Airbnb's New House Rules: Have We Forgotten About Common Courtesy?
Commentary by Shelley Galbraith, short term rental owner and host, Volunteer Airbnb Community Leader, and Chair, The Short Term Rental Association of San Antonio
Airbnb's announcement of new house rules has generated an extraordinary amount of attention around the world. Television networks, newspapers, travel publications, and social media have been buzzing about the company's decision to limit the cleaning tasks hosts can ask guests to perform. Much of the coverage has focused on one particularly controversial change: beginning November 20, 2026, hosts generally cannot ask guests to wash and put away dishes before checking out.
It's easy to understand why the announcement has struck a nerve. Many travelers have experienced the frustration of paying a substantial cleaning fee, only to discover a lengthy list of chores waiting for them at checkout. Hosts, meanwhile, are understandably concerned about what the changes could mean for their cleaning schedules, operating costs, and ability to care for their properties. Both sides have legitimate concerns, and neither deserves to be dismissed.
But amid all the headlines and heated discussions, an important distinction seems to have been lost. Airbnb is telling hosts they cannot ask guests to wash dishes. It is not telling guests they shouldn't wash their dishes. Those are two very different things, and understanding the difference may help bring some perspective to a debate that has become unnecessarily divisive.
Why Airbnb Made the Change to New House Rules
Airbnb has good reasons for addressing excessive checkout requirements. For years, travelers have complained about paying substantial cleaning fees while also being presented with lengthy lists of chores before departure. Some hosts have expected guests to strip beds, start laundry, wash dishes, take out garbage, and perform other tasks that would ordinarily be handled by a cleaning crew.
Those complaints deserve to be heard. Guests are paying for a comfortable place to stay, and the last morning of a vacation shouldn't feel like a race to complete a housekeeping checklist. Hosts who have imposed extensive checkout requirements, particularly while charging significant cleaning fees, have contributed to a perception that vacation rentals are less convenient than hotels. That's unfortunate for the many thoughtful hosts who have always worked hard to make departures simple and pleasant.
Airbnb's new policy attempts to establish clearer boundaries. Hosts generally cannot ask guests to strip beds, start laundry, wash and put away dishes, or take garbage off the property. They can still ask guests to gather used towels, place dishes in the sink, separate trash and recycling into designated indoor bins, and turn off lights or air conditioning when leaving. The policy applies to reservations booked on or after November 20, rather than automatically changing the rules for reservations already made.
There's nothing unreasonable about wanting guests to enjoy their stay without worrying about excessive checkout chores. In fact, most hosts want exactly that. The question is whether Airbnb has drawn the line in the right place, particularly when it comes to dishes.
Washing Dishes Isn't Quite the Same as Cleaning a House
One of the challenges with Airbnb's new approach is that vacation rentals are wonderfully diverse. A couple spending a weekend in a small studio might use a few coffee cups and plates. A family of 12 gathering for a week in a large vacation home might prepare three meals a day, filling the kitchen with pots, pans, dishes, utensils, and the happy chaos that often comes with a family vacation.
Both groups deserve a relaxing stay, but the practical realities for the hosts are quite different. In a larger home, washing dishes can be a normal part of using the kitchen throughout the stay, not simply a checkout chore. Many guests already do this without being asked, just as they would in their own homes. It's a small gesture of consideration that most hosts genuinely appreciate.
There is also a practical difference between asking guests to clean a bathroom or launder bedding and asking them to wash the pots and pans they used to prepare dinner. One is clearly part of preparing a property for the next guest. The other has traditionally been considered an ordinary part of cleaning up after oneself.
Of course, hosts remain responsible for ensuring that dishes, cookware, and utensils are clean and sanitary for incoming guests, regardless of what departing guests do. That responsibility hasn't changed, nor should it. But there is a difference between checking and sanitizing kitchen items during turnover and having to deal with an entire kitchen full of dirty dishes and cookware. For hosts working with limited turnover windows, that distinction can be significant.
