New Airbnb host checklist

Finish five things before the first guest books: an accurate listing, house rules the guest can read before booking, the safety items you will maintain, a Wi-Fi card that matches the network, and a nightly price and fees you can explain.

The boxes are the work. The sections under them cite the Airbnb help pages they come from, checked on 26 October 2026. This page is not legal, tax, safety, or medical advice. Permits, taxes, and the fire code are local. Confirm them for the property.

Listing setup

Airbnb’s ground rules for homes require hosts to follow the rules on listing accuracy, honoring reservations, timely communication, and cleanliness. On accuracy, the page says the listing at the time of booking, and anything else you state about it, should describe the home and the amenities that will be available from check-in to checkout.

That includes the type of place, the number of bedrooms, the bed sizes, and the privacy the guest actually gets, such as an entire home or a private room and whether a host or other guests are on site. The map pin and the address should be accurate. Mention surroundings that change the noise the guest should expect. Photos and the description should show the space you provide. The page says Airbnb will ask hosts to remove content if editing, including with AI or other digital tools, hides damage, covers a flaw, or adds an amenity or feature that is not part of the listing.

Amenities should match the home. If you advertise essential amenities, the ground rules say every amenity on that list should be available. If a pool, a gym, or another feature is limited by hour or season, say so on the listing. House rules and requests belong in their designated section. A Durable Short-Term Rental Listing Checklist is a companion on titles, photo order, and keeping those facts consistent. It does not claim to know how search ranking works.

Essential amenities: Airbnb strongly encourages toilet paper, soap for hands and body, one towel per guest, one pillow per guest, and linens for each guest bed. Selecting Essentials without providing them may lead to penalties, including removal. On desktop, the page says to open Listings, choose the listing, open Your space, open Amenities, add or edit, then click Done.

Check-in is part of the same ground rules. Hosts should give guests a way to get in at check-in and throughout the stay. The page’s examples are correct directions and an updated keycode. Safety expectations say keys or access codes should be provided for the main entrance, lockboxes and codes must stay secure, and hosts should change codes between reservations.

The ground rules also set expectations for replies when a guest’s question is material to the stay. If check-in is more than five days away, hosts are expected to respond within three days. Close to check-in, or when a time-sensitive problem comes up during the stay, hosts are expected to respond within 1 hour to messages received during local daytime hours. For other questions during the stay, or within five days of arrival, the expectation is 12 hours for messages received during local daytime hours. Those windows are Airbnb’s, for that kind of message. They are not a promise this site can make for you.

Getting started says to keep the calendar current, set a nightly price, set minimum and maximum trip lengths, set days guests cannot check in or out, and leave preparation time between reservations. It also says Airbnb can block the calendar if required account information is missing.

Between guests, use the Airbnb turnover cleaning checklist. The ground rules say the home should be clean and free of health hazards before check-in, and that hosts should clean between every stay.

House rules

How to set house rules: house rules are the expectations guests are required to follow. Anything else you want them to keep in mind goes in requests. The areas Airbnb lists are pets, events, smoking (including vaping and e-cigarettes), quiet hours, the maximum number of overnight guests, commercial photography and filming, locking up at checkout, and which Airbnb Service categories you allow. The page says to contact Airbnb if you want a rule that limits those service categories.

Requests are for extra detail, such as asking guests to remove shoes indoors or limiting daytime visitors. Contracts do not go in requests. If a homeowners association or a local government might fine a guest, the page says to add that information where local rules belong, not as a private penalty.

On desktop:

1. Click Listings and select the listing.
2. Under Listing editor, click House rules and requests.
3. Click Add house rule, or click a rule to edit, then click Save.

For a request, use the same screen, click Add requests, choose During the stay or Before checkout, write the request, and click Save. The page says Airbnb may flag a request that conflicts with its policies. Rules and requests show on the listing, in the booking terms, in automated emails, and in the guest’s Trips tab. A change applies only to future reservations received after you save it. A pending or confirmed reservation keeps the rules that were on the listing when you received it.

What rules are allowed: Airbnb says this policy applies to reservations booked on or after November 20, 2026. Rules and requests have to be disclosed in the designated section at booking, so a guest can decide before they book. The page says hosts may not introduce new rules or requests in another part of the listing, or after booking, including by message, by a sign in the home, or in person. The rules have to match the rest of the listing and Airbnb’s policies. The page’s example is that hosts may not ask guests to sign a separate contract or to hand over personal information such as a government ID, except where the law requires it and in other limited cases the page points to.

