Airbnb has recently introduced new rules aimed at reducing guest responsibilities when checking out of accommodations. This decision has been made to address guest criticisms and concerns regarding cleaning costs. With these changes, guests are no longer required to perform tasks such as washing dishes, gathering linens, and taking out the trash.
New Clarifications on Guest Responsibilities
Airbnb has stated that hosts are only allowed to make "reasonable" requests of guests and cannot ask them to perform tasks that require significant time and effort. This includes duties such as gathering linens or washing and putting away dishes. This is particularly important in situations where guests have also paid cleaning fees.
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According to this platform, guests expect a simple and hassle-free checkout process, and most prefer to avoid unexpected duties. Airbnb has advised hosts that requesting tasks typically assigned to cleaners can negatively impact guest experiences and reviews.
Social and Political Implications
These changes in Airbnb's policies come at a time when increasing protests about housing shortages are taking shape in many European cities. Protesters argue that short-term rentals, such as Airbnb, have led to reduced housing accessibility for local residents. Last September, the European Commission proposed new measures to limit the activities of Airbnb and other short-term rental companies in tourist hotspots.
However, the new Airbnb rules still allow guests to leave dirty dishes in the sink and gather used linens. Hosts can also ask guests to place trash in animal-safe locations or limit shower times to align with local water restrictions due to drought.
Additionally, under the new rules, hosts can no longer ask guests to refrain from using amenities listed in the property description and will not be allowed to penalize guests. Instead, they must cover any damages through insurance provided by the platform.
These new policies will take effect on November 20 for all reservations and appear aimed at improving guest experiences and reducing tensions in host-guest relationships.
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