Airbnb sets down rules to stop hosts from forcing guests to clean homes

Airbnb, a company that facilitates travel accommodation agreements between private property owners and visitors, introduced a new rule that restrains hosts from making their guests perform too many household chores before they leave.

Airbnb hosts, as they are called, are allowed to set certain rules and requirements for the upkeep of their homes and apartments. For example, they could require guests to strip the bedsheets after their visit, take their trash to designated areas, do laundry, sweep floors, or run a dishwashing cycle.

Airbnb guests and hosts rate and review each other based on their experience, which can affect their standing when hosting future guests or visiting other Airbnb properties.

However, Airbnb guests have for years complained that, on top of being forced to carry out onerous household chores while on vacation, many Airbnb property hosts charge extravagant cleaning fees.

Airbnb has recently settled the debate, by stating in plain language that hosts must be “reasonable” and not use their guests as cleaners.

“For example, hosts are generally not 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,” stated one of the rules in Airbnb’s help centre webpage.

The update has sparked a social media frenzy. Many guests reacted with relief, recounting anecdotes of being forced to do laundry and wash dishes while on holiday—on top of paying a cleaning fee.

Meanwhile, many Airbnb hosts lashed out against the updated rule, pointing out that Airbnb guests could stay at hotels or agree to higher fees if they did not want to do a few light cleaning tasks after their stay. For their part, a number of guests argued that Airbnb prices were almost on par with hotel booking fees—and also required the guest to work while on holiday.

Several hosts found the new rule confusing and felt that more flexibility was required.

“My main issue is it’s letting me ask people to load the dishwasher but I can’t ask them to start it. It’s a weird line to draw when the extra effort is 10 seconds (pop a pod in, press start),” stated one user on a Reddit forum for Airbnb hosts.

Other users pointed out that requiring guests to tidy up as a checkout requirement should not replace professional cleaning or home maintenance services between guests.

“Unless there is a dishwasher, guest should not be doing the dishes. Do you want to eat off dishes that a stranger washed in a hurry?” observed another Reddit user.

On its website, Airbnb also warned hosts not to restrict access to any feature advertised as part of the listing, and also said they could not impose fines or other penalties on guests.