Airbnb Services and Experiences standards and requirements

Airbnb Service and Experience hosts, including experience co-hosts who host reservations, are expected to satisfy applicable standards and requirements before their listing is published, and must continue to uphold them after their listing goes live. Airbnb will determine in its sole discretion whether a service or experience meets the standards and requirements, and meeting these requirements is not a guarantee that you will be approved and published.

All hosts and co-hosts must also comply with Airbnb’s Terms of Service, the Additional Terms for Service and Experience Hosts, and Community Policies.

Some types of activities are not permitted on Airbnb and others are subject to restrictions. Learn more about prohibited and restricted activities.

What is needed before a service or experience listing is published

Services and experiences on Airbnb are vetted and to help ensure they meet our standards. In order to host a service or experience on Airbnb, you and your listing must meet the following criteria and requirements.

Host criteria for services and experiences

• Identity verification and background check: Hosts must complete our identity verification process and, where applicable, may be required to complete criminal background checks or other vetting.
• License or certification: Hosts must maintain valid licenses, insurance, and certifications as appropriate for the activity. Hosts may be required to provide proof of maintaining these credentials and insurance.

Services: Basic standards

• Experience: A minimum of 2 years of experience in the relevant category or 5 years for chefs without a culinary degree.
• Reputation: Hosts must maintain a high-quality professional reputation, as reflected in things like outstanding guest feedback, with additional consideration given to awards and features in publications, or other forms of recognition.
• Portfolio: A portfolio of photos that highlights the host’s professional experience is needed for photography, chefs, catering, prepared meals, personal trainers, hair styling, makeup, and nails.

Services: Listing standards

• Photos: You need to submit at least 5 high-quality color photos, including one photo for each offering, that give clear, realistic ideas of the service you provide. For photographers, we need at least 15 photos from your portfolio. For massage and spa listings, you must use photos Airbnb selects.
• Title: Use your title to explain what the service is and who’s providing it.
• Expertise: Explain why you’re uniquely qualified to host your service. Be direct, succinct, and specific.
• Offerings: You need a minimum of 3 offerings (entry, standard, and premium), per listing. For example, an entry level price may be $50 USD or less for a more express or abbreviated service, a premium offering will be your highest price point, and your standard offering may be right in the middle. Each offering needs its own image, which should be easily understood at a small scale as a thumbnail photo. In the description of each offering, we recommend highlighting specific details like ingredients, techniques, equipment, or materials so that guests know what they’re buying.

Experiences: Basic standards

• Knowledge: Host has formal training or other relevant background (examples: education, training or apprenticeship, or family background or heritage).
• Activity: The activity is connected to what a city is known for and has ties to the local culture, cuisine, or people. The experience should encourage participation and connection with other guests and the host.
• Place: The location for the experience must be safe, clean and comfortable, and must include all of the features needed to properly complete the activity. It should be a type of space that is typically used for this activity, and the size of the space should be appropriate for the size of the group.

Experiences: Listing standards

• Photos: You must submit at least 5 high-quality color photos with your submission, and should add more when needed to set clear expectations.
• Title: It’s recommended to lead with the experience’s main focus in the title and start with an action like “explore,” “discover,” or “taste.”
• Description: Complement the title with language that emphasizes the appeal and helps guests understand what awaits. 
• Itinerary: Outline the experience’s different sequenced activities from start to finish, so guests know exactly what they’ll do and can decide whether it’s a good fit for them. Include at least one activity, and up to 5, per listing.

What is needed after a service or experience listing is published

In order to continue to host an experience or service on Airbnb, you and your listing must meet the following criteria and requirements on an ongoing basis:

• Hosts are expected to honor booked reservations and communicate with guests in a timely fashion prior to the reservation. If they don’t, the Host Cancellation Policy for services and experiences outlines the fees and other consequences that may apply, and guest refunds will be handled in accordance with the Refund Policy for services and experiences.
• Hosts must also maintain safe and high-quality services and experiences. Learn more about Airbnb’s Host Ground Rules and Hosting Safety policies for services and experiences.
• Airbnb reviews guest feedback, host cancellations, and reports to customer service about the safety and quality of services and experiences. Actions we may take include issuing warnings, suspending or removing listings, or removing host accounts.
• Experience hosts are responsible for ensuring that any co-hosts that host reservations meet these standards and requirements as well.
• Trust is the cornerstone of our community, and Airbnb verifies the identity of booking guests. It’s recommended that hosts not mix guests from Airbnb and other platforms on the same instance of an experience.
• If a host chooses to have an onsite assistant perform support functions during the activity, the host must provide advance notice to guests as detailed in Airbnb’s Host Ground Rules and Hosting Safety policies.

Keep in mind that if you make significant changes to your listing (examples: to location or offerings) after it’s published, it will be vetted again.