They also have to be reasonable. The page says hosts are generally not allowed to:

• Ask guests to do work that takes significant effort or time, or that a cleaner would usually do, including stripping the bed, taking trash offsite, or washing and putting away dishes.
• Cut off a feature the listing advertises. Fees for an advertised part of the stay have to be in the price shown at booking. A fee for an optional add-on, such as breakfast, can be mentioned in requests.
• Impose fines or other penalties. The page says that if a community association or a local government might issue a fine, the host can give notice in the designated section.

The page says Airbnb looks at the listing when it decides whether a request is reasonable, and that it may allow an exception. Its examples are a limit on shower time during a local drought restriction, and trash in an animal-proof container in bear country. Guests must follow house rules. Requests are encouraged. Write the turnover chores on the turnover checklist, not into the guest’s checkout.

You can print a one-page copy for the home with the house rules generator. You type the property name, the times, the guest limit, and the lines you want. Example lines are optional and editable, and they start turned off. For quiet hours alone, the quiet hours sign generator prints a start and an end in large type. It does not claim the hours meet a noise ordinance. The page builds the sheet in the browser and does not send it to bnbutils or to Airbnb. Printing it does not save a house rule on the listing. Use the listing steps above so a guest can read the rules before booking. For reservations booked on or after November 20, 2026, a sign in the home is not a way to introduce a rule that was not in that section. How to write Airbnb house rules walks through quiet hours, the guest limit, pets, smoking, parties, check-in and checkout, and Airbnb’s guest ground rules. How to set quiet hours and a noise policy for your Airbnb stays on the hours, the sheet, and a complaint.

Safety items

Two help pages cover smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, and they do not use the same verb for every step.

Alarms: Airbnb strongly urges hosts to install smoke and carbon monoxide alarms in spaces that use fuel-burning appliances, to test them regularly, and to keep the listing description up to date. It often uses alarm and detector to mean the same thing. Eligible hosts can request a self-contained, battery-powered combination alarm at no cost. The page says Home Safety Terms and Conditions apply. This guide cannot tell you whether a particular host is eligible.

If the place uses only electric appliances and has no attached garage, you can select that a carbon monoxide alarm is not necessary. Check local regulations. The page says they may require more than one working smoke and carbon monoxide alarm.

On desktop, the page says:

1. Click Listings and select the listing.
2. Under Listing editor, click Guest safety.
3. Click Safety devices.
4. Select Carbon monoxide alarm and Smoke alarm.
5. Click Save.

Safety expectations: hosts should say whether the detectors are present. If they are, they need to be in working order, and hosts should test them regularly. Hosts must address known hazards before accepting reservations. The page’s examples include blocked exits, inoperable smoke detectors, exposed wiring, poorly maintained appliances, contaminated water, mold, pests, and unsafe walls, ceilings, or windows. Hazards that are part of the property, such as a pool, a height, or a body of water, must be disclosed in the listing description. Hosts must follow applicable laws, including fire code and occupancy limits. Hosts should also give instructions for features that can injure someone if misused. The page’s example is a hot tub.

First aid: Airbnb says hosts and guests should have a first aid kit, and that guests should know where it is. The page was written with the American Red Cross and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. It says the guidelines were developed by the Red Cross Red Crescent’s Global Disaster Preparedness Center and apply in 191 countries. It points hosts to a Red Cross-approved kit from a pharmacy or clinic, and it lists the supplies in that kit. Stock the kit from that page rather than from memory. The page recommends a local first aid and CPR course. It also describes emergency treatment. This guide does not repeat those steps and does not give medical advice. In an emergency, use the local emergency number.

The help page that lists US state notes tells hosts there to provide a functioning smoke alarm and carbon monoxide detector, to meet government safety guidelines for the area, and to provide a functioning fire extinguisher and complete required maintenance. It says to mark a fire escape route and post a map, to make a first aid kit easy to reach, and to write down local emergency numbers, the nearest hospital, a way to reach you, and a backup contact. It also says to make the home safe for children or to tell guests about hazards. If you host outside the United States, treat the extinguisher, the posted map, and the written emergency note as questions for your fire authority. Airbnb’s safety page already says you must follow the fire code that applies. Do not copy an emergency number from a different city. Write the number you have confirmed for the property.

