It's 10:40 p.m. A guest who checks in tomorrow sends you a message: "Hi! Is the EV charger free? Will it work with my Rivian? Is it OK to charge both nights?"
Nothing's wrong, exactly. But your listing just failed to answer three things every EV driver wants to know before they arrive, and now you're typing on your phone in bed. Multiply that by every EV guest, and add the occasional one who books the place down the road because its listing answered first.
You won't find an "EV charging policy" page on Airbnb that settles this for you. There's an amenity checkbox and a fee policy. Everything else is whatever you write. In practice, your listing is your EV charging policy, so it might as well be a good one. Below is what Airbnb actually requires, along with wording you can paste straight in.
What Airbnb actually says
Three things apply.
First, the amenity. "EV charger" is a listed amenity, and guests can filter for it. Airbnb says searches using that filter grew more than 80% from 2022 to 2023.
Second, money. Airbnb's Off-Platform and Fee Transparency policy says every mandatory fee has to appear in Airbnb's pricing fields before booking. Optional fees are handled differently: "Payment for optional fees (e.g. pool heating) may take place offline if the guest agrees." Charging is something guests choose to use, so it sits on the optional side, provided you've told them about it.
Third, your house rules. Guests agree to them when they book, which makes them the natural home for the practical stuff, like where to park and how payment works.
Airbnb revises its policies now and then, so check the current version for your region.
Getting into the EV charger filter
Turn on the "EV charger" amenity in your listing settings and fill in whatever details Airbnb asks for. Skip this and guests who filter for charging will never see you.
Only tick it if you have an actual Level 2 charger. A regular 120V outlet adds about 3 to 5 miles of range an hour. Someone who filtered for a charger and finds an extension cord running to the garage is going to say so in the review.
The filter tells guests a charger exists. It doesn't say whether it fits their car or how fast it charges. It says nothing about price either, so your description has to carry all of that. Add a photo with the charger and the parking spot in the same frame. And if lots of your guests drive electric, putting "EV charger" in the title is a cheap way to stand out in a crowded search.
Seven things your EV policy should answer
Answer these up front and the late-night message never comes.
| Question | What to say | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Is it free or paid? | "Free for guests", or the price and how payment works | Surprise fees cause more bad reviews than anything else here |
| What plug is it? | J1772 (most chargers) or NACS/Tesla, and whether there's an adapter on site | Most non-Teslas use J1772. Tesla drivers usually carry an adapter but like to be sure |
| How fast is it? | "Level 2, about 20 to 35 miles of range per hour" | Tells guests whether they'll leave with a full battery |
| Where do I park? | Which spot, and that the cable reaches it | Keeps cars out of the garage door and the neighbor's driveway |
| When can I use it? | Any time, overnight only, or shared between units | Matters a lot in duplexes and multi-unit places |
| Any etiquette? | Hang the cable back up, no extension cords, move the car when done if needed | Protects your gear and the next guest |
| What if it doesn't work? | Who to message, plus a one-line fix to try | Saves you the 10:40 p.m. text |
Copy-and-paste templates
Pick the one that matches how you handle charging. If you haven't decided, this comparison of the five ways hosts charge for EV charging will help.
Template A: free charging
Listing description:
⚡ Free EV charging. Level 2 charger (J1772 plug, about 20 to 35 miles of range per hour) right by the driveway spot. Free for guests during your stay. Tesla drivers, please bring your J1772 adapter.
House rule:
EV charging is free for registered guests. Please use the marked spot, hang the cable back on its hook when you're done, and never use an extension cord.
Template B: guests pay at the charger
Listing description:
⚡ EV charging on site (pay-per-use). Level 2 charger (J1772 plug, about 20 to 35 miles of range per hour) at the driveway spot. Scan the QR code on the charger and pay $0.45/kWh with your phone. You don't need an app or an account, and charging is optional. Tesla drivers, please bring your J1772 adapter.
House rule:
EV charging is optional and paid at the charger by QR code. Use only the marked spot, hang the cable back when you're done, and please don't plug vehicles into household outlets.
Check your state's rules before you use Template B. California and New York treat per-kWh billing as a commercial sale that needs a certified meter (NTEP or CTEP), even at a private home. Colorado and Maryland have similar rules. If you're in one of those states, go with Template A.
Template C: a flat fee through Airbnb
Listing description:
⚡ EV charging available. Level 2 charger (J1772 plug) at the driveway spot. Optional charging fee of $15 per stay, requested through Airbnb's Resolution Center if you use it.
House rule:
If you use the EV charger, I'll send a $15 charging request through Airbnb after checkout. Please let me know if you charged.
It works. It also means a request after every stay and a nudge when guests forget. Someone who added ten miles pays the same $15 as someone who filled a big battery. Template B gets rid of that admin, where your state allows it.
Check-in message or guidebook entry
EV charging 🔌 The charger is on the left wall of the garage. Park in the left bay facing in and the cable reaches either side of the car. To charge: [free] just plug in. [paid] scan the QR code on the charger, pay, then plug in. If it doesn't start, unplug and wait ten seconds before trying again. Also check your car's charging schedule, since some cars wait for off-peak hours by default. Still stuck? Message me here. When you're done, hang the cable on its hook so nobody drives over it.
Photos worth taking
One wide shot with the charger and the parking spot together, so it's obvious where to park. One close-up of the charger, where guests can read the plug type and see the QR code. If the charger is in a garage or shared, add a shot of the route from the parking spot to the charger. Our host listing kit has more photo and wording ideas.
Mistakes that show up in reviews
Calling a household outlet an "EV charger" is the big one. A 120V outlet adds maybe 30 to 40 miles overnight, and guests who filtered for charging feel misled.
Leaving the price unstated comes next. "EV charger available," with the fee mentioned only after checkout, is a surprise charge. It also runs against Airbnb's disclosure rules.
Some hosts tuck charging into the cleaning fee. That bills every guest for something a few of them use, and fees are supposed to be labeled for what they are. If you'd like everyone to share the cost, raise the nightly rate instead.
Leaving out the plug type costs you a message, or worse, a guest with an NACS-only car and no adapter. One line fixes it.
And don't ask for money after the stay unless the fee was disclosed and agreed beforehand. A surprise Venmo request is the fastest way to turn a five-star stay into a three.
FAQ
Does Airbnb have an official EV charging policy?
Not as a single page. What applies is the EV charger amenity (which gets you into the filter) and Airbnb's Off-Platform and Fee Transparency policy: mandatory fees go in Airbnb's pricing fields, and optional fees "may take place offline if the guest agrees". Your description and house rules fill in the rest.
Can I make guests pay for EV charging on Airbnb?
Yes. Keep it optional and put the cost in your listing before they book. A few states add their own rules for billing by the kWh. See how hosts charge for EV charging for the options and how each one fits Airbnb's rules.
How do I get my listing into Airbnb's EV charger filter?
Turn on the "EV charger" amenity in your listing settings. Then spell out the plug type and speed in your description, plus the price if there is one, because the filter doesn't show any of that.
Should I let guests charge from a regular outlet?
It's better not to advertise that as an EV charger. A standard 120V outlet is very slow, and running a car off one for hours (especially through an extension cord) is something many electricians would talk you out of. A Level 2 charger on its own 240V circuit is the proper setup.
What should I charge per kWh?
Enough to cover your electricity with a fair margin, priced sensibly against public charging nearby. There's a full walkthrough in How much should you charge for EV charging at your property?
Want Template B without the paperwork? With Boba, guests scan the QR code on the charger and pay with their phone at your price. You keep 90%.