You may not have to clean up after yourself on your next Airbnb stay.
Starting Nov. 20, the vacation rental company is limiting what hosts can ask of guests.
In recent years, guests have complained of being tasked with various chores upon checkout, despite paying a cleaning fee for their stay.
Recently, there was tumult on TikTok over an Airbnb host couple who went viral for their strict house rules and post-checkout inspections, drawing ridicule from users for criticizing guests over minor issues like misplaced pillows, moved furniture and leftover food.
“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. 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,” Airbnb said in a statement shared with USA TODAY.
Airbnb’s updated guidelines say in general, hosts will not be allowed to “ask guests to complete tasks that require significant effort or time, or would typically be performed by a cleaner, including stripping the bed, taking trash offsite, or washing and putting away dishes.”
Additionally, hosts may not restrict use of amenities advertised in their listing nor charge guests fines or penalties, as AirCover already protects hosts from guest damage to their property.
Guests should be able to see all house rules and requests on the listing at the time of booking, and no new rules or requests may be added afterwards.
The new guidelines are global. Airbnb says exceptions may occasionally be made for unique situations. For instance, hosts may request guests limit their shower time during droughts.
Reporting by Eve Chen, USA TODAY / USA TODAY. USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect.
Add a Comment