Some Airbnb hosts require visitors to complete long work lists and pay cleaning costs of up to $375.
Frustrated guests have taken to social media to express their displeasure, with some claiming they were ordered to carry out the garbage, wash the linens, and even mow the lawn during their stay.
TikToker @Melworeit said that she opted not to book on Airbnb since the company imposed a $125 cleaning fee and required visitors to take out the garbage, remove bed sheets, run the dishwasher, and do a load of washing.
The article received 66,000 views and over 5,000 comments, with many people sharing similar experiences with Airbnb task lists.
“If I’m paying $229 a night to stay somewhere plus a $125 cleaning fee, I’m not doing any laundry,” the TikToker explained. “I know it’s like one load of laundry, and it’ll take me two minutes to do, but it’s the principle that really bothers me.”
In July, another Airbnb visitor asked on Reddit if it was “normal for a host to tell the guest to mow the lawn themselves?”
“Seems like a strange response given the premium being paid for staying here (to me, at least), but if that’s standard then I’ll roll with it,” the user continued. “I just don’t want to be penalized/charged/poorly reviewed for ‘neglecting’ the lawn if I don’t do it.”
While hosts pick their cleaning prices, Airbnb said they had issued tips for keeping the amount acceptable and encouraged homeowners not to collect cleaning fees. According to the firm, 45% of global Airbnb listings do not charge a cleaning fee and those that do charge a fee charge less than 10% of the overall reservation cost on average.
“Would you like guests to load dirty dishes into the dishwasher or strip the bed linen before checkout? If so, consider charging a very minimal cleaning fee – or no fee at all,” the Airbnb host resource page on cleaning fees reads. “With a higher fee, guests may expect to just walk away from your space at checkout as they would a hotel room.”
A full-time digital nomad in over 100 Airbnbs revealed that some hosts have expected him to do chores while failing to provide basic cleaning and washing materials.
“Despite paying a cleaning charge, which may be exorbitant these days, Airbnb hosts have requested me to undertake duties such as taking out the garbage when checking out, doing the dishes, cleaning up, and other efforts to aid the host. I’d be delighted to help if I had the necessary resources. Hosts should either supply all essential supplies or eliminate the cleaning cost totally,” the regular Airbnb guest said.