TAMRYN.

Host training · South Africa

Airbnb's new rules for SA hosts

From 20 November 2026As of 27 October 2026

What changes for bookings made on or after 20 November, how it fits with South African law, body corporate rules and your municipality's by-laws, and the other Airbnb changes this year that affect your listing and your payouts.

01 · At a glance

Before and after

The new rules apply by booking date: anything booked before 20 November keeps the old rules, even if the stay is later.

Topic	How it used to be	From 20 November
Where rules live	One long free-text house-rules box	Seven standard rules you tick, plus a short Requests section
Checking ID	Many hosts asked for an ID copy before arrival	Look at it in person at check-in; keep a copy only where law or a body corporate rule requires it
Booking for others	Widely treated as not allowed	Allowed: you see both the booker's and the guest's names
Extra guests	Fines for extra guests were common	Maximum overnight guests is binding: break it, and you can cancel without fees
Daytime visitors	Could be banned in the house rules	Only a request: it sets expectations but isn't enforceable
Fines	Smoking, late checkout and extra-guest fines	No fines or penalties; claim real costs through Airbnb
Checkout chores	Strip beds, wash dishes, take out rubbish	Only light, reasonable requests
Contracts	Some hosts sent their own	Not allowed, except in limited cases
Adding rules	Could be added in messages or on signs	Only on the listing, disclosed before booking

02 · Where rules live

Tick-box rules, plus requests

Every rule now sits on the listing in two places. Standard rules are binding; requests are encouraged but not enforceable.

Standard house rules (binding)

Maximum overnight guestsQuiet hoursEventsPetsSmoking and vapingCommercial photographyLock-up at checkout

Requests (free text)

Must be reasonable for your type of listing and area.
Airbnb flags requests it doesn't accept in the listing editor, and you can appeal there.
Must be on the listing before booking: you can't add rules in messages, on signs or after a booking is confirmed.

03 · Checking ID

ID: in person, at check-in

How it used to be

Many hosts asked guests to send an ID copy before arrival.
Some kept copies on file or collected ID through check-in apps.

From 20 November

Airbnb verifies every booking guest. You see that they're verified; you don't get the document.
You can look at their ID in person at check-in, if your Requests section says so.
Don't photograph or keep it, unless an exception applies.

The exceptions

You may collect what's required when a law or a documented community rule (a body corporate, estate or HOA rule) requires it, or for an allowed contract. Then you must:

say so, and why, in your listing before booking;
collect only what's required;
store it securely and get rid of it when you no longer need it.

04 · South African law

How the exceptions apply here

Two South African rules can require you to collect guest ID, and one law governs how you handle it.

The law

Immigration Act, section 40

Premises in a "prescribed class" must keep a register of every paying lodger.
Regulation 36 lists the classes: hotels and motels, boarding houses and lodges, guest houses, and apartment buildings.
The register records full names, a copy of the ID or passport, residence status, home address and the guest's signature.
Keep it for two years and show it to an immigration or police officer on request. Not complying is a criminal offence.

Community rules

Body corporate and estates

Many sectional title schemes and estates require guests to be registered, often with ID at the gate.
A written conduct rule like this counts as an exception.
Disclose it in your listing, and collect only what the rule asks for.
Body corporate fines can be disclosed in your listing's local rules section.
A body corporate can also restrict short-term letting, if the rule is reasonable and properly adopted.

Your duty

POPIA

Use ID copies only for the reason you collected them.
Store them securely: not in WhatsApp chats or your phone's camera roll.
Delete them when the retention period ends: two years for the Immigration Act register.

So what applies to you?

A guest house, or several rooms let as a business: the Immigration Act very likely applies. Keep the register, and say so in your listing.
A unit in a complex or estate with guest-registration rules: the body corporate exception applies. Disclose it, and share only what the rule needs.
A single cottage, flat or room on your own property: a grey area. The regulation doesn't define "guest house" or mention short-term rentals, and your municipality may class you differently from the next town (section 05). Unless your municipality treats you as a guest house, or a lawyer or your accommodation association says otherwise, look at ID in person and keep no copy.

This is practical guidance, not legal advice. Confirm your own situation with a lawyer or an accommodation association before you collect ID copies.

05 · Your municipality

Same words, different meanings

South Africa has no single national definition of a B&B, a guest house or a short-term rental. Each municipality's zoning scheme and by-laws set their own, so the same setup can be classed differently from one town to the next.

