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.”
My one and only Airbnb experience: first it took an hour to get the keys and figure out how they worked on the locks— one was so stiff and difficult we feared breaking the key in it. We could only use the flimsy door handle lock to secure the room behind us. It was a little apartment in a block. It was not up to my level of cleanliness and there was a clogged toilet in the only bathroom. The owner argued with us about fixing it but we got it fixed several hours later after insisting. There were weird stains on the sheets on a bed in a small alcove in the hallway. My friend and I ended up sharing the remaining queen sized bed. I was afraid I’d get bedbugs the entire time. It was moderately priced off-season and I split with my friend— considering the shabbiness of the entire experience it should’ve been very cheap. I will never use Airbnb style accommodations ever again. No way it’s worth it.
Outlier tbf, I’ve used it at least 10 times and rarely had any sort of issue.
Edit: saying that, none of these were in the US. It sounds worse there, anecdotally.
It’s unfortunate that was my first experience.