Airbnb announced a major change to its policies. It directly impacts hosts and guests.
Videos by Wide Open Country
According to a Thursday (October 22) report from the Associated Press, guests who rent out properties will no longer be required to complete household chores. Such as washing their dishes, taking out their garbage, and stripping beds. Hosts were previously allowed to require this at checkout. And in some cases charge an additional cleaning fee to the debit card that was used to book the stay if it wasn't completed. But that will no longer be the case beginning in November.
Airbnb Announces Major Shakeup to Host Policies
Per the report, the new Airbnb policy will now restrict the rules that hosts can impose on guests. And check-out requests will have to be "reasonable."
"Remember to think like a guest. And keep in mind what you'd find unreasonable," the company told its hosts in a video obtained by the Associated Press.
Airbnb patrons on social media were ecstatic to hear the latest update.
"I love good news! Because why TF are we paying a cleaning fee only to have to clean ourselves!?," one user wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.
"The checkout chore list was the real villain all along, not the cleaning fee," a second user chimed in.
"Paying a cleaning fee and then getting a list telling you to strip the beds and take out the trash never made sense. Took them long enough," a third user remarked.
The company said that in certain situations, exceptions can be made. Such as requiring accrued trash to be put in animal-proof garbage containers. For houses that are in areas near bear habitats.
In a statement to CNN on Thursday, a spokesperson for the company said that feedback from patrons was a key factor in their decision.
"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," the spokesperson said to the outlet.
"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."
The policy goes into effect on November 20
