Airbnb guests freed from chores involving ‘significant effort’ under new global rules

Airbnb hosts will no longer be able to ask guests to strip beds or wash dishes under the accommodation platform’s new rules.

The changes, which apply to Airbnb reservations covered by the platform’s global policy, including bookings in Australia, will come into effect on 20 November and limit chores imposed on guests.

Airbnb had long fielded complaints from guests about having to pay cleaning fees, which can be hundreds of dollars, and still complete a list of chores for their host.

Since April 2025, cleaning fees have not been shown to guests. Instead, hosts have been allowed to choose to factor cleaning costs into the total price of the stay.

In a community policy update posted on its website this week, Airbnb said hosts would “generally” no longer be allowed to ask guests to complete tasks that “require significant effort or time or would typically be performed by a cleaner”.

Examples of such tasks include stripping beds of linen, taking rubbish offsite, and washing and putting away dishes, the company said.

The updated guidelines state that hosts can now set seven standard house rules which must be displayed in full at the time of booking – and can also add other “reasonable” requests.

Examples of house rules include check-in and check-out times, limits on how many guests can stay at the property, smoking restrictions, quiet hours, and whether or not pets are allowed.

Reasonable requests depend on “relevant local considerations”. For example, it may be reasonable to ask guests to limit shower time due to local water restrictions, or to dispose of rubbish in an animal-proof container.

While guests shouldn’t be asked to wash and put away dishes under the new guidelines, hosts can ask them to put used dishes in the sink.

“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,” an Airbnb spokesperson said.

“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.”