Guide · Airbnb turnovers · Updated 2026-10-21
Airbnb's Nov 20 chore rule: what changes for cleaners and how to reprice
Airbnb's new house rules policy limits the checkout chores hosts can ask of guests. For reservations booked on or after November 20, 2026, more of the dishes, beds, laundry and trash lands on the turnover cleaner. Here's what changed, what it means for your time, and how to reprice.
Source: Airbnb: Important changes to house rules (posted Oct 20, 2026) and the Airbnb house rules policy. Both checked 2026-10-21. The policy is about bookings made on or after Nov 20, not stays: a stay after Nov 20 that was booked earlier isn't covered.
What changed: the before and after
Airbnb lists these as examples of what "generally is and isn't allowed" as a host request:
Wording from Airbnb: Important changes to house rules. The policy itself says hosts are generally not allowed to "ask guests to complete tasks that require significant effort or time, or would typically be performed by a cleaner, including stripping the bed, taking trash offsite, or washing and putting away dishes" (Airbnb house rules policy).
Even allowed requests are optional. Airbnb says guests must follow house rules and are encouraged to comply with requests. So "put dishes in the sink" may not happen every time. Airbnb also says it may grant exceptions for local factors, such as bear-country trash bins or drought shower limits.
What it means for turnover cleaners
Dishes
Expect a sink of used dishes, not a clean, put-away kitchen. Washing, drying or loading and unloading the dishwasher, and putting it all away, is now your job.
Beds
Plan to strip every bed yourself. Airbnb's examples don't give hosts a bed request guests can be asked to do instead.
Laundry
You start the loads. Guests can be asked to gather used towels, which may save a walk around the house, but not to put a load in.
Trash
Taking garbage out and off-site falls to you. Guests can be asked to sort trash and recycling into indoor bins. Exceptions exist, such as animal-proof bins in bear country.
Airbnb also says all house rules and requests should be in the listing's House rules and requests section: "You shouldn't write additional rules elsewhere on your listing, in messages, or on signs in your home." A checkout-chore sign on the fridge won't count, so don't plan your time around it.
Our reading for cleaners, based on Airbnb's examples. We haven't measured how much time any task adds; that depends on the property. Time it yourself (below).
How to reprice in 3 steps
- 1Time 3 or 4 turnovers nowBefore Nov 20, time real turnovers at your regular properties. Note minutes spent on dishes, stripping beds, laundry and trash.
- 2Estimate the extra workFor each property, note which of those tasks guests did for you before. That's the time you'll now add.
- 3Run the calculatorPut the new total person-minutes into the turnover calculator, with your own wage, costs and margin.
Example only, made-up numbers
What the math looks like
Say your timed turnovers show the new tasks add 25 person-minutes to a property, and your labor costs $24 an hour including employer costs. Extra cost = 25 ÷ 60 × $24 = $10.00. At a 30% margin, the calculator's method (cost ÷ 0.70) puts the price increase at about $14.29 per turnover.
These numbers are invented to show the steps. They aren't typical times or rates. Use your own.
Reprice with your own numbers
Free Airbnb turnover price calculator: labor, travel, supplies, laundry and margin. No signup.
A script for talking to hosts
Hi [host name], quick heads-up about Airbnb's new house rules policy. For reservations booked on or after November 20, 2026, Airbnb says hosts generally can't ask guests to strip beds, start laundry, take trash off-site, or wash and put away dishes (Airbnb's page).
At [property], guests have been doing [tasks], so those will now be part of my turnover. I've timed recent cleans there. From [date] my rate for that property will be [new price], up from [old price]. Happy to go through the numbers with you.
If you'd rather keep the current rate, we could [option, e.g. drop a task or change the linen setup]. Either way I'll keep sending before and after photos for every turnover. Thanks, [your name]
Replace everything in [brackets]. Send it before Nov 20 so new bookings can be priced with it in mind.
Tools for the new routine
Facts on this page are quoted from Airbnb: Important changes to house rules and the Airbnb house rules policy, both checked 2026-10-21. Airbnb notes that information "may have changed since publication". Check the source before you rely on it. Not legal advice.
FAQ
When does Airbnb’s new house rules policy start?
Airbnb says the policy "applies to all reservations booked on or after November 20, 2026" (policy). It announced the changes on October 20, 2026.
Can hosts still ask guests to put dishes in the sink?
Yes. Airbnb's example says guests shouldn't be asked to wash and put away dishes, "but you can ask them to put used dishes in the sink" (source).
Can hosts ask guests to strip the beds or start laundry?
Generally no. Airbnb says guests shouldn't be asked to remove sheets from the bed or start a load of laundry, but hosts can ask them to gather used towels (source).
What about taking out the trash?
Guests shouldn't be asked to take garbage off-site. Hosts can ask them to separate trash and recycling into designated indoor bins, and Airbnb gives animal-proof bins in bear country as an example of an exception it may allow (source).
What happens if a listing still has chore requests?
Airbnb says non-compliant requests are highlighted in the Listing editor, hosts get an email and can appeal, and guests may see an alert such as "includes cleaning requests" if it stays unresolved. The policy adds that persistent violations may lead to reduced visibility in search (source, policy).
How much should I raise my turnover price?
There's no single number. Time 3 or 4 of your own turnovers, add the minutes for the tasks guests used to do, and put your own costs and margin into the turnover calculator.
This spot is open. Sponsored placements are always labeled and never change prices, labels or kit content. Become a founding sponsor →
Not sure which tool fits?
Answer 3 quick questions and we’ll suggest 2 or 3 real tools, with prices from each vendor’s own page.