Airbnb bans hosts from making guests do cleaning chores
Short-term rental platform Airbnb will bar hosts from requiring guests to do tasks normally done by a cleaner for bookings made from November 20. Hosts are angry about the change, while guests have welcomed it.
Airbnb, the short-term home rental platform, has announced new rules banning hosts from requiring guests to complete tasks that would typically be done by a cleaner. Examples include stripping the bed, taking trash offsite, and washing and putting away dishes. The rules apply to all bookings made on or after November 20. Hosts were informed by email on Wednesday, and the announcement quickly prompted widespread anger online.
Host reaction
On Airbnb's official host forum and on Reddit, one host wrote that people must protect their investments and homes, but that the platform increasingly makes them accept risks while limiting their ability to protect themselves. Another compared Airbnb to an abusive partner and said they were leaving. One host said their rental kitchens would be stripped down to bare essentials. In a Facebook group, a host called for a platform-wide strike.
Guests, meanwhile, have welcomed the change. Travelers have complained for years about paying hefty cleaning fees and then still being required to complete a list of chores before checkout.
What is and is not allowed
Airbnb stressed that cleaning tasks cannot be moved into the "Requests" section of a listing either. Spokesperson Simon Letouze said hosts can still make reasonable requests, such as asking guests to put dirty dishes in the sink, take short showers where drought restrictions apply, or put trash in bear-proof containers.
From November 20, hosts are also banned from requiring guests to sign separate contracts. Exceptions are local legal requirements, longer stays, or optional amenities such as a golf cart rental. Airbnb says it does not help enforce such contracts. Violators may receive warnings and, in severe cases, have listings removed or be banned from the platform.
Protection for damage
Guests must already follow Airbnb's ground rules, including leaving a home in decent condition, and pay a reasonable amount for damage. Hosts are covered by the AirCover program, which reimburses up to $3 million for certain property damage, as well as extra cleaning costs such as smoke odor removal or pet accidents. Cleaning fees are meant only to cover standard turnover tasks like laundry and vacuuming, and hosts cannot charge fees for unperformed checkout tasks. They can still leave reviews based on cleanliness.
