Airbnb's new house rules have split hosts and guests over who should do the cleaning work after a stay. The updated guidelines apply to bookings made globally from 20 November. Under them, hosts can no longer ask guests to do jobs normally carried out by cleaners, including washing and putting away dishes, stripping beds and taking rubbish off site. Hosts can set seven standard house rules and add other "reasonable" requests.
Welsh host Lisa Clewes said a group of guests left her holiday let "in a complete mess" after a dinner party, with broken glasses, drink cans on the floor, pans of food on the table and fish guts in the garden. She charges a cleaning fee that covers around 75% of the cost of a cleaner, and she said a turnaround typically takes cleaners four hours at her three-bedroom property. She fears extra mess could mean hiring more cleaners and raising costs, which she said may be passed on to guests.
Guests have welcomed the change. Jessica Newhook said a Florida host asked her group of 11 to leave the property "move-in ready" despite a $250 (£187) cleaning fee. She said the combination of rules and rising fees has made a hotel cheaper in some cases. Krissi Foskett, a Glasgow cleaning company owner who also stays in Airbnb properties, said she paid a £35 cleaning fee during a stay in Stafford but was still asked to strip beds, do laundry and carry rubbish to a recycling area. She said she does not mind considerate tasks, such as putting dishes in the dishwasher, but that preparing the property for the next guests is a business cost hosts should bear.
Host views differ. Anthony Marsh, who co-owns a North Yorkshire cabin retreat with his husband, cut the number of his properties listed on Airbnb from five to two because of the rules. He said asking guests to wash pots and put out bins is "common sense and common decency". Laura Lewis, who runs a directory for holiday-let owners, said most of her clients are unhappy with the changes. Matt Prosz, who manages Airbnb properties full-time, said the update should improve the guest experience without changing how most people behave.
According to AirROI data cited in the report, 63.2% of Airbnb listings charge a cleaning fee, with an average cost of £55.