Airbnb has banned hosts from requiring guests to strip beds or wash dishes as part of an overhaul to its house rules. The new rules, effective from 20 November for all bookings on the platform, limit the tasks hosts can ask guests to perform during their stay.
The updated guidelines allow hosts to set up to seven standard house rules and add other requests deemed “reasonable.” Airbnb explicitly states that guests, who pay a cleaning fee, should not be asked to carry out chores typically done by a professional cleaner. This includes stripping beds, washing and putting away dishes, and taking out trash offsite.
“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 told the BBC. “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 company said it may allow exceptions in certain cases. For example, guests might be asked to limit shower time if local water restrictions apply due to drought conditions. Otherwise, significant effort or time-consuming tasks are off-limits.
Hosts will retain control over their house rules and requests but cannot impose fines. If a host’s rule violates Airbnb’s policies, the platform will flag the issue. Hosts can appeal if they disagree with the decision.
Airbnb will display property rules more prominently to guests, including in reservation reminders. Contracts between hosts and guests will be restricted to situations required by law or homeowners association rules.
The move follows long-standing complaints from guests about unreasonable demands made by hosts, especially given the cleaning fees they pay. TikTok videos by US hosts Cassie and Jon, who detail strict inspections of their rental in Georgia after guests leave, have recently gone viral. One clip criticises guests for “disrespecting the house rules” by leaving a television remote out of place.
Their high standards and strict rules have drawn criticism, though they said the videos had been misinterpreted. Other creators have parodied such stringent hosts in response.
Airbnb’s new policy aims to clarify expectations and reduce tensions between hosts and guests by setting clearer boundaries on what is reasonable to ask. The changes come as the platform seeks to simplify the user experience and respond to feedback from its community.
According to Joy Online.