You can print that note with the emergency card generator. You type the address, the emergency number you confirmed, the nearest hospital, a way to reach you, and where the fire extinguisher, first aid kit, gas, water, and electric shutoffs, and the exits are. Blank lines stay off the card. The page does not look up a number, a hospital, or a map, and it does not send the form to bnbutils. The card is your wording. It is not medical, fire, or legal advice. What emergency information to give Airbnb guests walks through the address, the number, the exits, the extinguisher, the first aid kit, the shutoffs, and your phone number.

Cameras are a different rule. Security cameras and recording devices: the rules took effect on April 30, 2024. Airbnb does not allow security cameras or recording devices that monitor indoor spaces, even if the device is turned off or disconnected. The examples include a hallway, bedroom, bathroom, living room, guest house, and the common areas of a private-room listing. A recording device includes anything that records or transmits video, images, or audio, such as a baby monitor or a doorbell camera. Hidden cameras are prohibited. The page describes a narrow exception for certain homes in Japan with a Hotel Business License: a disclosed camera that monitors only the interior entryway and does not record audio.

Exterior cameras are allowed if they are not aimed at a place with a higher expectation of privacy, such as an enclosed outdoor shower or a sauna, and if the listing discloses each one and where it is. Noise decibel monitors, which assess sound level and do not record audio, are allowed indoors when disclosed and kept out of bedrooms, bathrooms, and sleeping areas. The page does not require you to disclose the monitor’s exact spot. Smart home devices are allowed. Disclosure is encouraged, and the page encourages letting guests unplug or disable them.

On desktop, the same page says to open Listings, choose the listing, open Your space, open Guest safety, open Safety devices, check Exterior security camera present or Noise decibel monitor present, describe each device and whether it will be on, then continue and save.

Wi-Fi card

If you list Wi-Fi, the ground rules say the amenity has to be available for the stay. If you do not offer it, leave it off the amenity list.

Getting started says check-in instructions should include Wi-Fi passwords, plus contact information, the house rules and requests that are on the listing, and anything else the guest needs on arrival.

The Wi-Fi QR generator builds a standard Wi-Fi code in the browser from the network name, security type, password, and hidden-network setting. It does not send those fields to bnbutils or anywhere else. The image is not an encrypted secret. Anyone who can scan it can read the password, so put the card inside the home, out of sight of the street or a shared hallway, the way you would leave a written password. Print from the tool’s own download. The ticks on the checklist above are separate. They are not stored either.

The Wi-Fi card generator prints that code on a tent card or a sign. What to put on your Airbnb Wi-Fi sign and guest welcome info is a checklist for the network lines, check-in and checkout, a pointer to the house rules on the listing, emergency contacts, and local notes.

Pricing and fees

Setting a price: you set the nightly price, and you can change it. The price you set applies to future nights until you edit it. You can also set a custom price on a single night, choose a weekend adjustment, and use Airbnb’s option to update pricing from guest demand for similar listings.

On desktop:

1. Click Calendar and select the listing calendar.
2. Click Price settings, then Per night price.
3. Enter the default nightly price and click Save.

The nightly price calculator does a different job. It estimates a break-even nightly rate, and a second rate that meets a profit target you type, from your costs, occupancy, stay length, and the platform fee you enter. It does not look up similar listings, demand, or a price Airbnb publishes. A guest may not book at either rate. Turnover costs sit inside the nightly rate in that estimate. It does not add a separate guest cleaning fee. The result is a planning estimate, not pricing, tax, or legal advice. How to set an Airbnb nightly price from your costs walks through that calculator with a made-up cost-plus-margin example, then reads one stay in the fee calculator. How to estimate Airbnb ROI and break-even uses your own purchase, setup, nightly rate, occupancy, fees, and operating costs for annual return and for the time to recover an upfront amount. The worked figures there are an illustrative example.

