Airbnb to Limit Checkout Chores but Keep Cleaning Fees
Airbnb is changing what hosts can ask guests to do before leaving a holiday rental, after complaints about long checkout chore lists. Under a new worldwide policy, hosts generally cannot expect guests to wash dishes, strip beds or deal with laundry. The change will apply to reservations booked on or after 20 November 2026, not automatically to trips already booked before that date.
Hosts can still ask for small tasks, such as leaving dirty dishes in the sink, collecting used towels or sorting rubbish. Airbnb distinguishes these requests, which guests are encouraged to follow, from formal house rules. All must be visible before booking; a host cannot add fresh obligations later through messages or notices inside the property. Airbnb says local circumstances may justify limited exceptions.
Airbnb’s New Cleaning Rules: What Changes
- Starts: Reservations booked on or after 20 November 2026.
- Not generally allowed: Requiring guests to wash and put away dishes, strip beds, do laundry or take rubbish offsite.
- Checkout requests: Hosts may ask you to put dirty dishes in the sink, gather towels or sort rubbish. You don't have to agree.
- Before booking: Any house rules or checkout instructions should already be listed. No surprise chores after booking.
- Cleaning fees: The new rules don't ban cleaning charges.
- Penalties: Hosts are not allowed to fine guests for leaving checkout chores unfinished.
- Policy: Airbnb’s updated house rules.
Guests can find checkout requirements under Trips, then House rules and requests. Standard house rules, including locking up when required, must be followed; other reasonable requests are encouraged rather than compulsory. Airbnb may warn hosts who ignore its policy and flag listings if violations continue. Local conditions, such as wildlife-related rubbish rules, can justify exceptions, but hosts must disclose them before booking.
The new policy does not remove cleaning fees, which remain part of Airbnb’s total booking price. Guests are still responsible for damage and excessive mess, but hosts cannot charge extra simply because a checkout task was left undone. Hosts may still send extra checkout instructions after a reservation is confirmed. Keep those messages and check whether the demands were included in your original booking. If you believe they breach Airbnb’s rules, contact Airbnb Support.