New Airbnb rules

I’ve stayed in Airbnb all over Australia, Europe and the U.K. and the most I’ve ever been asked to do is put the bin out. I’ve stayed in ones that are clearly holiday lets and ones that are people’s homes and it’s been the same everywhere. I’ve always paid a cleaning fee for them to clean.

I'm glad to see new rules coming in.
I've spent hours cleaning airbnbs before leaving them.
I've stayed in quite a few and the demands are crazy - from putting on the washing machine with the dirty sheets, to cleaning the fridge to washing floors to washing windows and even drying the sinks!
If there is an option to pay an additional cleaning fee, I take it as it gives me half a day's holiday back.
But I will not pay a ridiculous expensive cleaning fee if we have only stayed for one night so will choose a budget hotel instead.
This will hurt many owners who have been taking bites from both ends.

This is why we just stay in hotels old or new rules should holidays be this complicated, we tidy and clean to a certain standards in hotels by choice but airbnb has always sounded like hard work to me

Surely teabags should be in the general waste. Most aren’t composable because of the glue used to make them.

Totally agree. Some hosts have far too high expectations. I don’t mind leaving things clean and tidy but stripping the beds and cleaning the loo should not be on anyone’s list of things to do. Especially when hosts also demand that you are out of the property by 10am.

Reading some replies is barmy to me. I have never stayed in a bad one
No weird rules no weird hosts just really lovely places that allowed me and my disabled kids and hubby to have a lovely holiday

Isn't that just what you do when you stay in a lodge or a house
You cook you tidy up you take out the rubbish

If hosts are now expected to do it the prices will rocket

You rent a property not a service

I’ve never come across anything like this

I have stayed in AIRB&Bs all over the world amd never encountered these silly rules. Its not like a hotel as you have a kitchen and more space to relax and put children to bed and still stay up as adults. More privacy, gardens etc.

I own and operate 2 Airbnbs and never ask for chores from guests so I welcome the new rules. As a guest I absolutely hate when a host asks for a whole list of chores to be done at check out. They want to save money by paying less time for a cleaner. Luckily I have had mostly great guests who clean up after themselves without being asked to do so. If they don't then it's fine by me as that's what they're paying a cleaning fee for (so long as they don't destroy the place!).

Before AirBnb we would rent self catering properties both in the uk and the USA. There were always checkout rules - emptying the fridge, putting rubbish in outside bins, wiping down worktops. Most requested beds being stripped and towels left in the bath. Years ago we had to provide our own bed linen and towels - I remember helping my mum make up beds when we rented a place in Scotland over 50 years ago. So I don’t have an issue with these ‘chores’ at all. We still prefer renting a house to a hotel for a longer holiday as we like the freedom. I would not like being expected to do a full clean - to me that’s what the cleaning fee is for. The other one I don’t like is being required to ensure all dishes are dried and put away as that means running the dishwasher the night before and hand washing the breakfast dishes on leaving day - I would prefer to be able to load the dishwasher and put it on before leaving. But leaving the place tidy, putting rubbish out, making sure dishes are at least put in the dishwasher and it switched on I have no objection to and don’t understand what people get upset by that. Renting a single occupancy multi roomed property is not the same as booking a hotel room.

The things I have encountered as a cleaner for any holiday let's not including/excluding Airbnb. Cocaine on a highchair, poo next to the toilet, wanked in socks, worms ( not of the garden variety) used condom's, pregnancy tests, lots of blood in various places, vomit again in various places, towels used for more than drying people! I luckily have a strong stomach and do bizarrely enjoy my job! Most people are lovely and understand we have to make it perfect for the next guests. But a small percentage are awful.

What isn’t cool is the rule where the dishwasher must be completely empty, all crockery and silverware must be put away (no leaving anything on the drying rack), everywhere must be hoovered and the bin contents must be taken away with you.

