Airbnb Bars Checkout Chores and Hosts Push Back

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Airbnb is changing what hosts may ask of guests when they leave. For owners who run holiday lets as small businesses, the rule shifts a cost they say will land on them.

Seven house rules, no cleaning chores

The updated guidelines apply to bookings made globally from 20 November. Under the guidelines, hosts may choose from seven standard house rules and make further "reasonable" requests. Hosts are barred from requiring guests to handle cleaner-type tasks: washing up, stripping beds, carrying rubbish out of the property.

A host's view: messier turnarounds

Lisa Clewes, who owns a Welsh holiday let, already charges a cleaning fee covering about 75% of a cleaner's cost. She asks guests to empty the fridge, bin their rubbish and load the dishwasher. After one group left, she found broken glasses, cans on the floor and fish guts in the garden.

A three-bedroom turnaround typically takes her cleaners four hours. She fears more mess will mean extra cleaners and higher costs, which could be passed on to guests.

Anthony Marsh co-owns a cabin retreat in North Yorkshire. He had listed five of his 12 properties on Airbnb and has cut that to two. In his words, Airbnb has effectively given guests permission to leave properties in a mess, and hosts can do nothing about it.

A guest's view: fees plus chores

Jessica Newhook booked a Florida home for a family reunion of 11. She paid a $250 (£187) cleaning fee and was still told to wash and fold the towels, clean the bedding and kitchen, and clean the floors. For her, the rules and rising fees have taken away much of the appeal, and a hotel is starting to look cheaper.

Krissi Foskett runs a cleaning company and has stayed in Airbnbs herself. On a stay in Stafford she paid a £35 cleaning fee and was still asked to strip beds, start a wash and carry rubbish down a long track. She sees a line between being a considerate guest and preparing a property for the next arrivals.

Foskett understands the pressure on hosts: turnarounds are short and cleaning is getting dearer. Still, she says, the extra cost should not land on guests. Her teams have also met the other extreme, arriving to broken furniture, vomit and pet urine. Of hosts who run lets as a business, she says: "If you're running an Airbnb as a business, professional cleaning is a cost of doing business."

Fees, commissions and direct bookings

Data from AirROI shows 63.2% of Airbnb listings charge a cleaning fee, averaging £55.

The change adds to owners' frustration over higher Airbnb commission rates last year. Many are putting money into their own sites and social channels so that guests book direct and no platform fee is due. Laura Lewis, who runs a directory for holiday-let owners, says most of her clients who also list on Airbnb are unhappy. She already takes most bookings for the three treehouses on her farm directly, and plans to remove them from Airbnb altogether.

Not every host is worried. Matt Porsz hosts full-time and manages other properties. At his south-west London property, guests need only lock up and hand back the keys. He doubts the change will leave places in a worse state, pointing to the mutual review system: a host with a big chore list should not expect five stars, and a guest who leaves a mess will not get a good review from the host.

Our view

The dispute is about who pays for turnaround work: guests through fees, or hosts through their own cleaners. Hosts with tight schedules and few staff have the least room to absorb extra mess, and the clearest signs of reaction so far are owners cutting listings or moving to direct bookings.

Whether the change really leaves properties dirtier will only show after 20 November, in the reviews and in hosts' cleaning bills.

Source: BBC News