Any chores that a cleaner might do are no longer deemed reasonable requests for visitors.
Pixel-Shot/Shutterstock
Airbnb is codifying some of the clean-up guests can be asked to do before leaving a property. According to a new update from the rental platform, hosts can make "requests" of visitors, but those requests "must be reasonable" under the revised policy. The examples provided said that asking guests to remove bedsheets or do loads of laundry would be unreasonable, but gathering used towels was acceptable. The line drawn in the new policy page is that hosts should not "ask guests to complete tasks that require significant effort or time, or would typically be performed by a cleaner."
This update is part of a broader change for Airbnb host rules that was first noticed by Euronews. The new approach will allow hosts to pick from a set of seven standard rules for their property, then add any further notes as requests. The rules and requests may only be communicated to guests in the dedicated portion of a rental listing and hosts are not allowed to share them after booking "by message, signs in the home, or in person," which will hopefully put an end to the passive aggressive signage posted through many Airbnbs. The company did allow that exceptions could be granted based on unique situations, such as requiring trash to be placed in an animal-proof container in a place with known bear populations. The revised policy will take effect on November 20.