Check-Out Instructions Template for Airbnb Hosts (Copy + Paste)

Welcome Books · October 30, 2026 · 7 min read · By the Welcome Kit Pro team at PropKitCo

A good check-out instructions template for Airbnb hosts is short, friendly and lists only the few tasks that actually matter: check-out time, what to do with keys, trash, dishes and the thermostat. Below you'll find a copy-and-paste template, sample wording for the tricky parts, and tips on where to share it so guests actually read it before they leave.

Why clear check-out instructions protect your reviews and turnovers

Check-out is the last thing guests experience, and it's often what they remember when they sit down to write a review. If your instructions are vague, guests guess. If they're a long list of chores, guests feel like unpaid cleaners. Either way, you risk a weaker review.

Clear instructions also protect your turnover. Your cleaner needs to know the door is locked, the keys are back and nothing is left running. A guest who leaves on time and leaves the place in a predictable state makes same-day turnovers far less stressful.

What good instructions prevent

• Late departures that squeeze your cleaner's window
• Lost keys or unlocked doors
• Overflowing trash or food left in the fridge
• The AC running full blast in an empty house for hours
• Awkward messages asking "did you forget something?"

What Airbnb's check-out instructions feature does and its limits

Airbnb has offered hosts ways to share check-out details with guests, and it's worth using whatever your listing settings provide, because it puts your key tasks where Airbnb guests already look. Platform features and wording change over time, so check the Airbnb Help Center for current details on what's available, how it works and what guests see.

Whatever Airbnb offers, any in-app instructions have some natural limits:

• They only live inside Airbnb. If you also take VRBO, Booking.com or direct bookings, those guests won't see them.
• They aren't in the house. Guests packing up on the last morning are more likely to glance at the fridge or a counter sign than dig through an app.
• They're separate from your other house info. Details like "here's how to reset the thermostat" or "the recycling bin is the blue one behind the garage" often fit better alongside the rest of your house manual.

A simple approach is to treat anything you add in Airbnb as a reminder and keep a fuller version in your house manual or guidebook.

Check-out instructions template for Airbnb hosts you can copy

Copy this, swap in your details, and delete anything that doesn't apply to your place. Keep the tone warm. You're thanking a guest, not handing out a work order.

Check-out time: [11:00 AM]

Thanks so much for staying with us! Before you head out, here are a few quick things that help us get the home ready for the next guests:

1. Load any used dishes into the dishwasher and press start.
2. Take trash and recycling to the bins at [location].
3. Set the thermostat to [72°F / "Away" mode].
4. Turn off lights, the TV and any fans.
5. Close and lock all windows and doors.
6. Leave keys [on the kitchen counter / in the lockbox and scramble the code].

No need to strip the beds or do laundry. We've got that covered.

If you'd like a late check-out, just message us by [8 PM the night before] and we'll do our best. Safe travels, and we hope to host you again!

[Your name], [phone number]

That's six tasks. They should take a guest about ten minutes, which is the sweet spot.

How to keep guest check-out tasks reasonable (and what to skip)

Guests pay a cleaning fee in many listings, and they notice when a check-out list looks like a cleaning job. A simple test: if the task is something a polite houseguest would do at a friend's place, it's fine to ask. If it's something you'd pay a cleaner for, skip it.

A few more tips

• Explain the why when it helps. "Please take trash out so it doesn't attract critters overnight" lands better than "Trash out."
• Make tasks easy. Label the bins. Leave spare trash bags under the sink. Put a key hook by the door.
• Be consistent. Your listing description, anything you add in the Airbnb app and your printed book should all say the same thing.

Sample wording for late check-out, keys, trash and thermostat

These four areas are where confusion tends to creep in. Pick the line that fits your setup.

Late check-out

• "Need a little more time? Message us by 8 PM the night before. If there's no guest arriving that day, we're usually happy to help."
• "Late check-out until 1 PM is sometimes available for a small fee. Just ask and we'll let you know."
• "We have guests arriving the same day, so we can't offer late check-out, but you're welcome to leave bags in the [garage/mudroom] until [time]."

Keys and locks

• "Please leave the keys on the kitchen counter and pull the front door closed behind you. It locks automatically."
• "Return the key to the lockbox and spin the dials so the code isn't showing."
• "The smart lock locks itself after 30 seconds. Just make sure the door is fully shut."

Trash and recycling

• "Bins are on the left side of the driveway. Black is trash, blue is recycling."
• "If the bins are full, just tie up the bag and leave it next to them. We'll take care of it."

Thermostat

• "Please set the thermostat to 78°F in summer or 62°F in winter before you leave."
• "Tap 'Away' on the thermostat on your way out. That's it!"

When and where to share check-out instructions with guests

Guests don't read everything once. They skim. So share your instructions in a few places, at the moments they'll actually need them.

1. In your listing. Put check-out time and any unusual tasks where guests can see them before they book. No surprises.
2. In the Airbnb app. If your listing settings let you add check-out details, fill them in so Airbnb guests get a reminder. The Airbnb Help Center explains the current options.
3. In your welcome book. Give check-out its own page or section. If you're building one from scratch, our guide on how to make an Airbnb welcome book walks through what to include.
4. On a small sign in the house. A card by the front door or on the fridge catches guests on their way out.
5. In a message the evening before. A short, friendly note: "Hope you had a great stay! Quick reminder that check-out is 11 AM tomorrow. Everything you need is on the last page of the guidebook."

If you send that evening-before message, it's also a nice moment to suggest a breakfast spot on their way out of town. A things to do list for your guests makes that easy to pull from.

Frequently asked questions

What should Airbnb check-out instructions include?

Include the check-out time, what to do with keys, where trash goes, what to do with dishes, how to set the thermostat and how to lock up. Add how to request a late check-out and a contact number, and keep the whole list to about five or six tasks.

Is it OK to ask guests to strip the beds?

You can ask, but many guests see it as a cleaning task, especially if they've paid a cleaning fee. Keeping requests light and letting your cleaning team handle linens avoids that friction and makes check-out feel easy.

When should I send check-out instructions?

Share them in your listing before booking, in your welcome book during the stay and in a short reminder message the evening before check-out. That evening message arrives right when guests are planning their departure, so it's a good time for a friendly nudge.

Do VRBO and direct-booking guests need different check-out instructions?

The tasks can be the same, but those guests won't see anything you add inside Airbnb. Keep your instructions in a printed book or guidebook so every guest gets them no matter where they booked, and check each platform's help pages for its own rules.

Put your check-out instructions in a digital welcome book

The easiest way to make sure guests see your check-out list is to keep it in one place that's in the house and on their phone. Welcome Kit Pro turns your rental's address and house details (WiFi, check-in and check-out, house rules, parking, how things work and your contact info) into a print-ready PDF, a live mobile guidebook guests open on any phone, and a QR code for the fridge or a welcome sign.

Because the live guidebook republishes right away when you edit it, you can tweak your check-out time or swap the lockbox code without reprinting, and printed QR codes keep working after edits on a subscription. It works for Airbnb, VRBO, Booking.com and direct-booking rentals, though it doesn't message guests or sync with any booking platform. Keep door codes and WiFi passwords in the printed book and private guidebook link, never on a public listing page. You can use it on the web or with the iPhone app, and if you're weighing it against a design template, here's a fair look at Welcome Kit Pro vs Canva and Etsy templates.

Your first welcome book is free, and the PDF is yours to keep. Create your first welcome book free and paste in the check-out template above.