Some hosts are threatening to strike, while others are plotting ways around Airbnb’s new restrictions. Guests, meanwhile, are celebrating.
AIRBNB HOSTS ARE melting down over a new policy banning them from making guests complete tasks that “would typically be performed by a cleaner,” like “stripping the bed, taking trash offsite, or washing and putting away dishes.”
The change, which applies to all bookings made on or after November 20, quickly sparked outrage after it was announced in an email to Airbnb hosts on Wednesday. Many began fuming online about losing the right to make their guests clean up after themselves.
“As hosts, we have a responsibility to protect our investments, our homes, and, in many cases, our personal living spaces,” one person wrote in Airbnb’s official forum for hosts. “The problem is that Airbnb increasingly expects hosts to accept the risks while limiting our ability to protect ourselves.”
The dumpster thing is shady, for sure, and they definitely shouldn’t be charging a cleaning fee, but I don’t think expecting people to wash their dishes or put all the dirty laundry together is super unreasonable. Like are people really out there staying in places and leaving a pile of dishes with crusted on food and their soiled towels just scattered around the place? Those are actually pretty reasonable requests. You’re right about the trash though, that’s sketchy. I’d definitely just leave it tied up by the door if there weren’t sturdy outdoor garbage cans I could put it in. No way in hell am I driving it anywhere.