Municipality	How it defines you	What it means for you
Cape Town	A B&B is a home the owner lives in, with up to 3 guest rooms and 6 paying guests, and no self-catering in the rooms. Bigger than that, or not owner-occupied, is a guest house.	A B&B can run from a home without an application. A guest house on single residential zoning needs the City's consent use approval first.
Mossel Bay	A B&B has up to 2 guest rooms and 4 guests, with the owner living on the property.	You must keep a guest register. More than 2 rooms can make you a guest house; more than 4 can bring business rates.
Johannesburg	Uses its own Land Use Scheme, 2018, and planning by-law.	Using a home for guest accommodation can need consent use, depending on your zoning. Check with the City before you scale up.
eThekwini (Durban)	The Accommodation Establishments By-law, 2022, covers any business of providing overnight lodging, with no minimum number of rooms.	You need a municipal certificate to operate, valid for four years, displayed on the premises.
Your town	Read your municipality's land use scheme and accommodation by-laws.	Call the planning department and ask how they'd class your setup, and whether you need consent use or a certificate.

Same setup, different answer

You live in your home and let three bedrooms with breakfast. In Cape Town, that fits within a B&B. In Mossel Bay, three rooms is more than the B&B limit, so you may be in guest-house territory, with different approvals and rates.

Why it matters for ID

The Immigration Act's register applies to guest houses but doesn't define them. Your municipality's classification doesn't settle the question on its own, but it's a strong signal: if your municipality treats you as a guest house, assume the register applies, and disclose it in your listing.

Coming changes to watch

Cape Town · draft by-law

Registration numbers

Every property listed on a booking platform would register with the City.
Your listing would show the City's registration number.
Platforms would remove unregistered listings.
Comments closed on 5 October 2026. It's not in force yet.

Cape Town · rates

Commercial rates

From 1 July 2027, a home available for short-term letting more than half its annual room nights (bedrooms × 365) can move to commercial rates.
It counts listed availability, not nights booked.
A property that isn't your primary residence and is let short-term counts as commercial.

National

Code of good practice

The Department of Tourism published a Code of Good Practice for Short-Term Rentals for comment in March 2026.
It's guidance for now, until the Tourism Act is amended.
Expect more national rules to follow.

The figures above come from published by-laws, City documents and press reports as at 27 October 2026. Municipal rules change, so confirm with your own municipality.

06 · Booking for someone else

Now allowed

"You can book a home for someone else, even if you're not joining the trip." Airbnb Help Centre

How it used to be

Hosts widely understood third-party bookings weren't allowed.
You could ask Airbnb to cancel them.

Now

The guest gives the booker permission first, for example a family member or an assistant.
You see both names: the booker and the guest who's staying.
The guest who stays approves changes and is responsible for damage.
Tie your ID check to the guest named on the reservation, not the person who paid.

07 · Visitors and safety

Stay in control without fines

Especially if you live on the property. No rule stops everything, but these five steps give you real control.

Switch off Instant BookUse Request to Book, so you see every booking before you accept.
Message before you accept"Lovely to hear from you. Will you be the one staying?" If it doesn't feel right, decline politely.
Set maximum overnight guestsIt's binding: if a guest goes over it, you can cancel without fees.
Say it plainly in your listing"We live on the property" sets the tone before anyone books. A daytime visitor limit is only a request, but it sets expectations.
Disclose any outdoor cameraIndoor cameras are banned. Outdoor cameras at a gate or entrance are allowed if you disclose them, never pointing into private spaces.

08 · Fines and fees

Fines are gone

Hosts can't impose fines or other penalties on bookings from 20 November, so no more R1,500 smoking fine or R250 late-checkout charge. Here's what to do instead.

Smoking

Tick No smoking as a standard rule. It covers vaping too.
If smoke needs extra cleaning, take photos straight away.
Claim the real cost through the Resolution Center (section 11).

Late checkout

You can't penalise a late checkout.
Offer a paid late checkout, agreed in advance, as an optional extra.
Send a friendly checkout reminder the day before.

Extra guests

No fines for extra people.
A disclosed extra-guest fee in your pricing, above a base number of guests, is still allowed.
Over the maximum, you can cancel without fees.

One exception: if a body corporate, estate or municipality could fine you for something a guest does, disclose it in your listing's local rules. If you're fined, you can ask the guest for reimbursement through the Resolution Center.

09 · Checkout chores

Guests aren't your cleaners

Hosts can't ask guests to do tasks that take significant effort or time, or that a cleaner would usually do.