What Airbnb Is Actually Saying
The most important point in this controversy may also be the simplest. Airbnb's policy states that hosts generally cannot ask guests to wash and put away dishes, although they may ask guests to place used dishes in the sink.
Notice what Airbnb is not saying. It isn't telling guests that washing dishes is discouraged, that they should deliberately leave dirty dishes behind, or that ordinary consideration for the property is no longer expected. It is restricting what hosts can require or request, not prohibiting guests from voluntarily cleaning up after themselves.
Airbnb's existing guest ground rules reinforce that distinction. Guests are still expected to treat a host's property with respect and leave it in a condition that does not require excessive or deep cleaning. Airbnb even identifies moldy dishes as an example of a cleanliness problem that can violate its guest standards.
In other words, Airbnb has two expectations operating at the same time. Hosts generally cannot ask guests to wash dishes, but guests remain responsible for treating the property respectfully and avoiding excessive messes. Those expectations aren't necessarily contradictory, although the distinction deserves considerably more explanation than it has received in much of the news coverage.
Hosts should also understand that changing the wording of a dishwashing instruction doesn't necessarily make it permissible. Airbnb's new policy covers requests as well as mandatory house rules, so replacing "You must wash your dishes" with "We would appreciate it if you washed your dishes" may still violate the policy. The distinction is between what a host may ask and what a guest may voluntarily choose to do.
Good Hospitality and Responsible Guest Behavior Go Together
Good hospitality begins with clear expectations, a clean and well-maintained property, and a genuine commitment to making guests feel welcome. Hosts put considerable thought, time, and care into creating places where travelers can relax, spend time with loved ones, and enjoy experiences they might not find in a traditional hotel. Most take great pride in that work, and they want their guests to feel comfortable from the moment they arrive until the moment they leave.
That hospitality should extend to checkout. Guests shouldn't be surprised by a lengthy list of chores or feel that they must clean the property before leaving. A cleaning fee should reflect the work required to prepare the home for the next guest, not become an excuse to charge travelers while expecting them to perform the housekeeping themselves.
In my own experience as an Airbnb host, in 10 years I've never directly asked guests to wash dishes, take out the trash, strip beds, or stack towels before checking out. I've always preferred to keep checkout simple and let guests enjoy their stay right up until departure. And after years of welcoming travelers into my home, I've generally found that guests treat the property with care and consideration without being told to do so. I haven't experienced a pattern of guests leaving the place in poor condition simply because I didn't give them a list of cleaning instructions.
That experience has reinforced something I believe about hospitality: when guests feel welcome and trusted, most respond in kind. Of course, not every stay is perfect, and every host will occasionally encounter a difficult situation. But I've never felt that a lengthy list of rules was necessary to encourage respectful behavior. For me, creating a welcoming environment and trusting guests to do the right thing has worked remarkably well.
At the same time, hospitality is a relationship built on mutual consideration. Guests also have responsibilities when staying in a home, particularly one with a fully equipped kitchen, outdoor amenities, and other features that distinguish vacation rentals from traditional hotel rooms.
A vacation rental offers something special. Guests may have access to a complete kitchen, laundry facilities, outdoor living areas, and space for families and friends to gather. Those amenities are among the reasons travelers choose short-term rentals in the first place. And most guests recognize that enjoying those comforts comes with a reasonable expectation that they'll use the property thoughtfully.
This doesn't mean hosts should dictate how guests spend their final morning or expect them to perform housekeeping duties. It simply means that ordinary courtesy, such as cleaning up a spill, disposing of food waste appropriately, or voluntarily washing dishes after preparing a meal, shouldn't be confused with excessive cleaning requirements. These are small gestures that help make the experience better for everyone.
And guests who choose to wash their dishes are certainly not violating Airbnb's new rules.
Has Airbnb Created an Unintended Message?
The worldwide attention surrounding this announcement raises another concern. Much of the media coverage has emphasized that Airbnb guests no longer have to wash dishes, strip beds, or take out garbage. That makes for an appealing headline, particularly among travelers who have experienced frustrating checkout requirements.
