Airbnb, the world's largest home-sharing platform, has taken steps to curb excessive cleaning demands from hosts, such as washing dishes and tidying bedding.
According to reports from CNN and BBC cited by Yonhap News on October 22, Airbnb has amended its regulations to implement this change.
Under the new rules, hosts cannot require guests to perform tasks that require 'significant effort or time or are generally performed by cleaning staff.' Specifically, tasks such as washing dishes, taking out trash, and stripping bed sheets are prohibited.
Hosts can establish seven basic rules, including maximum occupancy and quiet hours, and may make additional requests, but most cleaning responsibilities will no longer fall on guests. Hosts are also prohibited from arbitrarily imposing fines on guests who violate their own rules.
The revised regulations will apply to all bookings made after November 20.
Airbnb stated that the changes were made in response to feedback indicating that the rules set by hosts were confusing, burdensome, and difficult to manage.
Guests have consistently expressed dissatisfaction over being asked to perform excessive cleaning before checkout. Recently, in Georgia, a video surfaced of a host criticizing guests for not returning a TV remote to its proper place, sparking public outrage.
Additionally, a guest last year shared a checkout list on X (formerly Twitter) that included tasks like running the dishwasher, stripping sheets, placing towels in designated baskets, and reattaching the TV remote with Velcro. The post criticized the host for charging up to $350 (approximately 480,000 won) for cleaning fees while offloading household chores onto guests.
Overall, guests have welcomed this new measure. A female influencer from Minnesota shared on social media that during a previous Airbnb stay, she was asked to complete an hour's worth of cleaning before checkout, stating, 'I don’t want to do that while on vacation. I’ll pass.'
However, some hosts are expressing their discontent. Rosanna Imbrogno, who operates a rental in Rome, Italy, argued, 'This is not a matter of obligation but of courtesy,' adding that she cleans, strips bed sheets, and takes out trash even when staying in hotels.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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