Holiday house company, kate & tom’s, warns Airbnb’s checkout chore ban leaves large-house owners picking up the pieces, stating “it’s a nuanced conversation that requires context”.
Airbnb has changed its rules to limit what property hosts can require of guests, including ‘chores’ like cleaning falling under ‘unreasonable’ requests.
The updated guidelines state that hosts can only set seven standard house rules along with adding any other ‘reasonable’ requests.
Airbnb says that guests – since they’re required to pay a cleaning fee – should not as well be asked by property hosts to complete tasks that would normally be completed by a cleaner – like washing dishes, stripping beds and taking rubbish out to the bins.
The new rules will apply to all reservations booked on or after 20th November on Airbnb.
Commercial Manager, Hayley Bretherton, at luxury holiday-house company, kate & tom’s, says the new rules could come with repercussions for owners of large houses, explaining that a standard cleaning fee cannot always stretch to clearing up after large groups.
Hayley Bretherton warns that when applied to the scale of large holiday houses for big groups, a single group leaving a kitchen full of dirty dishes can derail a changeover and incur unreasonable costs for owners, explaining “It’s a nuanced conversation that requires context”.
“Airbnb’s new changes aim to make the checkout process more seamless and convenient for guests – which is never a bad thing – guests deserve to enjoy their stay to the fullest. There’s a big difference, however, between asking guests to deep clean a house, and asking them to load a dishwasher for self-catering properties.
“No one wants to spend the last morning of their stay stripping beds and vacuuming, and at kate & tom’s, that would never be required of our guests – their comfort and enjoyment is always a priority. With decades of experience in this industry comes nuance, though; I feel strongly that clearing up after your meals when you’re in a self-catering property is simply part of being a good guest – just as you would if you were in your own home or a friend’s.
“The majority of our holiday houses sleep large groups of people – some 40 guests and beyond. The mess that can accumulate on this scale if guests cook a meal for 40 using almost every pan, glass and plate – left out on the worktops and table – cannot be covered by a standard clean.
“A lot of owners of large houses have negotiated a cleaning fee based on a normal turnaround. Many of them simply won’t be able to cover the cost of doing 40 people’s washing up on top of that. If that cost has to land somewhere, it will show up as higher prices given the inflated cost of the clean is factored into the rate.
“It’s a small courtesy, but it makes a huge difference to the people who look after these houses, and it helps keep big group holidays affordable.”
kate & tom’s is encouraging group guests to agree to a quick kitchen clear-up before departure day, so that the last morning stays relaxed and the house is ready for the next group.
