Airbnb bars hosts from requiring time-consuming checkout chores

Airbnb is banning hosts from requiring guests to do time-consuming checkout chores, such as washing dishes, stripping beds or taking rubbish off-site. The change aims to make checkout less burdensome and will apply to reservations booked from 20 November.

Guests may still be asked to put dishes in the sink, gather towels, sort rubbish into indoor bins or switch off utilities when leaving. Airbnb will show host requests in a new listing section and may flag cleaning requests; hosts cannot add extra chores through messages or signs. Some hosts have raised health concerns, while Airbnb says limited exceptions can apply, such as using an animal-proof bin in bear country.