Airbnb Customers can say goodbye to checkout tasks like washing dishes, removing beds and taking out the trash under a new policy announced this week.
The short-term rental platform’s new rules limit hosts to “reasonable” departure requests starting November 20. Guests can still be asked to leave dishes in the sink, gather used towels, and sort trash and recycling, but hosts generally cannot require tasks typically performed by professional cleaners.
“Remember to think like a guest and be mindful of what you might find unreasonable,” Airbnb tells hosts in a video announcing the new policy.
Cashier duties have been a recurring subject of contention since Airbnb guests, especially when they also pay cleaning costs. The company has already acknowledged that these fees can create different expectations between hosts and guests.
Airbnb said exceptions may apply in certain circumstances, such as requiring guests to put their trash in animal-proof containers in areas where bears are found.
Hosts must now also disclose all house rules and requests in a designated section of their listing before guests book, according to Airbnb. They can no longer add additional requirements via messages, signs inside the property or other sections of a listing.
As part of the changes, Airbnb said it was standardizing house rules into seven categories, covering topics such as overnight guests, quiet hours, pets, smoking and whether guests must lock out at checkout.
The changes build on those of Airbnb broader efforts to make booking a rental more predictable for travelers. In 2023, CEO Brian Chesky recognized that the variety of properties on Airbnb created uncertainty among customers.
“Many guests have described booking Airbnb. Once they arrive, it’s a moment of truth. Is the house exactly what they expected?” he told the Associated Press. “We don’t want this to be a moment of truth. We want you to know exactly what you’re going to get before you book.”
Gn bussni
