Under a new Airbnb rule, guests will no longer have to complete a laundry list of housekeeping tasks at the time of checkout.
The policy, which goes into effect for reservations booked on or after Nov. 20, prohibits hosts from assigning guests time-consuming or burdensome chores, such as stripping beds, tossing trash off-property or washing and putting away dishes. They can’t require jobs that a professional cleaner would typically handle, nor can they restrict the use of amenities. (Some exceptions apply.)
“They can’t say they’re providing air-conditioning, but if the guest uses it too much, they’re going tack on a $20 fee,” said Nick Ewen, editor in chief at the Points Guy.
In a statement, the company said the streamlined and standardized protocols should help quell complaints that hosts’ house rules can be “confusing, onerous and hard to manage.” Checkout requests, it noted, will be “reasonable, with no surprises.”
Airbnb guests have been complaining for years about hidden fees and checkout chores. A year ago, for example, a Reddit user shared a multipage checklist that included such persnickety mandates as returning all game pieces to their original places and remotes to their designated holders (failure to do the latter could result in a $25 fine).
During an eight-night rental in Vancouver, Ewen had to embark on a mini-odyssey to recycle his garbage. Confused by the different bins that were stored an elevator ride away in a locked room, he had to message the owners several times for guidance.
In the future, Ewen can just leave his trash by the door.
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