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Guests like Jessica Newhook have welcomed recent adjustments to Airbnb policies, finding relief from the previously demanding checkout expectations combined with high cleaning fees. Newhook shared her experience of booking a Florida property for a family reunion of 11 people, where despite paying a $250 cleaning fee, they were required to leave the home spotless for the cleaning team. The host insisted that they wash and fold towels, clean both the kitchen and bedding, and sweep and mop the floors. Additionally, the host warned them about potential eviction if they continued to leave chairs blocking the bins.
Although Newhook appreciates the comfort of staying in an Airbnb, the increasing number of stringent rules and rising cleaning charges have diminished the overall experience for her. She expressed frustration, noting, “We had rules about everything and it was not relaxing at all,” and added that, due to these factors, hotels are becoming a more attractive and often cheaper alternative with clearer expectations.
Krissi Foskett, a Glasgow-based cleaning business owner who regularly stays in Airbnb rentals, offers a perspective from both guest and service provider viewpoints. On a recent trip to Stafford, she paid a £35 cleaning fee yet was still expected to strip beds, do laundry, empty bins, and carry rubbish to a recycling area some distance from the property. While she doesn’t particularly mind performing these tasks, it caused her to question what the cleaning fee was actually covering. She distinguishes between being a thoughtful guest, such as placing dirty dishes in the dishwasher, and having to prepare the property for future occupants.
Having encountered the flipside of hosting through her cleaning business, Foskett has seen situations where cleaning teams faced extreme messes, including broken furniture and hazardous stains like vomit and pet urine. While she expresses empathy for hosts struggling with quick turnovers and escalating cleaning expenses, she emphasizes that these costs should not be transferred directly to guests. “If you’re running an Airbnb as a business, professional cleaning is a cost of doing business,” she stated. Meanwhile, Anthony Marsh, a co-owner of a cabin retreat in North Yorkshire, has reduced the number of properties he lists on Airbnb from five to two due to the new rules. Marsh voiced his concern that Airbnb is now allowing guests to treat properties carelessly without recourse for hosts, saying, “Airbnb has effectively given guests permission to come and leave properties a tip, and a host can’t do anything about it.”
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