The cleaning fee is separate from the nightly price. Additional fees describe it as a flat fixed fee per booking for general cleanup after checkout. Guests see a higher price when you add one. Hosts should not charge a fee or a penalty because a guest skipped a specific cleaning task. A pet fee is separate, and service animals stay for free. An extra-guest fee is a charge beyond a number of guests you choose. Professional hosting tools can also add a linens fee, a resort fee, a management fee, and a community fee. The page says the guest’s total includes the nightly price, additional fees, Airbnb’s service fees, and taxes.

Build the cleaning amount from one turnover in the cleaning fee calculator. How to Build a Sustainable Cleaning Fee lists the cost categories. How to set an Airbnb cleaning fee shows where that flat fee sits in the guest total. The room-by-room work is the turnover checklist.

Cleaning fees: you can opt into a lower fee for stays of 1 or 2 nights. The standard fee covers all stays, or stays longer than 2 nights when the short-stay fee is on. On desktop, open Calendar, choose the listing, open Pricing, open Fees, edit Cleaning fee, and save. A special offer does not add the cleaning fee unless you include it.

Service fees are Airbnb’s, not a fee you invent. Service fees, checked on 26 October 2026, describes two structures for stays. The split fee is divided between host and guest. Most hosts pay 3%. Listings in Brazil and Mexico pay 4%. Some hosts pay more. Guests pay 14.1% to 16.5% of the booking subtotal, and the page says that guest fee may be higher or lower depending on the booking. The single fee is deducted from the host payout. Most hosts pay 15.5%. Remaining hosts typically pay 14% to 16%. Listings in Brazil and Mexico pay 16%. The page says home hosts are moving to the single fee, the split fee is being phased out, and a host who has switched cannot switch back. The single fee applies to new bookings after the switch. The percentage applies to the nightly price and fees the host charges, excluding the guest service fee and taxes. VAT may apply, and the service fee shown is VAT-inclusive where it applies. Airbnb says it can change service fees at any time, in line with its Terms of Service.

Airbnb host service fees explained keeps those figures in one place. The Airbnb fee calculator estimates Guest pays, Airbnb keeps, and Host payout for one stay you describe. It starts at 3%, 14.1%, and 15.5%. The guest field uses the low end of the published range because the help page does not give one typical guest rate. The main result starts on the host-only fee, which is this site’s name for the single fee. Type the percentages from your account before you rely on the rows. The calculator does not call Airbnb, does not add VAT on top of the percentage you enter, and does not add a cross-currency amount on its own. It is a planning estimate. It is not tax or legal advice, and it is not Airbnb’s calculation for a reservation.

The price help page also describes what the nightly price display includes and points hosts to their nightly price breakdown. Read that breakdown in your account. Do not treat this site’s estimate as the breakdown Airbnb will show.

Local rules

Airbnb’s safety page says hosts must follow the laws that apply, including fire code and occupancy limits. The same US state help page tells hosts to look up permitting, zoning, safety, and health rules, and any local taxes or business-license requirements, including occupancy taxes and income taxes. It says AirCover’s host damage protection and host liability insurance do not replace homeowners insurance, renters insurance, or adequate liability coverage, and it tells hosts to review their policy with their carrier.

This page does not say which permits, taxes, insurance terms, or fire rules apply to you. It does not interpret a lease, a building rule, or a tax form. Check the property’s jurisdiction, and use a qualified adviser for legal, tax, and insurance questions.

Help center pages checked on 26 October 2026

• https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/2895 for listing accuracy, check-in access, reply expectations, and cleanliness.
• https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/2343 for essential amenities and where to edit them.
• https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/1189 for the calendar, preparation time, and Wi-Fi in check-in instructions.
• https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/472 for house-rule topics, requests, and when a change takes effect.
• https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/4168 for the house-rules policy on reservations booked on or after November 20, 2026.
• https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/514 for smoke and carbon monoxide alarms.
• https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/2904 for detectors, hazards, entry codes, and local safety laws.
• https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/2604 for the first aid kit and the Red Cross course recommendation.
• https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/1376 for the US responsible-hosting notes on extinguishers, exits, emergency contacts, permits, taxes, and insurance.
• https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/3061 for cameras, noise monitors, and smart devices.
• https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/52 for setting the nightly price.
• https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/2385 for the cleaning fee, pet fee, and extra-guest fee.
• https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/58 for the short-stay cleaning fee and the edit steps.
• https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/1857 for the split fee, the single fee, and the published percentages.