Airbnb Check-Out Instructions & Templates in 2026

Airbnb check-out instructions tell guests exactly what to do before they leave your property. They also tell your cleaner when they can actually get to work.

Vague instructions are how you end up with a missing access card, a guest still packing at 11:15 and a cleaner standing outside wondering what happened.

Clear instructions take your guest two minutes to follow. They help keep turnovers on schedule and make checkout a lot less chaotic for everyone involved.

Below, we’ve put together an Airbnb checkout checklist based on our experience managing holiday homes across 10,000+ guest nights. 

You’ll also get four copy-and-paste checkout messages, and practical guidance for managing checkout in a Dubai apartment.

TL;DR: Airbnb Check-Out Instructions in 60 Seconds

• Good Airbnb check-out instructions should clearly tell guests when to leave, what to return, where to leave keys or access cards, and any simple tasks needed before they go.
• Keep checkout focused on the handover. Guests shouldn’t be expected to strip beds, deep-clean the kitchen or do your housekeeping team’s job.
• Send checkout instructions before the guest leaves, ideally through your listing and a friendly reminder the day before. 
• For shorter stays, a quick checkout-morning message can be enough.
• If you’re managing a Dubai holiday home, be especially clear about access cards, parking cards, keys, waste disposal and replacement charges. 
• Homevy has two years of experience helping homeowners in Dubai handle check-ins, checkouts, housekeeping and property inspections with 4.9 star Google rating and Airbnb Superhost. 

What Should Airbnb Check-Out Instructions Include?

Good Airbnb check-out instructions should cover the things your guest actually needs to know.

Keep the instructions on your listing so nobody is scrambling for information at 10:58 a.m.

Here’s how to break down the checklist by priority. 

Homevy Tip: Write the list in the order your guest actually moves through the property. Bedroom, kitchen, bins, cards, door. No one wants to do a scavenger hunt before catching a flight.

What Not to Ask Guests in a Check-Out Instruction

When you’re self-managing a holiday home, it’s easy to look at the cleaning list and think, “Well, if the guest does a few of these things, that’s less work for me.”

Fair enough. But your guest booked a holiday home, not a cleaning shift.

Avoid asking guests to:

• Strip beds or wash linen
• Vacuum, mop or wipe down the bathroom
• Move furniture back into place
• Deep-clean the kitchen

Airbnb allows guests to report “excessive checkout tasks,” and listings that repeatedly receive low ratings for unreasonable tasks can face consequences.

The better approach is to keep checkout focused on the things the guest actually needs to do, like returning keys, access cards and parking cards, taking out rubbish and locking up.

The cleaning should be your team’s problem, not the guest’s.

And this is one of the things we take off a homeowner’s plate at Homevy. 

Photo by Homevy

When we manage a property, our housekeeping team takes over after checkout. They strip the beds, collect towels, check the property for damage or missing items and handle the turnover before the next guest arrives.

So instead of asking your guest to do more because you’re worried about the cleaning, you can let them check out and let your team handle the mess.

Want to see what happens after the guest leaves? Check out our Airbnb cleaning checklist

Airbnb Checkout Message Templates (Copy and Paste)

Your Airbnb checkout message should not give guests 12 random things to remember. 

Instead, be intentional and give them a few things that actually matter. Here are practical checkout message templates that you can use. 

Note: Replace anything in [square brackets] and remove anything that doesn’t apply to your property.

Template 1: The Day-Before Checkout Message

This is the main one. Send it the afternoon or evening before checkout so your guest isn’t discovering the rules while they’re already halfway out the door.

Hi [Guest Name],

Hope you’ve enjoyed your stay at [Property Name]! Just a quick note before tomorrow.

Checkout is by [Checkout Time]. Before you head out, please:

• Leave [keys/access cards] at [location]
• Take any rubbish to [bin location]
• Leave used towels in [location]
• Switch off the lights and [AC/appliances, if needed]

There’s no need to strip the beds or clean the apartment. Our team will take care of the turnover.

If you need a little extra time, send us a message today and we’ll check whether a late checkout is possible.

Safe travels,
[Your Name / Homevy Team]

Template 2: The Quick Checkout-Morning Reminder

This is great for one-night stays, sending a full checkout message the night before can feel a little much. A quick morning reminder does the job.

Good morning, [Guest Name]!

Hope you had a good night and enjoyed your stay 😊

Just a quick heads-up that checkout is by [Checkout Time] today.

When you’re ready to head out, please leave [keys/access cards] at [location] and lock the door behind you.

Once you’ve left, just drop us a message so we know you’re on your way.

Thanks for staying with us, [Guest Name]. Have a safe trip home!

