Imagine booking a relaxing vacation, only to spend your final morning stripping bedsheets, taking out the trash, and scrubbing toilets before handing over the keys. For millions of travelers, unreasonable checkout chore lists have long turned the end of a trip into an unwelcome chore-fest — until now. Airbnb is officially changing its rules to stop hosts from placing these checkout demands on travelers, potentially making the end of a stay less stressful. But what exactly can hosts still ask guests to do, and how could the new policy change your next booking? Read on to find out what Airbnb’s updated rules mean for guests and hosts.
Airbnb draws the line on checkout chores
For many travelers, the final morning of an Airbnb stay can mean more than packing bags and preparing to leave. Some guests have faced checkout lists that require them to strip beds, take out the bins, or complete other cleaning tasks before they leave.
Airbnb is now drawing a clearer line between reasonable requests and chores that go too far. Under its updated community policy, hosts cannot require guests to complete tasks that involve “significant effort or time, or would typically be performed by a cleaner”.
For example, a host can ask guests to place used dishes in the sink, but cannot require them to wash and put away the tableware before checkout. The distinction lets hosts set basic expectations while preventing them from shifting substantial cleaning responsibilities onto visitors.
New house rules aim to prevent confusion
Airbnb says the changes follow feedback from its community about house rules that can be difficult to find, confusing, or overly demanding.
“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,” the company told Euronews Travel.
“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.”
As part of the update, house rules will be displayed in more prominent places, including listing pages, the Trips tab, and reservation reminders. This should help guests understand what is expected of them before they arrive and as their departure approaches.
Hosts can still set reasonable expectations
The updated system includes seven standard house rules covering check-in and checkout times, the number of approved guests, smoking, pet approval, quiet hours, and commercial filming and photography.
Hosts can also add their own reasonable requests and update them whenever necessary. However, Airbnb will flag requests that do not comply with its new policy. Hosts must then remove those requirements or appeal the decision.
The changes do not eliminate house rules. Instead, they establish clearer limits on what hosts can reasonably expect guests to do during their stay.
Cleaning fees cannot be used to punish guests
The updated policy also clarifies expectations surrounding cleaning fees. These fees should cover a standard cleanup between guests, rather than extensive chores that hosts expect visitors to complete themselves.
Hosts are also prohibited from charging guests for failing to complete tasks listed in checkout instructions. This means a guest cannot be penalized simply for leaving a bed unstripped or failing to take out the trash when those chores are part of a checkout list.
For travelers, the changes could mean a more relaxed departure without the pressure of completing an extensive cleaning checklist. For hosts, the rules offer clearer guidance on setting expectations while ensuring that guests are not left responsible for work that would normally fall to a cleaner.
Source:
Euronews Travel