There's some good news for Airbnb guests who despise doing chores before checking out. The bad news is for Airbnb hosts who are upset that they can no longer ask guests to complete some of these tasks.
On Oct. 20, Airbnb announced that it was changing its house rules policy. Hosts are no longer allowed to ask guests to sign contracts separate from the one provided by Airbnb, ask guests for ID, and yes, hosts can no longer ask guests to take trash off the property.
"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. So we've redesigned them to make them easier to discover and clearer to set, alongside a new policy that keeps requests reasonable, with
no surprises," Airbnb said in a statement to USA TODAY.
The updated policy is meant to "set clear expectations and create positive experiences," according to Airbnb. The new rules take effect a month after the announcement, on Nov. 20.
Recently, hosts and guests have become increasingly divided on the issue. Many hosts feel it is not unreasonable to ask guests to do simple chores; however, some guests disagree. Tennessee Airbnb hosts are among those unhappy about the rule change.
What are Airbnb's new rules?
The biggest change people are upset about is that hosts can no longer "ask guests to complete tasks that require significant effort or time," according to Airbnb. "Or would typically be performed by a cleaner."
This would include "stripping the bed, taking trash offsite, or washing and putting away dishes."
Airbnb's new policy also prohibits hosts from asking guests to do the following:
- Sign separate contracts from the ones Airbnb requires or provide ID verification.
- Restrict guest access to any of the features included on an Airbnb listing.
- Impose fines or other penalties on guests.
Tennessee Airbnb hosts, guests react
Guests and hosts are divided on the changes. Nashville, a top destination with a sizable number of Airbnb locations, saw hosts upset about the new rules. Kelli Bradbury, a Nashville Airbnb host took to Facebook to discuss the updates. Bradbury said that while she understood the intention, she does not think the changes are fair.
Guests and hosts are divided on the changes. Nashville, a top tourist destination with a sizable number of Airbnb rentals, saw hosts upset about the new rules. Kelli Bradbury, a Nashville Airbnb host, took to Facebook to discuss the updates. Bradbury said that while she understood the intention, she did not think the changes were fair.
"It does not feel unreasonable to ask to guest [sic] to take out trash (um hello bugs) load the dishwasher (again that's just gross to leave for possibly a day) and leave your towels in the bathroom," Bradbury said.
A commenter on the post said, "The reason for the rule change is the owners that made it ridiculous."
Nashville isn't the only Tennessee city with a booming Airbnb economy. Every year, millions of people flock to the Smoky Mountains, many relying on a cozy Airbnb cabin to complete their trip. Gatlinburg-area Airbnb hosts have also been upset by the change.
A Smoky Mountains Airbnb host who uses the handle "Gin E Fur" took to her TikTokpage to share with viewers why she was upset about the change.
"We also got to remember some of these places are not just a place of business, this is actually a second home for some of these owners, some of their families stay here. They come and stay here for a month at a time sometimes, with their family,"Fur said on TikTok.
"Ma’am, I’m not a guest in your home. I’m a patron at your business," someone said in response to the video.
"We don’t do chores in a hotel rental, why should we for the Airbnb. Same hospitality service that’s being PAID for," another commenter wrote.
The same host also said that, without the ability to ask guests to do chores such as doing the dishes and taking out the trash, she would have to spend more time cleaning, which would prevent her from making it to another Airbnb rental to clean and therefore hurt her business.
Parts of Tennessee get a big exception to Airbnb rules
Hosts are still allowed to list additional "reasonable requests" in their house rules. One additional rule Airbnb considers reasonable applies to bear country. Airbnb does not define what it considers bear country, but with the number of black bears wandering around the Smokies, one could conclude the Gatlinburg area would likely be included.
Under the bear country carve-out, hosts are allowed to ask guests to dispose of trash in an animal-proof container, so bears aren't attracted to the property.
Airbnb hosts, guests at odds even before policy change
Months before Airbnb's policy change, there had been arguments over house rules.
Social media has had a field day in recent years with Airbnb hosts whom many think have gotten out of hand with their requests. Many guests say they are paying a business and should not be asked to do chores.
A couple with an Airbnb rental who go by the username "Cassie & Jon" received a lot of TikTok attention for getting frustrated when guests would move a throw pillow, leave a small amount of food in the fridge or forget to take the trash out. Their unpopular guest rules at the Airbnb prompted some backlash.
Commenters began asking if guests were even allowed to stay in the space. They felt the requests had gone too far, especially because many hosts charge a cleaning fee on top of the tasks they assign to guests. Many others took to social media to express their exasperation with outrageous Airbnb requests.
USA TODAY contributed to this report.
Afton Pratt covers trending and breaking news for Knox News and Tennessee. She can be reached at ampratt@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Nashville, Gatlinburg Airbnb hosts fight back against new chore ban
