Airbnb checkout chores: What hosts cannot ask guests to do

Airbnb checkout chores are about to change for guests and hosts. Airbnb said on 20 October that hosts can no longer require some tasks. These include stripping beds, washing dishes and taking rubbish off site.

The new house rules policy takes effect on 20 November, Airbnb said. It covers bookings made on or after that date.

Airbnb has not named any country. The BBC and BFM both reported the change without limiting it to one market. Here is what the policy says, how it will be enforced and what it may mean in Malaysia.

What changes under Airbnb’s new house rules policy

The policy takes effect on 20 November 2026, Airbnb’s policy page says. It applies to reservations booked on or after that date.

Airbnb also changed how hosts set rules. Hosts now choose from seven standard rules and add requests in one place, the announcement said.

The seven rules cover overnight guests, quiet hours, events, pets, smoking, commercial photography and locking up at checkout. Checkout instructions no longer have a separate tab.

All rules and requests must appear in one section of the listing. Hosts may not add new ones later by message, sign or in person.

Airbnb told the BBC that house rules can be “confusing, onerous and hard to manage”. It said the new policy keeps requests reasonable, with “no surprises”.

Hosts also cannot impose their own fines on guests, ABC News reported. They can still warn guests about fines from a building or local authority.

What hosts can and cannot ask guests to do

Airbnb says requests must be reasonable. Tasks that need real effort or time, or that a cleaner would normally do, are generally not allowed.

On dishes, hosts cannot ask guests to wash and put them away. They can ask guests to put used dishes in the sink.

On laundry, hosts cannot ask guests to strip the bed or start a load. However, they can ask guests to gather used towels.

On rubbish, hosts cannot ask guests to take it off site. They can ask guests to sort rubbish and recycling into indoor bins.

On utilities, hosts cannot stop guests using an advertised feature like air conditioning. They can ask guests to switch it off when leaving. These are the Airbnb checkout chores that Airbnb gave as examples.

How Airbnb will enforce the policy

Airbnb will highlight requests that break the policy in the listing editor, it said. Hosts get an email, tips to fix the problem and a chance to appeal.

If a problem is not fixed, guests may see an alert on the listing. It could read “includes cleaning requests”.

Airbnb’s policy page lists warnings, a notice on the listing and reduced search visibility for repeated breaches.

Hosts keep some protection. They can cancel a booking without fees if a guest breaks a house rule during a stay, Airbnb said. Guests who break its policies may be suspended or removed.

Some hosts are unhappy, TechCrunch reported. It said a few have threatened to leave the platform. Others argue that basic cleaning protects hygiene and property.

Airbnb’s announcement names no country. BFM reported the policy, and its report carries no Airbnb Malaysia comment. However, it says Airbnb weighs “relevant local factors”. We cannot confirm how the policy applies here.

For guests, the safest step is to read the house rules and requests section before booking. After 20 November, guests may see a flag on listings that break the policy.

An Airbnb survey by YouGov gives a Malaysian picture, Airbnb said. It covered 1,000 Malaysian citizens aged 18 to 45 who had stayed in a short-term rental in the past year.

The majority of guests said they washed dishes, took out rubbish and tidied up before checking out. Two-thirds said they treat homestays as their own homes. Airbnb commissioned the survey, and the answers are self-reported.