Airbnb bans hosts from requiring major checkout chores

Airbnb will no longer allow hosts to require guests to complete substantial checkout chores such as stripping beds, washing dishes or taking rubbish off-site under rules applying to reservations made on or after November 20. The company said guests should not be asked to carry out tasks that require significant time or effort or would normally be performed by a cleaner. The changes respond to complaints from travellers who paid cleaning fees but were also given lengthy departure lists, according to ABC News Australia and the BBC.

Airbnb said its existing house-rule system could be confusing, onerous and difficult to manage. It said the revised policy would make requirements clearer and keep requests reasonable, while displaying property rules more prominently in reservation reminders. Hosts will still be able to ask for simpler actions, including putting used dishes in the sink and gathering towels.

The BBC reported that guests may also be asked to comply with limited requests in particular circumstances, such as restricting shower time where local drought rules apply. The policy does not abolish cleaning fees. Hosts will continue to set those charges and retain control over check-in and check-out times, smoking restrictions, pet rules, quiet hours and limits on the number of guests.

Airbnb said visitors would remain responsible for leaving properties in a reasonable condition and could be held accountable for damage or excessive cleaning caused during their stay. The BBC said hosts would not be able to impose fines for violating these rules. If a host request conflicts with Airbnb’s policy, the issue can be flagged, and the owner can appeal.

Contracts will be permitted only in limited circumstances, including where required by law or by a homeowners’ association. The changes have prompted criticism from hosts. ABC News Australia reported that hundreds had objected on Airbnb’s online community forum, with some warning that the policy could raise cleaning and liability costs, increase prices for guests or encourage smaller operators to leave the platform.

One host from South Carolina said the policy failed to recognise that some hosts opened their own homes to visitors. A UK host said she might restrict kitchen use because she considered washing one’s own dishes common decency. Other hosts described the decision as disconnected from the people who clean holiday rentals.

The debate has also been amplified by social-media videos showing hosts closely inspecting properties after guests depart. The BBC reported that videos from US hosts who highlighted strict rules and detailed checks had been criticised and parodied, although the couple behind them said their content had been misunderstood. Airbnb’s rules therefore draw a distinction between leaving a property reasonably and completing professional cleaning work.

Guests will receive greater protection from lengthy chore lists, but hosts will continue to control many practical conditions of a stay and can still recover costs linked to damage or excessive cleaning.