the house rules and your property is damaged, Airbnb's Host Damage Protection may provide reimbursement for certain eligible losses, subject to its terms, conditions and exclusions. Dedicated host insurance through providers such as Pikl may also help protect your property if you require specialist cover.

What do house rules cover?

House rules are rules set by you as a host alongside Airbnb's own platform-wide rules. They appear on your Airbnb listing and allow you to set expectations about guest behaviour, such as whether pets are allowed or whether smoking is permitted. Guests are expected to review and follow the standard house rules you select for your listing.

Airbnb's standard house rule options currently include areas such as:

1. Pets

2. Events

3. Smoking, vaping and e-cigarettes

4. Quiet hours

5. Check-in and checkout times

6. Check-in method

7. Maximum number of guests

8. Commercial photography and filming

9. Allowing all, some or none of the service categories in your home

There's also an optional field for adding your own additional house rules, but Airbnb states you should avoid setting rules that contradict your standard house rules.

Going further, you can also display house rules in a visible part of your property that guests will see when they arrive. These can act as a useful reminder of the rules already communicated through your listing.

Tips for setting Airbnb house rules

If you're planning to set house rules, here are some practical tips that can help make them clear, reasonable and easy for guests to follow.

1. Keep them visible - consider placing a copy of your house rules somewhere guests can easily see them during their stay.

2. Keep the tone friendly - a short introduction can help explain the purpose of your rules without making them feel overly formal.

3. Be clear about restricted areas - if there are parts of the property guests should not access, make this clear in advance.

4. Use locks where appropriate - for areas that need to remain private or secure, physical restrictions may be more effective than relying on written rules alone.

5. Explain the reason behind unusual rules - where helpful, a short explanation can make a rule easier to understand.

6. Make sure your rules are consistent with Airbnb's policies - avoid anything that conflicts with Airbnb's own requirements, including its Community Disturbance Policy.

7. Keep things simple - shorter, clearer rules are generally easier for guests to understand and remember.

8. Repeat key information where useful - important details, such as quiet hours or restricted areas, can be included both in the listing and in the property.

9. Keep rules fair and reasonable - focus on things that are genuinely important for the property and the stay.

10. Avoid overloading guests with restrictions - too many rules can make the stay feel unnecessarily complicated.

What rules should I have for my Airbnb?

You want clear, coherent house rules that aren't too restrictive but help protect your property. Here are some rule considerations you can make:

1. Dishes - you can ask guests to leave dishes in a reasonable condition or dispose of food waste before check-out. Airbnb states that hosts cannot charge guests additional fees simply for failing to complete specific cleaning or checkout tasks. Visit Pikl's Airbnb cleaning guide for more information on the topic of changeovers.

2. Rubbish/litter - guests should put rubbish in designated bins and avoid leaving excessive amounts of rubbish. You can also make clear where guests should dispose of their waste.

3. Check-in/out times - while they're not always thought of as 'rules', it's useful to reiterate your check-in and check-out times so guests are certain about when they should arrive or leave.

4. Electricity - asking guests to turn off lights or technology when away from the property can make environmental and economic sense. You could also consider a remote system to make this process easier.

5. Security - make any rules around security clear from the beginning. Closing windows, locking doors, dealing with key boxes and other issues should all be outlined and understood as early as possible.

6. Laundry - some hosts ask guests to leave used towels or linen in a particular place.

7. Emergencies - give your guests guidance around what to do in emergencies, including who to contact.

How to deal with Airbnb guests that break the rules

If you suspect a guest has broken one of your house rules, Airbnb recommends trying to resolve the issue directly with them first.

1. Contact the guest through Airbnb's messaging system. This is often the quickest way to resolve a minor issue and creates a record of your communications.

2. Document the issue, including relevant messages, photographs or other evidence.

3. If damage occurs, hosts can submit a request through Airbnb's Resolution Centre.

4. If an agreement cannot be reached, Airbnb may step in and review the information provided by both sides.

5. Leave an honest review after the stay where appropriate.

Keep communications on Airbnb, as it gives Airbnb a clear record of what was discussed if the issue later needs to be reviewed. Depending on the nature of the claim, your circumstances and needs, you may want to claim through your insurer instead.

Free Airbnb house rules template

House rules are supposed to be clear and simple, so we've put together a handy list you can download, print and then display in your home. We've tried to give these a gentle, Pikl touch, so feel free to alter any of the rules or wording as you see fit. To get your free template, click on the link below to download it.

Download House Rules Template