Still fine to ask

Leave used dishes in the sink.
Gather used towels in one place.
Separate rubbish and recycling into the bins inside.
Close windows and lock up (a standard rule).

No longer allowed

Strip the beds.
Wash, dry and put away dishes.
Take rubbish off the property.
Clean the space before leaving.

Guests must still leave the place in reasonable condition, and can be held responsible for damage or unusually heavy cleaning. Build the cost of a normal clean into your cleaning fee.

10 · Contracts and more

Four more things that change

Contracts

Hosts can't ask guests to sign separate contracts. Industry summaries list the exceptions as legal or body corporate requirements, stays of 28 nights or more, Luxe listings and optional amenities.

Advertised features

You can't restrict access to anything advertised as part of the listing. If you list the pool, guests can use it, within rules set by your body corporate or local law.

Check-in apps

A third-party check-in app can't be the only way in. Guests need another option, and the app can't collect data you're not allowed to ask for.

Security deposits

Most hosts can't charge one. AirCover covers damage instead. Industry summaries say deposits are limited to some software-connected hosts, through Airbnb's own deposit field.

11 · Damage and cleaning claims

Evidence, fast

With fines gone, claims through the Resolution Center (AirCover) are how you recover real costs. Airbnb's terms tightened the rules on 20 April 2026.

Claim within 14 daysOr before your next guest checks in, whichever comes first.
Photograph before you cleanCheck-in and checkout photos of every room. Ask your cleaner to take them as part of the turnover.
Use real photosAI-edited photos aren't accepted as evidence.
Claim the actual costReceipts and quotes, not a set amount. Airbnb decides, and it can ask for more information or hold the payout while it does.

12 · Other 2026 changes

Also worth knowing

Changes from earlier this year that affect your bookings and payouts. Check each one in your own hosting dashboard.

Since 2025

Strict cancellation retired

Strict listings moved to Firm, which refunds in full up to 30 days before check-in. A 24-hour free-cancellation window applies to bookings made seven or more days ahead.

Feb 2026

Reserve Now, Pay Later

Guests on Flexible and Moderate listings can confirm a booking and pay later, with no opt-out. Expect some confirmed bookings that aren't yet paid.

Mar 2026

Address shared at confirmation

Guests get your full address, phone number and arrival guide as soon as they book, even during a free-cancellation window.

20 Apr 2026

New terms for claims

Damage claims within 14 days, AI-edited photos excluded, and payouts can be held while Airbnb asks for more information.

May 2026

AI listing tools

AI-written listing text, an automatically chosen cover photo and AI review summaries. Check what's showing on your listing.

Sep 2026

One host-only fee

A single service fee, typically 15.5%, now comes off the host's payout, replacing the 3% host fee plus a separate guest fee. If you haven't raised your nightly rates, you're earning less per booking.

20 Nov 2026

The new house rules

Everything on this page, for bookings made from 20 November.

The February to September changes come from host-industry summaries, mainly Haven and Hostaway. Airbnb rolls changes out by country, so check your own dashboard.

13 · Ready-to-paste rules

Fit it into 600 characters

Tick the standard rules first: they don't use any of your 600 characters. Then pick the Requests example closest to your setup, and change it to suit.

Maximum overnight guestsNo eventsNo smokingQuiet hoursLock-up at checkout

You live on the property

We live on the property, so please note:
- The guest named on the reservation must check in and show their ID in person on arrival. We don't keep a copy.
- Only the guests on the reservation may stay or visit. If anyone else needs to come, please ask before arrival.
- No smoking or vaping indoors. Outside only at the marked spot.
- Checkout is 10am. Late checkout only if arranged in advance.

A separate unit, self check-in

- Self check-in: you'll get the lockbox code on the morning of arrival.
- Only the guests on the reservation may stay or visit. Please ask before inviting anyone else.
- Please leave used dishes in the sink and put rubbish in the kitchen bin.
- Please close the windows and lock up when you go out.
- Checkout is 10am. Late checkout only if arranged in advance.

A unit in a complex or estate

This unit is in a sectional title complex. The body corporate rules require every guest to be registered at the gate with their ID. After you book, we'll ask only for the details the body corporate needs.
- Only registered guests may enter the complex.
- The pool is open 8am to 8pm, as set by the body corporate.
- Checkout is 10am. Late checkout only if arranged in advance.

Add-on: a registered guest house

South African law (Immigration Act, section 40) requires guest houses to keep a register of guests, including a copy of your ID or passport, for two years. We'll ask for these details at check-in and store them securely.