Airbnb is putting an end to mandatory household chores that have long been a source of friction between guests and property owners, introducing new rules that will apply worldwide.

Starting November 20, hosts will generally no longer be allowed to require guests to perform cleaning tasks that involve significant time or effort and would ordinarily be handled by professional cleaners.

The changes follow years of complaints from guests who said they were expected to complete lengthy cleaning checklists before checking out, despite already paying substantial cleaning fees.

According to The Guardian, the updated rules will apply to reservations covered by Airbnb’s global policy, including bookings in Australia.

What hosts can no longer require guests to do

Under Airbnb’s revised policy, hosts will generally be prohibited from asking guests to perform tasks that “require significant effort or time or would typically be performed by a cleaner.”

Examples of prohibited checkout chores include:

• Stripping beds and removing sheets or other bedding.
• Taking trash to disposal locations outside the property.
• Washing dishes and putting them away in cupboards.

However, the new rules do not mean guests can leave rental properties in any condition they choose.

While hosts will no longer be able to require visitors to wash and put away dishes, they may still ask them to place used dishes in the sink.

One of the main factors behind the policy change was widespread frustration over cleaning fees. For years, Airbnb users complained about being charged additional fees, sometimes running into hundreds of dollars, while still being expected to clean parts of the property before departure.

Since April 2025, cleaning fees have no longer been displayed as a separate charge to guests. Instead, hosts have been able to incorporate cleaning costs into the total price of a stay.

Seven standard house rules and exceptions

Under the revised framework, Airbnb allows hosts to establish seven standard house rules, which must be clearly displayed to guests during the booking process.

These rules can cover check-in and checkout times, the maximum number of guests permitted to stay at a property, smoking restrictions, quiet hours and whether pets are allowed.

Hosts will also retain the option to introduce additional requirements, provided they are considered reasonable.

What qualifies as a reasonable request will depend on local circumstances.

For example, in areas affected by water restrictions, hosts may ask guests to limit the length of their showers.

Similarly, in locations where wildlife may be attracted to household waste, guests may be required to dispose of trash in specially designed animal-proof bins.

An Airbnb spokesperson said the changes were introduced in response to feedback from the platform’s community. “House rules help guests understand what hosts expect of them, but we’ve heard from our community that they can be complicated, burdensome and difficult to manage,” the spokesperson said.

The company said it had redesigned the rules to make them easier to find, clearer to understand and more straightforward for both hosts and guests to follow.