[Your Name / Homevy Team]

Template 3: When a Guest Asks for Late Checkout

Late checkout sounds harmless until your next guest is arriving and your cleaner is waiting outside. So before saying yes, check the booking that comes next.

If you can accommodate it:

Hi [Guest Name],

Good news! We can extend your checkout to [New Checkout Time] today.

[There’s an additional fee of [Late Checkout Fee], which you can pay via [Payment Method]. / There’s no extra charge.]

Everything else stays the same. Just return [keys/access cards] to [location] when you leave.

Enjoy the rest of your stay/time!

[Your Name / Homevy Team]

If you can’t:

Hi [Guest Name],

I’d love to give you a little more time, but we have another guest arriving today and our housekeeping team needs the full turnover window.

Checkout will therefore remain at [Checkout Time].

[If applicable: You’re welcome to leave your bags at [Luggage Location] until [Time].]

Thanks for understanding, and safe travels!

[Your Name / Homevy Team]

Homevy Tip: Have a clear late checkout policy before guests start asking. It saves you from making the same decision from scratch every time, especially when you have back-to-back bookings.

For more, see our vacation rental policies.

Template 4: The Dubai Apartment Checkout Message

Apartment buildings come with their own little checkout rituals. Access cards, parking cards, concierge desks, rubbish chutes… suddenly “just lock the door” isn’t quite enough.

Use this version when your guest needs to return building access items.

Hi [Guest Name],

It’s almost time to say goodbye to [Property Name], and we hope you’ve had the most pleasant time!

Before you checkout by [Checkout Time] tomorrow, don’t forget to return these:

• Access cards: Please leave all [Number of Cards] cards at [Location]
• Parking card: [Parking Card Instructions]
• Keys: [Key Box / Concierge Instructions]
• Rubbish: [Bin Chute / Rubbish Room Location]

Please double-check your cards before you leave. 

Lost access or parking cards may incur a replacement charge of [Replacement Fee] each. 

Once you’re out, send us a quick message and we’ll take it from there.

Thanks for staying with us, [Guest Name]. Safe travels, and we hope to see you again!

[Your Name / Homevy Team]

When Should You Send Airbnb Checkout Instructions?

Don’t wait until checkout in the morning to tell guests what to do. 

By then, they’re probably thinking about breakfast, their flight or how to squeeze one last outfit into their suitcase.

Put your checkout instructions in the listing before they book, make them easy to find during the stay, and send a friendly reminder before they leave. The goal is simple: the guest should never have to wonder what happens next.

Don’t Leave Checkout to Airbnb’s Automatic Reminder

Airbnb’s reminder is useful, but it shouldn’t be your entire checkout strategy.

Your own message gives you room to highlight anything specific to your property, whether that’s returning two access cards, using a particular rubbish chute or leaving the parking card with the concierge.

More importantly, keep the instructions consistent. 

If your listing says four things and your checkout message suddenly asks for seven more, your guest is going to wonder when the surprise assignment was added.

Asking guests to let you know when they’ve left is fine, too. Airbnb’s own guest guidance suggests messaging the host once checkout is complete.

Think of checkout as the final part of the guest journey. Your welcome message starts the conversation, your checkout message leaves room for rebooking.

If you haven’t set up your arrival messages yet, start with our Airbnb welcome message templates

5 Checkout Rules to Set for Your Dubai Holiday Home

Dubai holiday homes come with a few extra checkout details, especially when guests have access cards, parking cards, keys and building-specific rules to follow.

Photo by Ketut Subiyanto

Here are five instructions guests need to ensure they know what they have to return, where it goes and what happens if something goes missing.

1. Instructions on Access Card and Key(s)

Don’t tell guests to “return the cards” and leave them guessing how many cards that means.

If they received two access cards, one parking card and a key, say exactly that:

“Please return both access cards, the parking card and the apartment key before leaving.”

It sounds obvious, but guests can’t return something they don’t realise they still have. A quick count before checkout can save your team a very unnecessary trip back to the apartment.

2. Tell Guests Exactly Where to Return Them

“Leave the keys somewhere safe” is not a checkout rule. It’s a treasure hunt.

Tell guests exactly where everything should go. That could be the kitchen counter, a key box, a reception desk or the building concierge.

Building procedures vary, so confirm the correct drop-off point with your building management before adding it to your checkout instructions.

If different items go to different places, spell that out: “Leave the apartment key in the key box. Return both access cards to the concierge desk.”

3. Explain Where to Take Rubbish

Your guest may know where the kitchen bin is. That doesn’t mean they know where the building wants waste to be disposed of.

