Market & regulation
Airbnb changes its house rules: what changes, and what other platforms do
On 20 October 2026, Airbnb announced an overhaul of the house rules on its listings, with a new policy that applies to bookings made from 20 November 2026. Some instructions you may give your guests today will no longer be accepted. Here is what changes, and what is worth reviewing in your listing now.
This article covers Airbnb in detail, then compares it with Booking.com, Abritel and Gîtes de France, based on their help pages.
In brief
- Date. Airbnb's new policy applies to bookings made from 20 November 2026 inclusive. Bookings made before then stay under the old policy.
- Standard rules. Seven rules are now set in one place, in the listing editor.
- Requests. They must stay reasonable: asking guests to do the cleaning is no longer accepted.
- Contracts and ID. Allowed only in limited cases.
- Everything in the listing. Rules and requests must appear there before booking, not arrive later by message or by notice.
- Elsewhere. Booking.com offers eight rules, Abritel six plus three custom ones, and Gîtes de France works with a signed contract. Their help pages do not say the same as Airbnb's.
The seven standard rules
The listing editor now offers seven rules to choose from, grouped with your requests. Your check-out instructions no longer have a tab of their own.
The seven rules cover:
- the maximum number of guests;
- quiet hours;
- events, allowed or not;
- pets, and how many;
- smoking, vaping included;
- commercial photography and filming;
- locking up on departure, with, if you wish, where to leave the keys.
Airbnb presents two novelties in this list: the maximum number of guests and locking the property on departure.
Requests: what passes, what no longer does
On top of the standard rules, a "Requests" section holds your instructions for the stay and for departure. Airbnb sets one principle: a request must be reasonable. In practice, guests should not do the work that a cleaner would normally do.
Airbnb gives four examples:
- Washing up. You cannot ask guests to wash and put away the dishes. You can ask them to leave dirty dishes in the sink.
- Linen. You cannot ask guests to strip the bed or run a wash. You can ask them to gather the used towels.
- Rubbish. You cannot ask guests to take it out of the property. You can ask them to sort waste and recyclable packaging into the bins provided indoors.
- Equipment. You cannot ask guests not to use equipment mentioned in the listing, air conditioning for example. You can ask them to switch it off when they leave.
Other things are ruled out. You cannot impose fines or penalties on a guest. Charges linked to something in the listing must already be included in the price shown at booking. Optional extras, such as breakfast, can still be mentioned with their price.
Airbnb allows exceptions depending on the property's context. It gives two cases: limiting shower times when a drought brings water restrictions, or putting rubbish in an animal-proof bin in a region where bears live. Each case is judged separately.
One last piece of common sense, which Airbnb shares: most guests dislike unexpected chores, and it ends up showing in the reviews.
Contracts and personal data
Asking guests to sign a separate contract is allowed in only four cases: when the law or the co-ownership rules require it, for a monthly stay (28 nights or more), for an Airbnb Luxe home, or for an optional extra such as a golf buggy. In those cases the contract is uploaded to the "Contracts" section of the listing. Airbnb does not ask guests to sign it and does not step in to enforce it.
Personal data is limited in the same way. Except in specific cases, you cannot ask a guest for contact details, identity documents, banking details or health information. The exceptions cover what the law requires, or a documented co-ownership rule. In that case you state in the listing what you ask for and why.
You can, however, check an ID in person on arrival, if you have written this in the "Requests" section. You cannot keep a copy, except in the exceptional cases.
Finally, you cannot ask guests to leave a review on another site, or to register on a site or app to get into the property, except in specific cases. Keyless-entry apps remain allowed, provided you offer another way in if the guest asks.
See also: France's Le Meur law: what holiday-rental owners around Uzès need to know
Everything must be in the listing, before booking
Rules and requests must appear in the dedicated section of the listing, so that guests know before booking whether the property suits them. You can no longer add new rules or requests after booking, whether by message, on a notice in the property, or in person. They must also stay consistent with the rest of the listing.
If a co-ownership or the local authorities may impose a fine, you can tell guests, in a section of the listing meant for local rules.
For guests, the house rules will be more visible on the listing. They also appear in the Trips tab and in the booking reminders Airbnb sends. You can also send them as a quick reply during the stay.
If a request does not follow the policy
Requests that do not comply are highlighted in the editor, with advice on how to fix them. Airbnb also warns you by email. You can appeal if you disagree.
