Airbnb bars hosts from requiring cleaning chores for stays booked from 20 November

Airbnb has updated its house rules policy to limit what hosts may ask of guests. The policy applies to reservations booked on or after 20 November. BBC News and The Verge both reported the change.

Under the policy, hosts may not ask guests to "complete tasks that require significant effort or time, or would typically be performed by a cleaner," according to The Verge. Examples include washing and putting away dishes, stripping the bed and taking trash off-site. BBC News describes this as a general rule, with exceptions.

Hosts may still make "reasonable" requests. Airbnb may allow exceptions in some circumstances. BBC News cites limiting shower time under local drought-related water restrictions. The Verge cites asking guests to "dispose of trash in an animal-proof container in bear country." Hosts' rules and requests will also be shown to guests more prominently.

Further reported details

According to BBC News, hosts can set seven standard house rules and add other "reasonable" requests. A property's rules will appear in guests' reservation reminders. Hosts will not be able to impose fines. Contracts will be allowed only in limited cases, such as when required by law or homeowners association rules. Requests that break Airbnb policies will be flagged, and hosts can appeal.

According to The Verge, hosts may still ask guests to put used dishes in the sink, gather used towels, sort trash and recycling into indoor bins, and switch off amenities such as air conditioning when leaving. Hosts may not ask guests to start laundry or to avoid using a listed amenity. Listings will get a new "rules and requests" section. Listings that keep chore requests may show an "includes cleaning requests" warning. Hosts may not add extra rules through messages or signs, The Verge reported.

BBC News reported that guests have complained for years about pre-departure tasks, particularly because they pay cleaning fees.

What each side says

In a statement to the BBC, Airbnb said: "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." It added: "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." According to BBC News, Airbnb says hosts remain in control of their rules and requests, although they cannot impose fines.

According to The Verge, some hosts on Airbnb's forums say the restrictions pose health risks and that guests can choose not to stay at listings with strict rules.

BBC News also reported on Cassie and Jon, hosts in Georgia, US, whose TikTok videos went viral. Responding to criticism of their strict rules, they said their content had been misinterpreted.

What the reports do not say

The reports do not list the seven standard rules or explain how Airbnb judges whether a request is reasonable. They do not say whether cleaning fees will change, or what penalties apply to hosts who do not comply.

Analysis

The policy shifts some decisions about guest duties from individual hosts to Airbnb itself. Its effect may depend on how Airbnb defines 'reasonable' and how it handles exceptions and appeals, which the reports do not describe. Guests who have objected to paying cleaning fees while doing chores may see the change as a response to that concern. Some hosts may view it as reducing their control over their properties. Whether the warning labels and flagging system change host behaviour, or prompt changes to cleaning fees, remains unclear from the reports reviewed by Vocemundi.

Produced by the Vocemundi newsroom with AI assistance.