Airbnb has changed its rules on the tasks hosts can assign guests before the end of their stay. When a cleaning fee is included in a booking, guests cannot be asked to do work normally carried out by cleaning staff, such as washing and putting away dishes or removing the bed linen.
The new measures will apply to every booking made on the platform from November 20 onward. Hosts will be able to set seven standard rules for their properties, while other requests will be allowed only if they are reasonable.
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According to guidelines published on the company’s official website, hosts generally cannot assign guests tasks that require considerable time or effort and that would normally be handled by cleaners. In addition to washing dishes and removing bed linen, this also includes taking rubbish outside the property.
Airbnb told the BBC that the decision was made following concerns expressed by users. According to them, house rules were often unclear, burdensome and difficult to enforce.
“House rules give guests a clear idea of what hosts expect, but our community has told us that they can be confusing, burdensome and difficult to manage,” the company said.
Airbnb said the aim of the changes was to make the guidelines easier to understand and ensure that guests are not faced with unexpected obligations.
Property rules will be more visible on the platform and will also appear in reminder notifications sent to guests about their bookings.
However, the new policies also provide for exceptions. In areas where drought and water restrictions are a problem, hosts may ask guests to spend less time in the shower.
Additional requirements will be accepted only in special circumstances, including situations in which they are imposed by law or by the regulations of homeowners’ associations.
The company clarified that hosts will not be entitled to impose fines on guests. They may, however, continue to set rules and requirements for their properties as long as they comply with Airbnb’s policies.
When a request does not comply with the platform’s rules, it will be flagged. The host will be able to file an appeal if they disagree with this assessment.
For years, Airbnb users have expressed dissatisfaction with the tasks they are asked to complete before leaving, especially when they also have to pay a separate cleaning fee.
The issue returned to the spotlight after hosts Cassie and Jon posted several videos on TikTok. In the footage, the couple shows in detail how they inspect their rental apartment in the US state of Georgia after guests leave.
In one of the videos, they criticize guests for failing to follow the house rules because the television remote had been left outside its designated place.
The content sparked negative reactions because of the couple’s numerous demands and high standards. Cassie and Jon have defended themselves by saying that their videos were misinterpreted.
The footage also prompted other social media content creators to publish parodies mocking hosts who impose excessive demands.
Through the new rules, Airbnb is seeking to define more clearly which responsibilities belong to guests and which tasks should be carried out by the cleaning service, particularly when that service is paid for separately.
