Business1 min read

No more washing up: How Airbnb's new house rules have divided hosts and guests

By · Published by Everything Blog

In short

The updated guidelines, which apply worldwide to bookings finalized from 20 November, restrict operators to seven standard house rules alongside reasonable requests. This policy change directly targets complaints from travelers who faced arduous cleaning duties despite paying an average cleaning fee of £55, which is present on 63.2% of listings according to AirROI data. Meanwhile, hosts operating on tight schedules warn that the extra workload may require hiring more staff, ultimately driving up rates for future visitors.

Key points

  • Guests obtain relief from demanding departure chores that frequently accompanied separate…: Guests obtain relief from demanding departure chores that frequently accompanied separate, mandatory property cleaning charges.
  • Property owners warn that tight turnover windows may force them to hire additional staff…: Property owners warn that tight turnover windows may force them to hire additional staff and pass those expenses to guests.
  • Some frustrated operators are reducing the volume of accommodations they list on the site…: Some frustrated operators are reducing the volume of accommodations they list on the site due to the revised checkout guidelines.

Sources checked by our analysis pipeline: 1

- Published

When Lisa Clewes returned to her Welsh holiday let after a group of guests checked out, she was horrified by the mess.

Just days earlier, she had met the group in person and helped with their luggage.

But after a dinner party, the house was left "in a complete mess" with broken glasses, drinks cans on the floor, pans full of food on the table and fish guts left in the garden.

"It was really unbelievable. Had I had another booking the same day, I would have had to cancel or delay check-in," says Clewes.

She charges a cleaning fee that covers around 75% of the cost of a cleaner and asks guests to empty the fridge, put rubbish in the bins and load the dishwasher.

But Airbnb's new rules mean hosts can no longer ask guests to do jobs normally carried out by cleaners, including washing and putting away dishes, stripping beds and taking rubbish off site.

The updated guidelines, which apply to bookings made globally from 20 November, state that hosts can now set seven standard…

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