Airbnb has updated its house rules to prevent hosts from requiring guests to complete time-consuming cleaning tasks before checkout, including stripping beds, washing dishes, and taking trash offsite. The new policy takes effect for reservations booked on or after November 20, 2026, following years of complaints from guests about cleaning expectations despite paying additional cleaning fees.
Under Airbnb’s updated policy, hosts can still make reasonable requests, such as asking guests to place used dishes in the sink or gather used towels. However, tasks that typically require professional cleaners or significant effort can no longer be mandatory.
Airbnb Introduces New Restrictions on Checkout Chores
The policy prevents hosts from requiring guests to wash and put away dishes, strip beds, or remove trash from the property. Hosts may still ask guests to sort recycling, secure the property, and follow reasonable household instructions.
Airbnb has also standardized seven categories of house rules covering overnight guest limits, quiet hours, events, pets, smoking, commercial photography, and locking the property at checkout. All rules and additional requests must appear in a designated section of the listing before guests book their stay.
Hosts cannot introduce new requirements through private messages, signs inside the property, or instructions provided after booking. The policy also prohibits hosts from imposing their own fines or charging additional fees for amenities already included in the advertised price.
Airbnb may grant exceptions based on local conditions or safety requirements, such as asking guests to conserve water during droughts or use animal-proof trash containers in areas with bears.
Some Airbnb Hosts Raise Concerns Over New Rules
The changes have received criticism from hosts who believe basic cleaning responsibilities help maintain their properties and control operating costs. In Airbnb’s community forum, some hosts argued that guests should remain responsible for washing dishes and handling used linens.
One host said the restrictions could make Airbnb rentals resemble hotels and reduce the distinction between private accommodation and commercial hospitality services. The host also suggested leaving the platform after 12 years if the new requirements remained unchanged.
Airbnb said it will consider the type of property and local circumstances when evaluating whether a host’s requests are reasonable. Hosts who repeatedly violate the policy may receive warnings, reduced search visibility, or additional account restrictions.
Airbnb Continues Addressing Cleaning Fees and Price Transparency
The policy follows earlier efforts by Airbnb to address customer concerns about cleaning fees and the final cost of accommodation. In 2023, the company reported that more than 260,000 hosts had reduced or eliminated their cleaning fees.
In April 2025, Airbnb made total price display the default worldwide, showing accommodation costs and additional fees before taxes directly in search results. Previously, cleaning fees and other charges were sometimes less visible until later in the booking process.
The new checkout requirements do not eliminate cleaning fees, but they limit the cleaning responsibilities hosts can impose on guests. Airbnb said the revised rules are intended to make expectations clearer before reservations are confirmed.
Featured image credits: Wikimedia Commons
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