Airbnb limiting the checkout chores hosts can ask guests to do
Guests staying in an Airbnb will soon have fewer chores to do before they check out after their stay. The short-term rental company has updated its policies to restrict how much cleaning hosts can ask guests to undertake before they leave.
Tasks 'typically performed by a cleaner' will be off limits as of Nov. 20, according to new policies
Rhianna Schmunk · CBC News
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As of late next month, guests staying in an Airbnb will have fewer chores to do before they check out after their stay.
The short-term rental company has updated its policies to restrict how much cleaning hosts can ask guests to undertake before they leave.
Here's what to know about the new rules, which apply to bookings made on or after Nov. 20.
What does the new policy say about cleaning?
The new guidelines, in short, asks hosts to "be reasonable" on a number of fronts.
When it comes to tidying up, hosts will no longer be allowed to ask guests to do any tasks that would take "significant effort or time, or would typically be performed by a cleaner."
These jobs include stripping the bed, taking the garbage to an offsite location or washing and putting away used dishes.
With the change, Airbnb's cleaning fee should only cover a basic tidy-up between guests — and hosts are no longer allowed to charge guests if they don't finish a cleaning job on the checkout list.
Why now?
Airbnb cleaning duties have long been a topic of debate.
Hosts have shared stories about the messes guests left behind, while some post TikTok videos where they "reveal" the state of a property after checkout. On the other hand, guests have complained for years about paying a cleaning fee when they end up with a list of chores to do themselves.
"The biggest gripe that guests tend to have is around the cleaning aspects," said Makarand Mody, an associate professor who teaches at Boston University's School of Hospitality Administration.
"There was this discord between the fact that hosts were charging you cleaning fees and then you still have to follow house rules where you have to clean up, which is not how we as travellers experience the hotel."
CBC News has contacted Airbnb about the timing of its change.
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What else does the policy say?
On top of the information around cleaning, the guidelines says hosts will not be allowed to restrict use of amenities advertised in their listing. They won't be able to charge guests fines or penalties, either, because AirCover already protects hosts "in the rare event that their place or belongings are damaged by a guest."
House rules and requests will have to be visible on the listing for guests at the time of booking, and no new rules or requests can be added after the fact. These rules include information around check-in and check-out times, smoking, pets, quiet hours, the number of approved guests and commercial photography or video.
But hosts will be able to add "reasonable" requests, which can be updated at any time. The policy said Airbnb will assess whether a request fits within that definition based on a number of factors, like the type of listing and local context.
"We understand every home is unique," it reads. "For example, it may be reasonable to ask guests to limit shower time due to local drought-related water restrictions, or to dispose of trash in an animal-proof container in bear country."
Mody said he's interested to see how hosts respond to the change and how Airbnb enforces the new rules. He believes the company deliberately left the definition of "reasonable" open-ended to give hosts some wiggle room.
"Hosts are also their customers. They want hosts to have a good experience, to want to keep listing on Airbnb and to feel like they still have control over the property," the professor said. "And that Airbnb is not going completely, you know, guest-centric in that sense."
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Rhianna Schmunk is a senior writer covering domestic and international affairs at CBC News. Her work over the past decade has taken her across North America, from the Canadian Rockies to Washington, D.C. She routinely covers the Canadian courts, with a focus on precedent-setting civil cases. You can send story tips to rhianna.schmunk@cbc.ca.
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