Airbnb revises house-rule policy to bar guests from cleaning tasks
Airbnb will limit host requests to seven standard house rules and prohibit guests from performing duties normally handled by cleaners, effective for bookings made on or after 20 November.
Airbnb announced a revision of its house-rule policy that restricts the tasks hosts may ask guests to perform. Under the new guidelines, hosts can set up to seven standard house rules and may add other requests that are deemed "reasonable," but they cannot require guests to carry out duties that would typically be done by a professional cleaner, such as stripping beds, taking trash offsite, or washing and putting away dishes. Guests will continue to pay a cleaning fee, and the company says the changes aim to eliminate “surprises” and make rules easier to understand.
"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," Airbnb told the BBC.
The policy, which takes effect for all reservations booked on or after 20 November, also requires that house rules be displayed more prominently in reservation reminders. While hosts retain control over their rules, they may not impose fines, and any request that breaches Airbnb’s standards can be flagged for review, with hosts allowed to appeal decisions.
Airbnb noted that limited exceptions are possible, such as asking guests to limit shower time in areas subject to drought-related water restrictions. The company also clarified that contracts with guests will only be permitted when required by law or homeowners-association regulations.