Free host template
Airbnb checkout instructions template guests can follow without a reminder call
A practical, copy-and-paste checkout checklist for Airbnb and vacation-rental guests: dishes, trash, heating or AC, windows, linens and keys. It keeps the last morning clear for guests and the handover predictable for hosts and cleaners. Replace the [BRACKETS] with your property details, then share it before departure and keep it visible in the home.
Why a short checkout checklist works better
The departure morning is not the moment for guests to discover a long list of housework. They may be arranging transport, making breakfast, finding a lost charger and getting children or luggage downstairs. A good checkout instruction page respects that reality. It asks for the small number of actions that protect the home, return access items and make the next handover possible.
Specificity matters more than volume. “Take out the trash” leaves too many questions; “put sealed general waste in the green bin beside the rear gate” gives a guest a route. “Return the keys” may lead to a key left on a kitchen table; a lockbox sequence gives the cleaner a reliable way in. Each extra line should remove a real ambiguity, not add a task because it once appeared in another host's checklist.
The full Airbnb checkout instructions template
Use the full version on your guest page, in a welcome guide or in a saved message. It is deliberately warm and brief: it tells guests what you need without asking them to deep-clean the property. Replace every [BRACKETED] detail, remove anything that does not apply, and make the key return and bin location impossible to misread.
CHECK-OUT INSTRUCTIONS — [PROPERTY NAME] Hi [GUEST NAME], we hope you had a great stay. Check-out is by [TIME] on [DAY]. You do not need to deep-clean — our team handles that. Before you leave, please help us with the few things below. 1. DISHES & KITCHEN • Please wash used dishes, load the dishwasher and start [PROGRAM], or leave washed dishes on the drying rack. • Please clear the fridge of your food and take any opened items with you. • Do not leave food, coffee grounds or cooking oil in the sink. 2. TRASH & RECYCLING • Take general rubbish to [BIN LOCATION]. • Recycling / glass / food waste goes to [LOCATION + SIMPLE SORTING NOTE]. • If you cannot find the bins, leave sealed bags [FALLBACK LOCATION] and let us know. 3. HEATING, AC & WINDOWS • Turn off the heating / AC using [CONTROL LOCATION OR SIMPLE STEP]. • Switch off lights, TV and small appliances. • Close and lock all windows, balcony doors and exterior doors. 4. LINENS & TOWELS • Please leave used towels [LOCATION]. • Leave beds [AS THEY ARE / STRIPPED AS REQUESTED]. • Do not start the washing machine unless we have asked you to. 5. KEYS & ACCESS • Return keys to [LOCKBOX / TABLE / HOST / LOCATION]. • If using a lockbox: place keys inside, close it, scramble the code and pull once to check it is locked. • Return [PARKING PASS / BUILDING FOB / GARAGE REMOTE] to [LOCATION]. 6. BEFORE YOU GO • Check cupboards, chargers and under the bed for personal belongings. • Send us a quick message when you have left, especially if you noticed damage or an appliance issue. • Safe travels — thank you for staying at [PROPERTY NAME]. [YOUR NAME] [PHONE / WHATSAPP]
Day-before checkout message template
Do not rely on a checklist sent at booking. Share this short message the day before departure, when guests are deciding on transport and packing. It gives them the essentials in the chat and points them to the full version, where photos, property-specific notes and the current key-return instructions can live.
Hi [GUEST NAME], a quick reminder that check-out tomorrow is by [TIME]. Before you go, please: • wash or load the dishes, • take rubbish to [BIN LOCATION], • turn off heating / AC and close windows, • leave keys [LOCATION], and • message us when you are on your way. The full departure checklist is here: [LINK TO YOUR GUEST PAGE] Thank you again for staying with us. Safe travels! [YOUR NAME]
What to include in a vacation rental checkout checklist
Use these sections to decide what deserves a place in your own departure instructions. They work for a city apartment, cabin, beach house or small guesthouse, but the final wording should match the actual home and cleaning routine. If you would need to explain a task in a follow-up message, add the missing location, time or action now.
1State the check-out time and the reason for the message
Start with the exact time, date when helpful, and a warm thank-you. Guests often have several travel deadlines on their last morning, so they should be able to understand the essential information in one glance. If the cleaner has a tight turnaround, you can say that an on-time departure helps prepare the home for the next arrival without making the message sound like a warning.
Tip: Send a reminder the day before departure, not only at booking. That is when the checklist can influence plans for the morning.
2Ask for only the kitchen tasks that matter
Dishes, an emptied fridge and a clear sink are common requests because they protect the kitchen and let the cleaner start efficiently. Be precise about the dishwasher or hand-washing option. Avoid an open-ended request to clean the entire kitchen: guests cannot know your professional standard, and an unclear task creates more friction than a short, specific one.
Tip: If you charge a cleaning fee, say plainly that guests do not need to deep-clean. It makes the remaining requests easier to understand and more likely to be completed.
3Explain trash and recycling as a route, not a rule
"Take out the trash" is incomplete when the bins are behind a gate, separated by material or collected on a particular day. Give the location, the simple categories that matter and a fallback if access is confusing. A guest who cannot find a bin should know whether to leave a sealed bag in a stated place or message you, instead of leaving it in a hallway or taking it to the wrong container.
