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Airbnb Restricts Hosts' Checkout Chores for Guests
Confirmed
In Short: Airbnb stated that it may grant exceptions in some circumstances, such as asking guests to dispose of rubbish in an animal-proof container in bear country or to limit shower time due to local drought-related water restrictions.
Airbnb announced new rules that prohibit hosts from requiring guests to strip beds, wash dishes, or take out the trash, effective for reservations booked on or after November 20.
Under the new policy, hosts generally will no longer be allowed to require guests to complete tasks that typically involve significant effort or time, such as stripping beds, washing dishes, or taking trash offsite.
Airbnb stated that house rules should help guests understand what hosts expect, but they can be confusing, onerous, and hard to manage.
The company redesigned its house rules to make them easier to discover and set, alongside a new policy that keeps requests reasonable, with no surprises.
Airbnb also prohibits hosts from imposing their own fines on guests and limits the use of separate contracts to certain circumstances, such as when required by law or homeowners association rules.
The new rules will be displayed more prominently on Airbnb listings, in guests' Trips tabs, and in reservation reminders.
Airbnb noted that guests are required to pay a cleaning fee, but they should not be asked to complete tasks normally done by a cleaner.
Hosts can still ask guests to place used dishes in the sink, but they are no longer allowed to require guests to wash and put away dishes.
If a request does not follow the policy, Airbnb will flag the issue and allow hosts to appeal.
Airbnb said that hosts can continue to update their house rules at any time and can choose from seven standard house rules and add their own reasonable requests.
Airbnb stated that it may grant exceptions in some circumstances, such as asking guests to dispose of rubbish in an animal-proof container in bear country or to limit shower time due to local drought-related water restrictions.
Airbnb reported that 80 percent of its hosts now accept longer-term stays, and about half of its active listings provide discounts for stays of one month or longer.
What this adds
The new policy aims to address long-standing grievances among guests who often pay cleaning fees and are told they must complete a list of tasks themselves.
The policy change reflects Airbnb's ongoing efforts to improve the guest experience and streamline house rules for both hosts and guests.
Airbnb's new policy will apply to all bookings made on or after November 20, 2026, according to some reports, though the official date is November 20, 2023.
What's confirmed
- Under the new policy, which applies to reservations booked on or after Nov. 20, hosts generally will no longer be allowed to require guests to strip beds, wash and put away dishes or take trash offsite, the company announced on its website.
- "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." The new policy also prohibits hosts from imposing their own fines on guests and limits the use of separate contracts to certain circumstances, including when required by law or homeowners association rules.
- The rules will also be displayed more prominently on Airbnb listings, in guests' Trips tabs and in reservation reminders.
- "House rules help guests understand what hosts expect, but we've heard from our community that they can be confusing, onerous and hard to manage," Airbnb said in a statement.
- According to the new requirements on the Airbnb website, hosts are generally not allowed to ask guests to complete tasks that "require significant effort or time, or would typically be performed by a cleaner, including stripping the bed, taking trash offsite, or washing and putting away dishes".
- Airbnb is limiting what hosts can ask of guests at checkout.
- Airbnb has told hosts worldwide to stop asking guests to do the dishes, strip the beds, or haul the trash to the curb.
- Hosts are now only allowed to ask guests to place used dishes in the sink.
- "For example, it may be reasonable to ask guests to dispose of rubbish in an animal-proof container in bear country or ask guests to limit shower time due to local drought-related water restrictions."
- Airbnb said hosts can now choose from seven standard house rules and add their own reasonable requests.
- Hosts can still ask guests to complete simpler tasks, such as placing used dishes in the sink.
- Airbnb is cracking down on hosts making unreasonable requests of guests.
What's still developing
- All Homes and Experiences referenced on the Airbnb Newsroom are intended purely to inspire and illustrate.
- “Guests shouldn’t be asked to avoid using a listed amenity like air conditioning,” Airbnb states.
- "When adding a request, remember that most guests want to avoid unexpected chores," Airbnb wrote in its announcement, warning hosts that assigning cleaning work could hurt their reviews.
- “Until and unless I see substantive changes, I'm finally out.” A different self-described host declared that going forward, the kitchens in their rentals will be “stripped down to only bare essentials.” Many guests, meanwhile, are celebrating.
- It is a reasonableness test, and Airbnb’s own description of the bar is that any request “must be reasonable.” The week's biggest stories in tech, gaming and security, in one email.
- Get travel recommendations from people you know, plan your trip with AI, and book new services from meal delivery to baby gear Get travel recommendations from people you know, plan your trip with AI, and book new services from meal delivery to baby gear Earlier this year, we introduced even more ways to travel on Airbnb.
- Starting now through later this year, we're expanding Airbnb Services into new categories that help you pack lighter, spend less time on errands, and make the most of your trip once you arrive.
- They have been criticised for their strict rules and high standards but said in response that their content had been misinterpreted Their videos have inspired other content creators to parody stringent hosts.
- These house rules cover whether guests must lock up at check-out, the maximum number of guests, quiet hours when noise should be kept to a minimum, and whether pets, events, photography, or smoking are allowed.
- Guests have sometimes been expected to remove bedsheets, wash dishes, start laundry or carry rubbish away, even after paying a cleaning fee.
- Airbnb hosts can only set “reasonable” housecleaning duties for guests, according to new guidelines rolled out by the tech giant, with tasks such as dishwashing and bed stripping now the sole responsibility of homeowners.
- “So this is pretty major for consumers,” said Henderson, managing editor and spokesperson for the travel industry website The Points Guy.