Airbnb guests freed from chores involving ‘significant effort’ under new global rules

Airbnb has announced new global rules aimed at mitigating the burden of chores on its guests. These changes, set to take effect on November 20, 2025, will prevent hosts from asking guests to perform tasks that require significant effort or time. Such chores previously included stripping beds, taking out the trash, and washing dishes.

This policy overhaul follows a long-standing stream of complaints from guests regarding the unpaid cleaning fees and additional chores they had to complete, even after paying substantial cleaning fees that could amount to hundreds of dollars.

Since April 2025, cleaning fees are no longer displayed to guests. Instead, hosts are given the discretion to incorporate these costs into the total price of the stay. In a recent update, Airbnb outlined that hosts would "generally" refrain from requesting tasks that are typically handled by a professional cleaner. Examples of such tasks include bed linen changes, off-site trash disposal, and dish washing and storage.

The updated guidelines allow hosts to establish seven standard house rules which must be disclosed at the time of booking, along with optional additional "reasonable" requests. These rules could cover check-in and check-out times, guest limits, smoking policies, quiet hours, and pet allowance.

Reasonable requests are contingent upon local conditions. For instance, asking guests to limit shower time due to water scarcity or instructing them to store trash in a secure, animal-proof container could be deemed reasonable. While the new rules explicitly prohibit hosts from requiring guests to wash and put away dishes, it is still permissible for hosts to instruct guests to place used dishes in the sink.

Airbnb's spokesperson explained that the redesign of house rules aims to improve clarity and manageability for both hosts and guests, addressing the previous issues of confusion and perceived burden.