Airbnb bars hosts from requiring guests to do dishes, laundry or take out trash
In short
Airbnb has updated its house rules policy to stop hosts asking guests to complete tasks that require significant effort or time or would typically be done by a cleaner. The policy applies to reservations booked on or after Nov. 20. Some hosts have objected on Airbnb's forums and elsewhere online.
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Airbnb is limiting the chores hosts can ask guests to do. Its updated house rules policy applies to reservations booked on or after Nov. 20 and says hosts cannot ask guests to "complete tasks that require significant effort or time, or would typically be performed by a cleaner," The Verge reported. ABC News, citing the company's announcement on its website, said hosts generally will no longer be allowed to require guests to strip beds, wash and put away dishes or take trash offsite. [ 1 , 2 ]
Hosts can still make simpler requests. According to The Verge, they can ask guests to put used dishes in the sink, gather used towels, separate trash and recycling into designated indoor bins, or turn off air conditioning when they leave. Airbnb spokesperson Simon Letouze told Wired that hosts can still make "reasonable" requests. Airbnb also cites exceptions, such as asking guests to dispose of trash in an animal-proof container in bear country, and asking guests to take short showers in areas with drought-related water restrictions, according to The Verge and Wired. [ 1 , 3 , 4 ]
The policy is part of a broader redesign. Hosts can choose from seven standard house rules and add their own reasonable requests, ABC News and Engadget reported. The Verge said requests appear in a new "rules and requests" section on listings, and that a listing may show an "includes cleaning requests" warning if a host leaves chore requests in place. ABC News said the policy also prohibits hosts from imposing their own fines on guests and limits separate contracts to certain circumstances, including when required by law or homeowners association rules. If a request does not follow the policy, Airbnb said it will flag the issue and allow hosts to appeal. [ 1 , 2 , 4 ]
Airbnb said in a statement that house rules "can be confusing, onerous and hard to manage" according to its community, and that it has redesigned them alongside "a new policy that keeps requests reasonable, with no surprises." Engadget reported that rules and requests may only be communicated in the dedicated part of a listing and not after booking "by message, signs in the home, or in person." [ 2 , 4 ]
Wired reported that the change quickly sparked outrage among hosts after it was announced in an email to them, with posts on Airbnb's forum and on Reddit criticising it. One host wrote that Airbnb expects hosts to accept risks while limiting their ability to protect themselves. Wired also said many guests are celebrating, having complained about paying cleaning fees and then having to complete chore lists. TechCrunch reported that some hosts argue basic cleaning is essential to sanitary conditions and protecting their properties, and one host said the change could lead them to withdraw their listing after twelve years. The Verge said some hosts argue the limits pose health risks and that guests can choose not to stay at listings with strict rules. [ 1 , 3 , 5 ]
Why it matters
The change affects what hosts may ask of guests in any reservation booked from Nov. 20. Hosts have criticised it, with one telling TechCrunch it could lead them to withdraw their listing, while Wired reports many guests are celebrating.
Key facts
- Airbnb's updated house rules policy applies to reservations booked on or after Nov. 20. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]
- Hosts can no longer ask guests to complete tasks that require significant effort or time, or would typically be performed by a cleaner. [ 1 , 4 ]
- Hosts generally may not require guests to strip beds, wash and put away dishes, start laundry or take trash off-site, but may ask them to put used dishes in the sink. [ 1 , 2 , 5 ]
- Hosts can choose from seven standard house rules and add their own reasonable requests. [ 2 , 4 ]
- The policy also prohibits hosts from imposing their own fines on guests. [ 2 ]
- Airbnb says exceptions are possible, such as asking guests to dispose of trash in an animal-proof container in bear country. [ 1 , 4 ]
- Some hosts have criticised the change on Airbnb's forums. [ 1 , 3 , 5 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- The new policy applies to reservations booked on or after Nov. 20. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]
- Hosts may not ask guests to do tasks such as washing and putting away dishes, stripping beds or taking trash off-site, but may ask them to put used dishes in the sink. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 5 ]
- Hosts can pick from seven standard house rules and add their own reasonable requests. [ 2 , 4 ]
- Airbnb allows exceptions, including asking guests to put trash in an animal-proof container in bear country. [ 1 , 4 ]
- Some hosts have pushed back on the change in online forums. [ 1 , 3 , 5 ]
- Hosts cannot add rules through messages to guests or signs in the property. [ 1 , 4 ]
Still unclear
- How many hosts will leave the platform or withdraw listings. Only individual hosts quoted by Wired and TechCrunch said they might leave or withdraw; no document gives figures.
- Whether the restrictions pose health risks. The Verge reports hosts making this claim on Airbnb's forums; Airbnb's response on this point is not given in the documents.
- Which exceptions to the chore limits Airbnb will grant beyond the examples given. Documents cite examples such as bear-proof trash containers and short showers under drought water restrictions, but not a full list.