Airbnb has told hosts they will no longer be allowed to require guests to perform tasks that "would typically be performed by a cleaner," such as "stripping the bed, taking trash offsite, or washing and putting away dishes." The rule covers all bookings made on or after November 20.
The change was announced in an email to hosts on Wednesday and quickly set off a wave of anger online. In Airbnb's official forum for hosts, one person wrote: "As hosts, we have a responsibility to protect our investments, our homes, and, in many cases, our personal living spaces." They argued that the company "increasingly expects hosts to accept the risks while limiting our ability to protect ourselves." On the Reddit community r/airbnb_hosts, one user compared Airbnb to "an abusive partner," and another said they were leaving the platform unless they saw "substantive changes." A separate host said their rental kitchens would be "stripped down to only bare essentials."
Many guests, by contrast, welcomed the move. Travelers have long complained about paying substantial cleaning fees and then being handed a list of chores to finish before checkout. One commenter in a hosts' subreddit described the guest experience as having become "total ass" and urged hosts to "knock it off."
Airbnb said hosts cannot sidestep the rule by listing chores in the "Requests" section of their listings. Spokesperson Simon Letouze told WIRED that hosts may still make "reasonable" requests, such as asking guests to put dirty dishes in the sink. Other examples cited by the company include asking for short showers where drought-related water restrictions apply, or asking guests to use bear-proof trash containers.
One host shared what they said was a screenshot of a failed attempt to edit their Requests section. They had tried to ask guests to wash and air-dry dishes, put towels in the laundry room, and take trash to an RV park dumpster. The interface underlined the entries in red and showed a pop-up reading "Guests shouldn't be asked to do this task," and the Save button would not work.
Airbnb is also barring hosts, starting November 20, from requiring guests to sign separate contracts or printed house rules. Limited exceptions apply for local legal requirements, longer stays, or access to an optional amenity such as a golf cart rental. Hosts relying on an exception must disclose it in the dedicated section of their listing, and Airbnb says it "doesn't help enforce the terms of these contracts." Violations of either policy may bring warnings or, in severe cases, removal of the listing or a ban from the platform.
Some hosts are organizing a response. In a Facebook group, one person posted a letter they said they had sent to company executives demanding the ability to set "common-sense expectations," and encouraged others to do the same. Another asked whether hosts should raise prices, and a third proposed a platform-wide strike, saying that even a day or two of unlisting could "send a powerful message." Others are looking for workarounds, such as moving rules into other listing sections or requiring guests to read a house manual and supply a codeword. Several hosts noted that such tactics are unenforceable and against current Airbnb policy. Airbnb did not immediately say whether relocating rules would be permitted.
Hosts also raised concerns about smoking, filthy dishes, stained sheets and piles of rotting garbage. According to the report, the changes do not alter how those issues are handled. Airbnb already requires guests to agree to ground rules built around the idea of treating a host's home like their own, and guests are expected to pay a reasonable amount for damaged or missing items. The AirCover protection program reimburses up to $3 million for certain guest-caused property damage, and also covers extra cleaning such as smoke odor removal and pet accidents.
Airbnb stresses that host-set cleaning fees are meant to cover standard turnover work like laundry and vacuuming. Hosts cannot charge guests fees for skipping specific cleaning or checkout tasks, though they can still leave reviews based on cleanliness. One self-described "mostly guest" said they did not mind running the dishwasher or stripping the bed, as long as the cleaning fee was not over $100.
