No more washing up: How Airbnb's new house rules have divided hosts and guests

Lisa Clewes, a holiday rental owner in Wales, found her property in disarray after a group of guests departed. Just days prior, she had welcomed them personally and assisted with their luggage. However, following a dinner party, the state of the house was shocking: broken glasses, scattered drink cans, food-laden pans left on the table, and even fish guts discarded in the garden. "It was really unbelievable," Clewes expressed. "Had I had another booking the same day, I would have had to cancel or delay check-in." Although she imposes a cleaning fee that covers about 75% of the cleaning costs, she expects guests to perform basic tasks like emptying the fridge, disposing of trash, and loading the dishwasher. Yet, Airbnb's updated policies, effective for global bookings from November 20, now prohibit hosts from requiring guests to handle chores typically managed by cleaners, such as washing dishes, stripping beds, and removing rubbish from the property.

These changes have sparked concern among hosts like Clewes, who noted that her cleaners usually require four hours to prepare her three-bedroom rental for the next guests. She fears that increased mess from guests could necessitate hiring additional cleaning staff, ultimately leading to higher costs that may be transferred to her future guests. Conversely, the new rules have been welcomed by guests like Jessica Newhook, who expressed frustration over exhaustive checkout demands layered on top of hefty cleaning fees. During a recent family reunion in Florida, Newhook's group of 11 was expected to leave the property "move-in ready for the cleaners," despite having paid a $250 (£187) cleaning fee. She recalled being instructed to wash and fold towels, clean the kitchen, and even sweep and mop the floors. Additionally, the host warned them that their behavior needed to improve, citing that they had left chairs obstructing bins. "We had rules about everything and it was not relaxing at all," Newhook lamented.

While Newhook appreciates the comfort of an Airbnb stay, the combination of strict regulations and escalating cleaning fees has diminished its allure. "It's getting to the point where a hotel is cheaper and I know what to expect," she noted. Krissi Foskett, a 46-year-old cleaning company owner from Glasgow who frequently uses Airbnb, shares insights from both perspectives. After a recent stay in Stafford, where she paid a £35 cleaning fee, she was still asked to strip the beds, start a laundry load, empty bins, and transport rubbish to a recycling area. "I don't particularly mind doing those things, but it did make me question what exactly I was paying the additional cleaning fee for," Foskett said. She differentiates between being a considerate guest and being expected to prepare the accommodation for incoming guests.

Foskett has also encountered severe cases through her cleaning business, where teams found properties in deplorable conditions, including broken furniture and pet messes. While she empathizes with hosts dealing with tight turnovers and rising cleaning expenses, she believes these costs should not be transferred to guests. "If you're running an Airbnb as a business, professional cleaning is a cost of doing business," she asserted. Anthony Marsh, co-owner of a cabin retreat in North Yorkshire, has scaled back from listing five of their 12 properties on Airbnb to just two due to the new rules. He feels that Airbnb has inadvertently allowed guests to treat properties with less regard. "Asking guests to wash their pots and put out the bins is hardly unreasonable," Marsh said, expressing concern that additional mess could hinder quick turnarounds for incoming guests.

According to data from AirROI, approximately 63.2% of Airbnb listings implement a cleaning fee, averaging £55. Laura Lewis, who manages a directory for holiday-let owners, noted that many clients are dissatisfied with the new rules, feeling that basic cleanliness is a matter of respect. "Some people say it's factored into the cleaning fee, but I wouldn't leave a holiday let with all the washing-up to do. It's not the right thing," she commented. Frustration among owners has been compounded by rising commission rates from Airbnb last year, leading many to invest in their own websites and social media to attract direct bookings, seeking to avoid platform fees. Lewis plans to remove her listings from Airbnb altogether as most of her bookings are already direct.

However, not all hosts share these concerns. Matt Prosz, who manages Airbnb properties full-time, believes the new rules will enhance the guest experience. At his property in southwest London, guests are asked only to lock up and return the keys. He noted that while some guests voluntarily assist with cleaning, he does not expect it. Prosz is skeptical that the changes will lead to worse conditions, citing Airbnb's mutual review system as a deterrent for poor behavior. "Airbnb is trying to cut out the silly stuff because it's not a good guest experience," he concluded, expressing confidence that most guests will continue to treat properties with respect.