Tip: Use the same labels guests see on the bins. Local recycling terminology varies, especially for international visitors.
4Protect the property with a short close-down list
Windows, balcony doors, heating, AC, lights and keys deserve their own small section because they are easy to miss while carrying luggage. Keep it tied to the actual property: if there is a thermostat with an unusual off setting, name the control; if there are no blinds or balcony doors, remove that line. Guests follow checklists better when every item obviously belongs to the home they stayed in.
Tip: Do one walk through as if you were leaving with bags. Any action you naturally double-check belongs in the departure list.
5Be clear about linens, towels and laundry
Hosts have different turnover systems, so there is no universal linen instruction. Some want towels in the bathroom and beds left alone; others want sheets stripped. Say exactly what helps your cleaner and do not ask guests to start a wash unless you truly want them to. A guest who starts the wrong cycle shortly before departure can create a bigger operational problem than no laundry at all.
Tip: Keep this part separate from the cleaning checklist so guests do not confuse towel placement with a request to wash everything.
6Make key return impossible to misread
Key mistakes can delay a cleaner or lock a host out, so write this as a numbered process when a lockbox, fob or garage remote is involved. Name the exact location, say whether keys go inside the property or back in the box, and remind guests to scramble and test the lockbox. Add a contact route for a lost key rather than hoping guests will solve it alone.
Tip: Put a small photo or visual description beside a confusing lockbox location on your digital page.
7Invite a final message and a useful problem report
A simple "please message us when you leave" closes the loop for both sides: guests know they are done, and you know when the cleaner can enter. Pair it with an invitation to mention a spill, breakage or appliance issue. Guests are much more likely to be honest when you ask calmly and make clear that early notice helps you fix the problem before the next stay.
Tip: Do not bury your contact number in an old booking message. Put it beside the departure instructions where guests will look on the last morning.
Make checkout part of one guest journey
Checkout instructions work best when they are connected to the information guests saw before and during the stay. Your check-in instructions cover arrival, access and Wi-Fi. Your house manual handles appliances, heating, parking and safety while guests are in the property. Your house rules set the expectations they accepted. The departure page should complete that sequence, not repeat every section from it.
Keeping those sections together also removes the need to paste a new file into every message. A guest can reopen the same page to check the parking remote location or the checkout time. You edit the single source when a lockbox, collection day or heating control changes, which avoids a mismatch between the PDF in chat and the note on the fridge.
Share a live checkout page by QR code and link
A printed checkout card by the door is useful only until a detail changes. If a garage remote moves, the bin route changes or you revise the cleaner handover, an old card can send guests in the wrong direction. A QR code can stay in place while the page it opens is updated. Put the code near the entrance, include a direct link in the day-before message, and use one mobile page for the current instructions.
HostGreeter makes this practical for everyday hosting. Build a digital welcome page with check-out information, rules, arrival details and the house manual; guests open it from a shareable link or QR code without installing an app. You update the details in the dashboard, and guests can use the page in 9 languages. Our Airbnb digital welcome book guide explains how those sections fit together, while our guide to a guest-information QR code covers placement in the property.
Test the checklist before a real departure
Walk through the instructions once with a bag in hand. Can someone find the bins without local knowledge? Does the lockbox process say where to put the keys and how to confirm it is closed? Is the thermostat instruction clear enough for a guest who has never used that model? This small rehearsal is more useful than copying a longer checklist from a different property.
Review it after the first few stays and after any operational change. If a guest asks a sensible question, add the answer to the page. Over time, the checkout checklist becomes simpler to send, easier to follow and more dependable for your cleaner — which is exactly what a departure instruction should do.
Airbnb checkout instructions FAQ
What should Airbnb checkout instructions include?
Clear Airbnb checkout instructions include the exact departure time, the few kitchen tasks you expect, trash and recycling directions, heating or AC and window reminders, any linen or towel instruction, the key-return process, and a request to message when the guest has left. Keep the list property-specific and short enough to read while packing. The goal is a smooth handover, not a substitute for professional cleaning.
When should I send checkout instructions to Airbnb guests?
Send a short reminder the day before check-out, then keep the full checklist available in the property and in the guest's phone. Guests are more likely to follow the instructions when they can see them while packing rather than searching back through an old booking conversation. A QR-linked welcome page lets the same current checklist work before and during departure.
How long should a vacation rental checkout checklist be?
Usually five to seven short sections are enough: dishes, trash, close-down tasks, linens, keys and a final message. Only add tasks that protect the property or make the handover possible. A long chore list often feels unreasonable on a paid stay and is less likely to be completed. If a task needs detailed explanation, write the detail clearly rather than adding several vague bullet points.
Should guests strip beds at check-out?
There is no universal rule. Ask for it only if it fits the way your cleaner prepares the property. If you do ask, say exactly which beds and where to leave the linens. If you do not need it, say guests can leave beds as they are. Clear instructions prevent well-meaning guests from starting laundry or moving linens in a way that makes turnover harder.
Can I share checkout instructions with a QR code?
Yes. Put the departure checklist on the same mobile welcome page as check-in, Wi-Fi, house rules and property information, then place a QR code by the entrance or send the page link the day before check-out. HostGreeter provides a shareable guest page and QR code, keeps the information editable, and can auto-translate the page into 9 languages for international guests.