But headlines don't always communicate the nuances of a policy. A guest who hears that Airbnb has eliminated dishwashing requirements might reasonably conclude that leaving a kitchen full of dirty dishes is now perfectly acceptable, regardless of the circumstances. That isn't necessarily consistent with Airbnb's continuing expectations for guest cleanliness.
This is where Airbnb has an opportunity to bring hosts and guests together rather than leave them feeling at odds. If the company wants to protect travelers from unreasonable checkout chores while preserving expectations for respectful guest behavior, it should communicate both sides of that equation equally clearly. Guests deserve to know what they can expect from their hosts, and hosts deserve reassurance that reasonable standards for caring for their properties still matter.
There are also legitimate questions about how the policy will affect different types of properties. A one-bedroom apartment and a six-bedroom vacation home present very different housekeeping challenges. Airbnb says it considers the type of listing, length of stay, and relevant local circumstances when evaluating whether a request is reasonable, and exceptions may be granted. How consistently those considerations will be applied remains to be seen.
Even Brian Chesky Has Been Put on the Spot
The controversy over cleaning fees and checkout chores isn't new. In a revealing exchange between actor Rainn Wilson and Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky, Wilson described receiving a one-star review from a host because he hadn't washed his cereal bowl or dishes, despite paying a $207 cleaning fee. Wilson challenged Chesky directly about the situation, drawing laughter from the audience and putting the Airbnb CEO in the position of defending the company's policies.
It's a funny exchange, but there's a genuine frustration behind Wilson's story. Nobody wants to pay a substantial cleaning fee and then feel punished for failing to complete a household chore. Chesky acknowledged that Airbnb had received numerous complaints about excessive cleaning requirements and described efforts to improve price transparency and give guests greater opportunities to hold hosts accountable through reviews. He also made his position on dishwashing quite clear, saying that guests shouldn't have to clean cereal bowls after leaving an Airbnb.
The exchange helps explain why Airbnb has decided to act, and it's worth recognizing that the company is responding to a problem travelers have raised repeatedly. But Wilson's experience also highlights an important distinction. He wasn't simply complaining about washing dishes. He was complaining about being penalized for not doing so after paying a substantial cleaning fee. There is a difference between requiring guests to perform cleaning tasks, punishing them for failing to do so, and appreciating guests who voluntarily clean up after themselves.
Airbnb's new policy addresses the first two concerns. The challenge is ensuring that the message doesn't unintentionally discourage the third.
Watch the conversation between Rainn Wilson and Brian Chesky, beginning at approximately 3:15.
Finding the Right Balance
The enormous reaction to Airbnb's announcement illustrates something important about the short-term rental industry. Hosts and guests have far more in common than this controversy might suggest. Hosts want to provide wonderful experiences, earn good reviews, and welcome travelers who appreciate their properties. Guests want comfortable accommodations, fair prices, and the freedom to enjoy their vacations without unexpected obligations. Those goals are entirely compatible.
The disagreement is largely about where ordinary courtesy ends and housekeeping begins. It's a reasonable discussion to have, and one that deserves more thought than the headlines have generally allowed.
Airbnb is right to address excessive checkout chores, and hosts should take the opportunity to review their own practices with fresh eyes. At the same time, the company should recognize that washing dishes after using a kitchen is not universally viewed as a cleaning chore. For many people, it's simply part of using a kitchen responsibly, and something they do naturally without anyone having to ask.
The new policy doesn't take effect until November 20, so we have yet to see how it will influence guest behavior, cleaning costs, or host satisfaction. We hope Airbnb will use the coming weeks to clarify its message and reinforce the guest responsibilities that remain in place. In the meantime, hosts can continue welcoming guests warmly, keeping checkout procedures simple, and trusting that most travelers will treat their properties with the same consideration they would appreciate in return.
Good hospitality and common courtesy have always gone hand in hand. Airbnb's new house rules shouldn't change that.
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