Checkout messages
Airbnb Checkout Messages That Follow the New Rules (Templates)
AuthorSteven Young, Photographer and Airbnb host
Updated Oct 22, 2026
Copy-paste notes for bookings made on or after November 20, 2026.
For bookings made on or after November 20, 2026, Airbnb limits the checkout tasks hosts can ask guests to do. This Airbnb checkout message template only repeats light tasks, or rules already in the listing. The limit is in Airbnb's reasonable house rules, and the full rules are here.
Paste one note. Change the checkout time and the lock-up line so they match your listing, and send it only when those requests are already in your House rules. Do not add fees, fines, or chores such as stripping beds, starting laundry, washing or putting away dishes, or taking trash off-site.
Standard checkout
Send this on checkout morning when the light tasks below are already in the listing.
Hi there, checkout is at the time in your listing. If you can, please put used dishes in the sink, gather the used towels, and sort trash and recycling into the indoor bins from the house rules. Please turn off the AC or heat when you leave, and lock up the way the listing describes. Thank you for staying.
Early-flight guests
A shorter note for guests who are heading to the airport. It still asks only for the light tasks.
Hi there, safe travels if you have an early flight. Checkout is at the time in your listing. If you have a minute before you go, please put used dishes in the sink, gather used towels, and sort trash and recycling into the indoor bins from the house rules. Please turn off the AC or heat, and lock up the way the listing describes. If you are short on time, locking up is the one to do. Have a good flight.
Families
Same light list, with room for a busy morning. It does not hand chores to the kids.
Hi there, checkout is at the time in your listing. Family mornings are busy, so this is only the light list already in the house rules. If you can, please put used dishes in the sink, gather used towels, and sort trash and recycling into the indoor bins. Please turn off the AC or heat when you leave, and lock up the way the listing describes. We will take care of the rest. Thank you for bringing the family.
Winter or AC reminder
This asks guests to switch the heat or AC off when they leave. It does not ask them to skip the heat or the AC during the stay.
Hi there, checkout is at the time in your listing. Please turn off the heat or the AC when you leave, the same way the house rules ask. If you can, also put used dishes in the sink, gather used towels, and sort trash and recycling into the indoor bins. Then lock up the way the listing describes. Safe travels.
Multi-night stays
A longer stay does not add a longer chore list. Send the same light reminder on the last morning.
Hi there, thank you for a longer stay. Checkout is at the time in your listing on your last morning. There is nothing extra because you stayed more nights. If you can, please put used dishes in the sink, gather used towels, and sort trash and recycling into the indoor bins from the house rules. Please turn off the AC or heat when you leave, and lock up the way the listing describes.
Night-before reminder
Send this the evening before checkout, so the morning note is not the first time they see it.
Hi there, a note for tomorrow morning. Checkout is at the time in your listing. If you can, please put used dishes in the sink, gather used towels, and sort trash and recycling into the indoor bins from the house rules. Please turn off the AC or heat when you go, and lock up the way the listing describes. Sleep well.
Thank-you and a review ask
Send this after checkout. It thanks the guest and asks for a review. It does not ask for chores.
Hi there, thank you for staying with us. We hope the place worked well for your trip. If you have a minute, a short review helps the next guest know what to expect. Safe travels.
If your listing is in bear country or a drought area
Add a line only if your listing is in bear country, or only if your listing is in a drought area, and only when that rule is already explained in the listing. Leave the extra line off every other home.
Hi there, checkout is at the time in your listing. If you can, please put used dishes in the sink, gather used towels, and lock up the way the listing describes. If your listing is in bear country, please put trash and recycling in the animal-proof bin named in the house rules. If your listing is in a drought area, please keep showers to the limit already written in the house rules.
Help with the other guest messages
These checkout notes are free to copy. The messages guests send back are a different job.
ReplyBoost can help write guest messages. Bella drafts replies in your voice. Airbnb, Vrbo, and Booking.com stay in one inbox. See ReplyBoost → 15-minute setup. Cancel anytime.
FAQ
Do Airbnb's new checkout rules apply to my current bookings?
No. Airbnb's reasonable house rules policy applies to reservations booked on or after November 20, 2026; earlier bookings keep the rules they were booked under, even if the stay happens later. The new Listing editor went live October 20, 2026, but enforcement of the policy is tied to booking date, not stay date. Hosts may want two checkout messages during the transition: the old one for pre-Nov 20 bookings and a compliant one for everything booked after.
What checkout tasks can I still ask Airbnb guests to do?
Light tasks only: putting used dishes in the sink, gathering used towels, sorting trash and recycling into indoor bins, turning off the AC, and locking up. Airbnb treats anything that takes significant time or effort, or that a cleaner would normally do, as not allowed. Locking up at checkout is one of Airbnb's seven standard rules, so it is enforceable and can include key-return details. The other light tasks are "requests," which guests are encouraged, not required, to follow.
Which checkout chores are no longer allowed on Airbnb?
Stripping beds, taking trash offsite, washing and putting away dishes, and starting laundry are not allowed for bookings made on or after November 20, 2026. Airbnb also bars asking guests to avoid an advertised amenity. Exceptions exist for local conditions, such as animal-proof trash bins in bear country or water limits during a drought. Those must be explained in the listing.
Can I send a checkout reminder message under the new policy?
Yes, if the message only repeats rules and requests already listed in your House rules section. Airbnb does not allow new rules or requests to be added after booking by message, sign or in person. This is why the templates in this post are reminders, not instructions. Update the listing first, then message.
Can I charge a guest who skips checkout tasks?
No. Airbnb says hosts may not charge guests fees for failing to perform specific cleaning or checkout tasks, and host-imposed fines are not allowed. You can still warn guests about possible HOA or local government fines in the designated listing section, and request reimbursement for unexpected cleaning or damage through Airbnb.
What happens if my listing still asks for banned chores?
Airbnb flags problem requests in the Listing editor and emails the host, who can appeal. Continued issues can escalate from education and warnings to a listing notice, lower search visibility and other Terms of Service action. Guests rating accuracy can also cite "unexpected or excessive rules or requests."
What is ReplyBoost and how does it relate to checkout messages?
ReplyBoost (bnbboost.ai/replyboost) is BNB Boost's AI guest messaging agent, called Bella, that drafts replies in your voice. It handles Airbnb, Vrbo and Booking.com in one inbox. It does not decide what your rules are. Put compliant rules in your listing, and Bella drafts replies in your voice. Pricing on the page is $47 a month per listing (launch price, normally $87), with cancel anytime.
Who built ReplyBoost?
ReplyBoost was built by Steven Young, founder of BNB Boost (bnbboost.ai) and an Airbnb host since 2012.