If the problem is not resolved, guests may see an alert on your listing, for example "includes cleaning requests". The listing's visibility in search results may also drop, and other measures are possible under the Terms of Service.
If a guest does not follow your rules
Guests must follow your house rules and are asked to respect your requests. If there is a problem, you can contact Airbnb, which guides you to the right solution. For example, you can cancel a booking at no cost if a guest breaks a rule during their stay, or says before arrival that they intend to.
What about Booking.com, Abritel and Gîtes de France?
The other platforms do not work like Airbnb. Here is what their help pages say, read on 25 October 2026.
| Platform | Rules offered | Free text | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Airbnb | 7 standard rules | "Requests" section, which must stay reasonable | Cleaning chores, fines and separate contracts restricted |
| Booking.com | 8 standard rules | Extra rules to share with guests | Guests must accept them to book |
| Abritel | 6 preset rules | 3 custom rules | Guests must accept them before booking |
| Gîtes de France (Sud T&Cs) | Signed contract and property description sheet | House rules displayed in the property | Cleaning is the guest's responsibility |
Booking.com offers eight standard rules: pets, parties and events, smoking, quiet hours, curfew, check-in and check-out times, children, maximum number of guests. Guests must read and accept them to book. The help page also advises telling guests directly about other points, such as parking, waste sorting or rules for shared areas. It recommends reminding guests of the rules with visual cues in the property, with the example of a sign by the pool. That is not the line Airbnb takes for its new rules.
Abritel offers six preset rules: maximum number of guests, minimum age of the main renter, events allowed, pets, children and smokers. Up to three custom rules can be added. Guests must also accept the rules before booking, and no clause may go against national or local laws.
Gîtes de France is built on a signed booking contract and a property description sheet. According to the general terms of sale of the Sud association (June 2026), cleaning is the guest's responsibility during the stay and before departure, with cleaning charges set out in the description sheet. An inventory is signed on arrival and departure. House rules displayed in the property can set out arrangements for pets. These terms may differ from one département to another.
What these pages do not say: neither Booking.com nor Abritel mentions cleaning requests, fines or separate contracts there. We therefore cannot say anything about their position on these points.
If you rent through several channels, avoid copying the same text everywhere. What Airbnb refuses may be accepted elsewhere, and the other way round.
To review before 20 November
Airbnb recommends checking your house rules to see how these changes affect your listing. Here is an order for the review:
- Open the house rules in the listing editor and choose your answers to the seven standard rules.
- Go through your requests one by one: cleaning, linen, rubbish, washing up, equipment.
- Remove any contract or ID request that does not fall within the allowed cases.
- Walk round the property: a note put up in the kitchen or hallway counts as a rule too.
- Check that the listing says the same thing everywhere, including what is included in the price.
What we can do
Marsault Property Management is a concierge service: we prepare arrivals and departures, the cleaning and the relationship with guests. If you wish, we can go through your house rules and instructions with you to spot what will need to change. The listing remains yours: you decide what it says.
To talk about it, write to us or call us, on 06 33 39 00 32.
FAQ
When do these rules apply?
To all bookings made from 20 November 2026 inclusive. Bookings made before that date remain under the old policy.
Can I still ask guests to do the washing up?
You cannot ask them to wash and put away the dishes. You can ask them to leave dirty dishes in the sink.
Can I ask guests to sign a contract?
Only in limited cases: a legal or co-ownership requirement, a stay of 28 nights or more, a Luxe home, or an optional extra. The contract must then appear in the dedicated section of the listing.
What happens if one of my requests does not comply?
It is flagged in the editor and Airbnb writes to you. You can appeal. If nothing changes, an alert may appear on the listing and its visibility in results may drop.
Do these rules apply to other platforms?
No, this is an Airbnb policy. Booking.com, Abritel and Gîtes de France have their own rules, described above, and their help pages do not set the same limits.
Sources
- Important changes to house rules, Airbnb, 20 October 2026
- House rules and reasonable requests, Airbnb Help Centre
- Limiting host-imposed contracts and other conditions, Airbnb Help Centre
- How to set house rules for your holiday rental, Booking.com, 4 December 2024 (French page)
- Creating house rules, Booking.com help
- About house rules, Abritel help centre (French page)
- General terms of sale, Gîtes de France Sud, June 2026 (French page)
Photo: Lecresois, Pixabay
This article is general information about a platform's policy, up to date as at 25 October 2026. It may change: please check Airbnb's official pages. It is not legal advice.