Airbnb is introducing new rules for hosts and guests. These new rules restrict the checkout tasks hosts can require guests to complete. The policy, which applies to bookings made on or after November 20, prohibits hosts from asking guests to do cleaning duties typically handled by professional cleaners. These include stripping beds, taking rubbish offsite and washing and putting away dishes.
The company has also said hosts cannot bypass the restrictions by moving such instructions to other sections of their listings or providing printed checkout lists. The announcement has triggered criticism from some hosts, who argue that the changes limit their ability to protect their properties, while some travellers have welcomed the move amid longstanding complaints about cleaning fees and checkout chores.
What Airbnb's new policy says
According to a WIRED report, Airbnb emailed hosts this week to inform them of the changes. The updated rules prohibit hosts from requiring guests to do tasks a cleaner would normally perform.
Airbnb says hosts can still make reasonable demands, such as asking visitors to put dirty dishes in the washbasin. Other authorised directives might require guests to dispose of their trash in bear-proof containers or to save water in places with drought-related limitations.
However, hosts cannot require guests to strip beds, wash and put away dishes or take rubbish offsite as a condition of checkout.
Airbnb has also restricted attempts to circumvent the rules by placing cleaning instructions in a listing's “Requests” section. In an example shared in a Facebook group for hosts, a user claimed the platform prevented them from saving checkout instructions that included washing dishes, moving dirty towels to a laundry room and taking rubbish to a dumpster.
The interface reportedly displayed a message stating, "Guests shouldn't be asked to do this task."
Airbnb hosts react to the new restrictions
Some property owners have criticised the announcement, saying the changes limit their ability to set expectations for guests and protect their homes.
“As hosts, we have a responsibility to protect our investments, our homes, and, in many cases, our personal living spaces. The problem is that Airbnb increasingly expects hosts to accept the risks while limiting our ability to protect ourselves,” one person wrote in Airbnb’s official host forum.
Another host, posting on Reddit, compared the platform’s approach to an abusive relationship, while some users talked about decluttering their rental kitchens or rethinking hosting altogether.
Some hosts have also suggested raising rental prices or temporarily withdrawing listings to protest the changes.
A third host took to a Facebook group to write, “Even if we all unlist our properties for just a day or two, we can send a powerful message. Airbnb built its empire on OUR properties. It’s time we reminded them who actually holds the power.”
Airbnb also restricts separate contracts
But the policy changes go beyond cleaning instructions. Starting November 20, Airbnb will also ban hosts from forcing guests to sign separate contracts, with certain exceptions.
These include situations involving local legal requirements, longer stays or access to optional amenities, such as golf cart rentals. Hosts must disclose applicable requirements in the designated section of their listings.
Airbnb has also clarified that it does not enforce these contracts. Hosts who breach the new rules could receive warnings, have their listings removed or, in severe cases, be banned from the platform.
The company already has ground rules requiring guests to treat properties responsibly, dispose of rubbish properly and avoid leaving dirty dishes that could become a health concern.
What the changes mean for cleaning fees
The new policy comes amid longstanding complaints from travellers about paying cleaning fees and still being asked to complete checkout chores.
Airbnb says cleaning fees cover standard turnover work, including laundry and vacuuming. Hosts cannot charge guests additional fees for failing to complete specific cleaning or checkout tasks, although they can still leave reviews based on cleanliness.
The platform’s guest program, AirCover, also covers some types of guest-caused property damage, with eligible claims covered up to $3 million. The program can also cover other cleaning costs, such as removing smoke odours or cleaning up pet accidents.
Some hosts say the restrictions could make it harder to keep their properties up to snuff, but travellers are embracing fewer chores, especially as cleaning fees are baked into the price of a reservation.
The changes will therefore affect how hosts communicate checkout expectations, with Airbnb drawing a clearer distinction between reasonable requests and cleaning work that guests cannot be required to perform.