If your building has a bin chute on the floor, tell them. If rubbish needs to go to a dedicated room downstairs, tell them that instead.

For example: “Please tie up any rubbish and place it in the bin chute next to the lift on your floor.”

This is one of those small details that feels obvious when you live in the building and completely isn’t when you’ve been there for two nights.

4. Make Deposit and Replacement Rules Clear

If you collect a security deposit or charge guests for lost access cards, explain the rules before checkout.

Tell guests when the deposit is refunded and that the refund follows your post-checkout inspection. If access or parking cards carry a replacement charge, state the amount clearly in your house rules and checkout information.

Some Dubai holiday-home listings charge AED 500 to AED 550 for a lost access or parking card, so this is not something you want guests discovering after they’ve already left.

A simple reminder works: “Please double-check that you have returned all access and parking cards. Lost cards may incur a replacement charge of [Amount] each.”

Clear rules are much easier to deal with than an awkward conversation after checkout.

5. Ask Guests to Confirm When They’ve Left

Once the guest has left, your team needs to know the apartment is actually free before the turnover begins.

Ask guests to send a quick message when they’ve checked out: ”Once you’ve left the apartment, just send us a quick message so our team knows they can get started.”

It takes the guest a few seconds and gives your housekeeping team a clear signal to begin.

And this is important because you don’t want your cleaner standing outside the apartment with cleaning supplies in hand while the guest is still inside.

On the Dubai properties Homevy manages, every turnover starts with a walk-through. Our housekeeping team photographs any damage or missing items before cleaning begins, followed by a supervisor inspection before the next guest arrives.

If something is missing or damaged after checkout, here’s how to handle guest damage. 

Frequently Asked Questions About Airbnb Check-Out Instructions

What is the default Airbnb checkout time?

If a listing doesn’t specify a checkout time, Airbnb’s default is 11:00 AM local time. The default check-in time is 3:00 PM. Hosts can set their own checkout time in the listing.

Whatever time you choose, put it clearly in your listing and repeat it in your checkout message. Nobody wants a checkout surprise at 10:55 AM.

Can Airbnb hosts charge for late checkout?

Yes, hosts may charge extra for late checkout. Airbnb gives the example of additional cleaning costs as a reason a host might charge. 

If you agree to a later checkout, confirm the new time and any applicable fee with the guest in the Airbnb message thread.

The important part is making sure everyone knows the arrangement before checkout day. Your cleaner will appreciate the memo.

Should Airbnb guests strip the beds before checkout?

Not unless you’ve specifically asked them to, and even then, consider whether you actually need them to.

Airbnb’s own checkout guidance focuses on simple tasks such as gathering used towels, taking out rubbish, turning things off, locking up and returning keys. 

Airbnb also says guests should not leave a property requiring excessive or deep cleaning.

If your housekeeping team already handles the linen, let them do their job. Your guest isn’t secretly auditioning for it.

Can guests complain about checkout tasks on Airbnb?

Yes. Guests can report “excessive checkout tasks” in their feedback. Airbnb says listings with repeated low ratings for unreasonable tasks may be removed.

Keep your checkout list focused on the things that genuinely help with the handover. Returning keys? Useful. Taking rubbish to the designated bin? Fair. Asking guests to mop the floors before catching their flight? That’s probably where we draw the line.

Where do guests find checkout instructions on Airbnb?

Guests can see your checkout instructions before booking and find them with their reservation details after booking. 

Airbnb says guests can access them through their trip information, including the house manual or checkout section depending on the interface.

Airbnb also automatically sends a checkout reminder the day before checkout at 5:00 PM in the property’s local time. Guests need the Airbnb app and notifications enabled to receive that notification.

Why a Great Airbnb Checkout Matters More Than You Think

Checkout is the last interaction a guest has with your property, so it can influence guest reviews, repeat bookings and whether someone recommends your property to the next traveller. 

At Homevy, we pay close attention to the entire guest journey, including what happens right up until the guest walks out the door. Over the past two years, we’ve maintained a 4.9-star rating across 10,000+ guest nights. 

In 2026, Homevy won the Arabian Best of the Best Award for Best Short-Term Rental Management Company in Dubai.

Photo by Homevy

That same attention to detail goes into guest check-in and check-out, housekeeping, property inspections and the handover between bookings. Our team handles those day-to-day details so homeowners don’t have to coordinate every moving part themselves.

Our goal is not just for guests to end their stay on a good note. We want them to leave the properties we manage with a 5-star-worthy experience and a reason to come back. 

If you’d rather have Homevy handle the guest experience from check-in to checkout, speak with our team about managing your Dubai property.