Airbnb is cracking down on hosts making unreasonable requests of guests.
Hosts are no longer allowed to ask guests to wash and put away dishes or strip the beds.
The travel giant sent an email to hosts on Wednesday warning them of a new policy, which will be in effect as of November 20.
Under the ‘House Rules’ policy all rules and requests must be listed in designated ‘house rules’ and ‘requests’ sections on a host’s listing – with Airbnb banning any additional rules being sent by message to guests or written on signs in the home.
There are now seven standard house rules hosts can add to their profile, including two new rules – maximum overnight guests and locking up at checkout – as well as quiet hours, and whether pets, smoking, events or commercial photography is permitted.
Property owners then have the option to write their own requests. However, Airbnb is using AI to detect “unreasonable” requests.
As hosts write their requests, flagged words will be underlined in red.
“For example, hosts are generally not allowed to: Ask guests to complete tasks that require significant effort or time, or would typically be performed by a cleaner, including stripping the bed, taking trash offsite, or washing and putting away dishes,” the policy states.
In an information page about the “important changes”, Airbnb further explains: “To determine whether a request is reasonable, we consider the type of listing or stay and relevant local factors. We may grant exceptions based on your situation.
“For example, it may be reasonable to ask guests to dispose of rubbish in an animal-proof container in bear country, or ask guests to limit shower time due to local drought-related water restrictions.”
Guests complaining about cleaning requests while also paying a mandatory cleaning fee has long been a problem for Airbnb.
It is often a reason travellers cite for choosing to stay in a hotel instead of a short-term rental.
Back in 2023, Airbnb introduced a “before you leave” section on listings, so guests could view checkout instructions on a property’s listing page before booking.
Susan Wheeldon, Airbnb’s country manager for Australia and New Zealand, had said at the time the update allowed guests to give feedback on checkout instructions and listings with repeated low ratings from unreasonable chores would be removed from Airbnb.
news.com.au has contacted Airbnb about whether there will be consequences under the new policy for hosts who make unreasonable requests and if guests are encouraged to report hosts who do.