This combined with saying you must be out by 9am.... When are you supposed to do all this cleaning, bed stripping & laundry, 6am? And are you supposed to skip breakfast because you dare not leave so much as washed up plates drying in a dash to be gone by 9?

We've had this. Insane lists of required cleaning, threatening fines if it isnt done, plus "cleaning charges" on top. I think most do not in fact pay a cleaner at all.

This. A lot of airbnb owners piss me off. They rake it in and do absolutely nothing to earn the money, and leave passive aggressive notes telling you to only run the shower for 2 mins, bring your own towels & empty all 6 bins & take to the tip 5 miles away. Complete piss take.

I stayed in an air bnb once. Once was enough. The owner appeared the first night, unannounced and unexpected, just after we got our toddler to sleep, which woke her up. We tidied as we went, doing dishes etc and putting rubbish out but I didn't go looking for a hoover as we weren't in much. I did however strip the beds and stick them in the washing machine. We were driving home and she called my husband screaming down the phone at him because we hadn't hoovered and her sheets were creased due to the wash setting (standard 40° cycle). Put her on speaker and told her I'd turn round if she wished to repeat any of it to my face but she hung up instead. Utter batshit, never again!

People on MN seem to have quite different views to those on LinkedIn.

I've seen lots of people on MN complaining about the rules (I have never stayed in one, well, not since my son was 1 and he's in his early 20s now!)

But on LinkedIn people were saying how awful it was and how could AirBnB think that people should be able to leave a mess etc.

No it's not about leaving a mess, I don't leave a mess in hotels, it's just about not having to do chores that should be included in the very high rent. Tidy up yes. Take the rubbish out, no.

I’ve never found Airbnb rules onerous. Maybe people should be more thorough in reading the rules and reviews before they book.

I had this recently and in the US. We were told to strip the beds and start the dishwasher otherwise we would be fined. I did do these things but it was the tone of the email that made me bristle

We run an Airbnb.
The only thing we ask is they put food waste in the caddy (council rules)
Otherwise, when they leave, I put on my rubber gloves & sort out the recycling from general waste (I still find teabags in general waste)
I don’t ask them to strip beds, but if they do, that’s fine, although if they put a wash on, I have to redo it as, from COVID, all linens and towels are washed at 60 degrees.
I do think putting plates, cups etc beside the sink is not unreasonable.
We charge £15 cleaning fee.

I'm currently on a holiday in France and it's so frustrating and annoying. Firstly, we had to bring our own bedding and towels. secondly, we have a list of what needs to be done before leaving (it includes wiping door handles, hoovering under the bed etc.). And finally, it wasn't cheap.
I'll read on the new rules. I've always left the places tidy but it's getting beyond unreasonable.

That’s sort of my point. Paying for waste disposal is one of the costs of running an AirBnB. Someone who wants you to take all the rubbish with you isn’t holding up their side of the deal.

@CruCru

The bin thing is because the council won’t collect (as the hosts pay business rates, not council tax) and the hosts don’t want to pay for commercial bin collection.

Yes, they're businesses, and councils don't collect waste from business premises on their domestic collections (some do because they don't notice!). Businesses have to pay for waste disposal, and recycling, which can be quite expensive. It's not included in the business rates.

I'd never trust crockery that may or may not have been washed properly by the previous occupier or the cleaner. We put the dishwasher on, full, on arrival at a new property and just use whatever we've washed.

I think it reasonable to ask people to strip bedding and put it in bags to get laundered (because then I know that the bedding is clean on), wash up and empty the bins into the outside bin / recycling.

What isn’t cool is the rule where the dishwasher must be completely empty, all crockery and silverware must be put away (no leaving anything on the drying rack), everywhere must be hoovered and the bin contents must be taken away with you. I know there are Air BnB guests who are swine but someone who leaves the dishwasher running, a couple of pans on the drying rack and the bin bags in the outside bin is probably reasonably considerate. The bin thing is because the council won’t collect (as the hosts pay business rates, not council tax) and the hosts don’t want to pay for commercial bin collection.