Airbnb Just Banned Checkout Chores: No More Stripping Beds Or Washing Dishes

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Strip the bed. Wash and put away the dishes. Haul the bins off the property. For years, the last morning of an Airbnb stay has come with a to-do list that guests never saw coming. From 20 November, that list gets a lot shorter.

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Under the new Airbnb checkout rules, hosts will no longer be allowed to require guests to complete time-consuming chores before leaving. The policy applies to bookings made on or after 20 November, so trips booked before that date fall outside it.

What The New Airbnb Checkout Rules Say

Airbnb's updated house-rules policy bars hosts from requiring guests to strip beds, wash and put away dishes, start a load of laundry or take rubbish off-site. Hosts also cannot require jobs a professional cleaner would typically handle, nor restrict the use of listed amenities.

The platform has told hosts that asking guests to do a cleaner's work can hurt both the stay and the host's reviews. It also acknowledged that many people find house rules confusing and hard to manage.

The Small Asks That Survive

The new rules do not rule out simple checkout requests. Guests can still be asked to tidy up after themselves by leaving used dishes in the sink, gathering towels in one place, sorting rubbish and recycling into the right bins, and making sure the lights and air conditioning are off and the doors are locked on the way out. Hosts can now choose from seven standard house rules, which include locking up at checkout, and add their own reasonable requests.

A few exceptions apply. A host in an area with wildlife, for example, may ask guests to put rubbish in a secure bin, while properties in regions facing water shortages may set rules around water use.

Airbnb says the aim is to curb excessive chores, not to scrap checkout instructions altogether.

Cleaning Fees Stay, Fines Go

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Cleaning fees are not disappearing, but how hosts enforce checkout tasks is changing. Hosts cannot fine guests or charge extra for unfinished tasks, and every request must be listed on the property before booking rather than added afterwards. The policy also bars hosts from imposing their own fines and limits separate contracts to cases required by law or homeowners' association rules. Requests that break the policy will be flagged, though hosts can appeal.

Hosts Push Back

Not everyone is cheering. Hundreds of hosts have criticised the changes on Airbnb's online community forum, and several have threatened to move to other booking platforms or change their prices. Hosts can still set rules on check-in and check-out times, guest numbers, smoking, pets and quiet hours.

Guests Are Not Entirely Off The Hook

Guests must still follow house rules. Airbnb's ground rules also say they should not leave a home needing excessive or deep cleaning, such as mouldy dishes, soiled carpets or pet stains.

The final morning of a stay has long been a quiet negotiation between tidiness and a taxi waiting outside. Airbnb has now put its thumb on the scale. Guests can leave the sheets where they are, but the sink, the towels and the lights are still their job. Before booking, check the listing's house rules and the date you are booking on.