Airbnb limits chores for guests, sparking backlash from hosts
Airbnb is updating its policy to restrict the types of chores hosts can require from guests at checkout. The move aims to address customer complaints about cleaning fees, though some hosts fear it undermines the platform's unique model.
Why it matters
The policy shift reflects the tension between maintaining a 'home-sharing' identity and the operational realities of a commercial hospitality business.
Airbnb is taking steps to limit the chores that hosts can require of guests prior to checkout, addressing a long-standing grievance among customers who often pay cleaning fees and are told they must do a list of tasks themselves.
In a new policy update , Airbnb prohibits hosts from mandating that guests strip beds, wash and put away dishes, start laundry, or remove trash from the property. This new guideline will apply to reservations made on or after November 20.
This change comes in response to years of backlash regarding overly burdensome checkout instructions and hefty fines for not disposing of trash. Many guests have voiced their frustrations on social media, questioning why they should be responsible for cleaning tasks after already paying a cleaning fee.
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