Airbnb Bans Some Check-Out Chores: No More Taking Out Trash, Washing Dishes

Airbnb is changing its rules and banning hosts from asking guests to take out the trash, wash used dishes, or strip any bedding.

The new rules take effect worldwide on Nov. 20, 2026, for any bookings made after that date. Airbnb refers to these changes as hosts now making “reasonable requests,” and they’re more guest-friendly than previous rules.

For laundry, Airbnb says guests should no longer be asked to remove sheets from a bed or put a load in a washing machine, but they can be asked to gather used towels. It says guests shouldn’t be expected to wash and put away dishes, but hosts can ask them to put them in the sink.

It also says you shouldn’t be told to empty any trash cans or take garbage out. Hosts can continue to request that you separate trash from recycling, as long as it’s done with indoor trash cans.

Hosts can no longer restrict you from using any listed amenities. For example, if an Airbnb listing says there’s an air conditioning unit, the host cannot ask you not to use it, but they can ask you to turn it off at the end of your stay.

Airbnb says there may be exceptions to each new rule, with notable examples including asking guests to dispose of trash in an “animal-proof container in bear country” or to limit shower time if there are any “local drought-related water restrictions.”

Airbnb’s announcement says hosts need to “remember that most guests want to avoid unexpected chores” and “asking them to do things a cleaner should handle can negatively affect their stay and your reviews.”

While this may make your stay easier, many Airbnb hosts aren’t happy about the changes. A forum thread sees hundreds of Airbnb hosts frustrated with the changes and what they will mean for their properties.

Airbnb host Elizabeth wrote on the forum, “It is regrettable that Airbnb has not taken the trouble to consult hosts on such a significant policy change. Once again, it sends a strong signal about how little value appears to be placed on the hosts whose properties underpin its business. Presumably, this is a strategic business decision intended to achieve a particular aim, but Airbnb has done little to explain what that aim is or how this policy benefits hosts.”

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