CINCINNATI — Have you ever stayed at an Airbnb, then been hit with a long list of chores before checkout? That's about to change.
For families especially, Airbnb can offer the space and convenience of a home away from home.
WATCH: These new Airbnb checkout policies start next month
"Definitely an Airbnb. We like that every kid kinda gets a room if they can," said Alex and Jade Lightfoot.
But that home-away-from-home experience can also come with something you probably wouldn't find at a hotel: a list of chores before checkout. And in some cases, that's on top of a cleaning fee.
"Hosts are saying, 'Well I am squeezing every dollar, and I'm going to make you do all this work I'd either have to do either do myself or pay a cleaner to do,'" said Sally French, a NerdWallet travel expert.
What's changing
Airbnb is putting new limits on what hosts can require guests to do before checkout.
In a statement, the company said in part, "House rules help guests understand what hosts expect, but we've heard from our community that they can be confusing, onerous and hard to manage."
Starting Nov. 20, Airbnb hosts will no longer be able to require tasks that take significant time or would typically be done by a cleaner. According to Airbnb, that includes:
- Stripping the bed
- Taking trash offsite
- Washing and putting away dishes
The rules hosts have to follow now
Airbnb says hosts can still set house rules and requests — as long as they're reasonable and clearly disclosed. Under the updated policy, all house rules and requests must:
- Be disclosed up front: Rules must appear in the designated section of the listing page at the time of booking, so guests can decide whether the home is a good fit before they book. Hosts can't spring new rules on guests later — by message, signs in the home or in person.
- Match the rest of the listing: Rules have to be consistent with information found elsewhere on the listing page.
- Follow Airbnb's policies: For example, hosts can't ask guests to sign separate contracts or hand over personal information like a government ID, except where required by law.
- Be reasonable: That means no demanding time-consuming cleaning tasks, and no hiding fees. Any fee for something advertised as part of the listing has to be included in the price guests see at booking.
No more fines for breaking house rules
Hosts also won't be able to charge guests fines or other penalties. Instead, Airbnb points hosts to AirCover, which provides protection in the rare event a place or belongings are damaged by a guest during a stay. If there's a risk an HOA, building security or local government might impose a fine, hosts can note that in a designated section of their listing.
There are some exceptions
Airbnb says it understands every home is unique, and it may grant exceptions based on the type of stay or local conditions. For example, it may be reasonable for a host to ask guests to limit shower time during a local drought, or to dispose of trash in an animal-proof container in bear country.
What happens to hosts who break the rules
If a host's rule or request doesn't meet the requirements, Airbnb says it may step in — starting with educating the host, asking them to update their listing and issuing warnings. If a violation continues, it could lead to a notice flagging the issue to guests, reduced visibility in search results, or other action under Airbnb's Terms of Service.
Is an Airbnb cheaper than a hotel?
So does an Airbnb actually save you money?
"Of course, there's no blanket answer, but in general Airbnbs do tend to be cheaper once you add in more and more people," French said. "NerdWallet also found Airbnbs tend to be cheaper for stays of seven days or longer, versus booking seven days in a hotel. But NerdWallet has found hotels tend to be cheaper for shorter stays."
The possible tradeoff
Still, there could be a catch for guests down the road.
"There are a lot of hosts who are very upset, and I am curious how many hosts will raise prices of their Airbnb listings because now they do have to do all of these cleaning activities on their own," French said.
The new checkout policy takes effect Nov. 20.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
"Don't Waste Your Money" is a registered trademark of Scripps Media, Inc. ("Scripps").
Follow John:
- Facebook: John Matarese Money
- Instagram: @johnmataresemoney
- X/Twitter: @JohnMatarese
Follow Taylor:
- Facebook: Taylor Nimmo
- Instagram: @tnimms
- X/Twitter: @tnimms
For more consumer news and money saving advice, go to www.dontwasteyourmoney.com
