Airbnb hosts can longer require cleaning chores from guests
Is limiting the chores hosts can require from guests, including stripping beds and washing dishes. The policy applies to bookings made on or after November 20…
As travelers have pushed back against checkout chores and cleaning fees, Airbnb is narrowing what hosts can demand. Airbnb hosts can longer require guests to do tasks normally handled by a cleaner, including stripping beds and washing dishes, under rules that apply to bookings made on or after November 20.
The change affects guests using the accommodation marketplace and the property owners who set house rules. Hosts can still make reasonable requests, but Airbnb says they cannot shift substantial cleaning work onto guests who already pay a cleaning fee.
Airbnb said its updated guidelines let hosts set seven standard house rules and add other reasonable requests. The company told the BBC that it changed the system after hearing that existing rules could be confusing, burdensome and difficult to manage.
“So, we've redesigned them to make them easier to discover and clearer to set, alongside a new policy that keeps requests reasonable, with no surprises,” Airbnb said.
Which checkout chores are restricted?
Airbnb’s website says hosts generally may not ask guests to do tasks that require significant effort or time, or would typically be performed by a cleaner. The examples include stripping beds, taking trash offsite, and washing and putting away dishes.
Some requests remain permissible. A host may ask guests to limit shower time where local drought-related water restrictions apply. WIRED also reported that Airbnb spokesperson Simon Letouze said hosts can ask guests to put dirty dishes in the sink. In areas where bears are a concern, hosts may tell guests to place trash in bear-proof containers.
There are limits to what hosts can do if a guest does not follow a rule. Airbnb says hosts cannot impose fines. The company may flag requests that breach its policies, while property owners can appeal if they disagree with the decision.
Guests will see a property's rules more prominently, including in reservation reminders. That could make checkout expectations clearer before a stay, while reducing the chance that a guest faces unexpected cleaning tasks at departure.
Separate contracts face new limits
Airbnb is also restricting separate contracts between hosts and guests. Its guidance says contracts will be permitted only in limited circumstances, such as when required by law or homeowners association rules. WIRED reported that exceptions also cover some longer stays and access to optional amenities, such as a golf cart rental.
Hosts must disclose qualifying contract requirements in a dedicated section of their listing, according to WIRED. The publication said Airbnb does not help enforce the terms of those contracts. It also reported that violations could bring warnings and, in severe cases, removal of a listing or a host’s ban from the platform.
Hosts have reacted angrily in online forums. One person writing on Airbnb’s official host forum said the company was limiting owners’ ability to protect their properties. Other hosts discussed raising prices, reducing kitchen supplies or organizing a platform-wide strike, WIRED reported.
Travelers have raised a different concern: paying cleaning fees and still being asked to complete a list of chores before leaving. The updated rules address that tension by drawing a line between reasonable house requests and work Airbnb says should be done by a cleaner.
The policy applies to all reservations booked on or after November 20.
Source: bbc.co.uk
