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Airbnb has cracked down on hosts who ask guests to perform certain chores after their stay, such as washing dishes or stripping the bedsheets.
The short-term letting platform has updated its policy on which house rules and requests hosts can enforce when a guest comes to stay.
Airbnb says hosts can write out requests under the “Host Requests” section on their listings, but they must be “reasonable” and meet certain platform requirements.
For example, Airbnb said hosts are not allowed to ask guests to complete tasks that “require significant effort or time, or would typically be performed by a cleaner”.
This includes stripping the bed, taking rubbish offsite, or washing and putting away dishes.
While hosts cannot enforce a full clean, they can still make requests such as asking guests to put used dishes in the sink.
Airbnb’s new policy on requests will apply to all reservations booked on or after 20 November.
Alongside updating its requests policy, Airbnb has also made requests and rules easier to find on the listing page, so guests can evaluate whether the home is a good fit before booking.
Airbnb has done this by adding a new “House rules and request” section to listings that makes it clearer for guests to see and for hosts to fill in. They will also appear in the guest’s Trips tab and in reservation reminders.
Under this tab, guests will see a list of “Host Requests” and “House Rules”. Hosts can choose from seven standard house rules to fill in this second list when uploading their Airbnb listing.
These house rules cover whether guests must lock up at check-out, the maximum number of guests, quiet hours when noise should be kept to a minimum, and whether pets, events, photography, or smoking are allowed.
“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.”
Certain policy exceptions apply based on the Airbnb location, such as allowing hosts to reasonably ask guests to limit shower time due to drought-related water restrictions.
Guests are expected to follow house rules and requests and hosts can report guests to the platform if there is an issue. Airbnb said it will impose consequences on guests for repeated or severe violations.
Likewise, guests can also report hosts for enforcing rules and requests that do not comply with the new policies.
A couple who run an Airbnb in Glenville, Georgia went viral in July after recording themselves inspecting their accommodation and remarking on how guests did not follow their strict rules.
One video shows the couple criticising their checked-out guests for leaving the TV remote and blankets out of place, for “disrespecting the house rules” by leaving a box of leftovers in the fridge and for moving the ottoman a few inches closer to the couch.
TikTok viewers criticised the couple for their extreme attention to detail.
Read more: I’ve stayed in over 70 Airbnbs solo, here’s how to find the perfect stay