Airbnb: No More 'Unreasonable' Tasks Before Checkout

Hosts can no longer ask guests to vacuum before leaving, company says
By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff
Posted Nov 8, 2022 3:00 PM CST
Airbnb Hosts Can't Ask You to Vacuum Anymore
Vacuuming counts as an unreasonable task, Chesky says.   (Getty Images/LightFieldStudios)

Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky says the company has heard consumer complaints "loud and clear"—and it is making changes including the elimination of "unreasonable" tasks before checkout. In a thread posted on Twitter Monday, Chesky said hosts would no longer be able to ask guests to perform tasks "such as stripping the beds, doing the laundry, or vacuuming" before checkout. "But we think it’s reasonable to turn off the lights, throw food in the trash, and lock the doors—just as you would when leaving your own home," he said. Chesky said the company is also overhauling its booking system to make prices more transparent by showing previously hidden cleaning fees and service fees, CBS reports.

"Starting next month, you’ll be able to see the total price you're paying up front," Chesky said. He said customers will be able to turn the feature on to sort search results by total price before taxes instead of the nightly price, which is often much lower. He added: "We started as an affordable alternative to hotels, and affordability is especially important today." The changes are being rolled out amid a wider Biden administration crackdown on what the Federal Trade Commission calls "unnecessary, unavoidable, or surprise charges that inflate costs while adding little to no value," the Washington Post reports. (More Airbnb stories.)

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