NYT article on Airbnb's changes- Comments Infuriating but Capture Frustration

Short-Term & Vacation Rental Discussions
2dFollow

NYT article on Airbnb's changes- Comments Infuriating but Capture Frustration

Christina B.
Boulder, CO · Member since 2023 · 179 posts · 101 votes

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/22/travel/airbnb-host-rules-cleaning-chores.html

Warning: reading the comments can be triggering and will require deep breaths, walks outside, multiple drinks, or snuggle sessions with one's dog or other loved ones to recover.

The irony is that guests think hosts are the entitled ones and vice versa. So clearly, Airbnb has tapped into a wellspring of resentment from guests (and I don't doubt there are places that ask too much of guests). However... unless their House Rules were hidden (I make mine upfront in my listing and again upon confirmation of booking at which point they can still cancel without penalties within 24 hours), the guest HAD A CHOICE. So don't choose the STR if you can't or don't want to follow the rules. That's not a broke system.

Most of the hosts here genuinely seem to care about providing great hospitality (or they don't survive). I've tried to figure out how to eliminate cleaning fees, for example. But if baking it in to the nightly rate is the best way to do it, I ran the numbers and... the guest ends up paying more. Now, Airbnb has asked us to offset their 15.5% host fee by increasing our nightly rates (to make the same amount of money). Guess who pays more? The guest.

So aggravating. Having said all that, if Airbnb maintains their new restrictions on House Rules, cleaning, or what we can or cannot ask guests to do, I'll have to increase our cleaning fee, etc. to cover the extra work. Again, the guest PAYS MORE. The difference in price for the same listing on Airbnb vs VRBO (lol, vs direct booking) becomes even greater.

VRBO, if one of your reps is here- please do NOT make this same mistake. Do not screw over the hosts who make your business possible. It's killing the golden goose during an already economically challenging climate.

1Reply
591 views

Most Popular Reply

Andrew SteffensBusiness Member
Tampa, FL · Member since 2022 · 3k+ posts · 3k+ votes
1d

Funny that guests think that hosts are the entitled ones.

[email protected]813-563-0877
Vacation Rentals of Florida53 Reviews
WebsiteView Page
2Reply
See this reply in the discussion

14 Replies

Jump to latestLatest
  • Jay HinrichsBusiness Member
    Real Estate Consultant · Summerlin, NV · Member since 2014 · 45k+ posts · 66k+ votes
    2d

    I stayed in a cabin in MT.. and the rules were not on the listing.. and I was shocked to see I had to wash dishes normally I would never cook but it was semi remote 45 minutes to closest restaurant so I was forced to eat there.. and so not only that they required I wash the dishes they had NO dishwasher I had to figure out how to do them by hand.. I cant remember the last 50 years I have washed dishes by hand :) Not the end of world as I am pretty neat by nature.. So maybe it was good for me :)

    ON other threads folks make a great point about at least loading the dishwasher and turning it on before you check out.. so when the cleaners get there basically they only have to empty the dishwasher that makes sense. I also dont like to have to strip the bed that seems odd to me the cleaners could do that and in short order.

    Podcast Guest on Show #222
    JLH Capital Partners51 Review
    WebsiteView Page
    1Reply
  • Michael BaumPro Member
    Olympia, WA · Member since 2016 · 8k+ posts · 7k+ votes
    2d

    We have some pretty mild asks for check out.

    Take all towels to nearest tub, gather garbage and place in cans outside and load and run the dishwasher.

    Easy and should take less than 15 minutes. It really helps out the cleaners and putting all the garbage in the cans helps keep animals away as it will be out there for less than an hour.

    1Reply
  • Matthew Tregoning
    Property Manager · Melbourne, FL · Member since 2019 · 404 posts · 166 votes
    1d

    The timing of the clean is the part I’d measure first. Having the cleaner start dishes or laundry may add only a few minutes of hands-on work but still push the finish time back. A couple of timed turnovers would help show whether the real issue is labor, machine cycles or the gap before the next arrival.

    0Reply
    • Dan H.Pro Member
      Investor · Poway, CA · Member since 2015 · 7k+ posts · 8k+ votes
      18h

      The way we run dishwasher (heavy and sanitize) the cycle takes 3 hours. Checkout 11, check-in 4 PM (5 hours) would not even permit 2 turns on the dishwasher alone. Even changing to 10 checkout and 5 check in (7 hours) may not allow 2 tuns as time to load dishwasher and time to get to 2nd unit has to be accounted for, This is not something that can be alleviated by having multiple person cleaning crew as that will not make the dishwasher faster.

      If cleaners can only do one turn a day, they will need to raise their fees which gets past to guest. In addition, there is not enough cleaners in our market to double the number of cleaning crews. The implication is some same day turns will not be able to be supported by all hosts. This reduces occupancy which means ADR must rise.

      The guest will end up paying more for Lidging and cleaning. They will then complain about the price for an issue Airbnb created,

      0Reply
  • Andrew SteffensBusiness Member
    Tampa, FL · Member since 2022 · 3k+ posts · 3k+ votes
    1d

    Funny that guests think that hosts are the entitled ones.

    [email protected]813-563-0877
    Vacation Rentals of Florida53 Reviews
    WebsiteView Page
    2Reply
    • Collin HaysBusiness Member
      Property Manager · Gatlinburg, TN · Member since 2020 · 3k+ posts · 4k+ votes
      1d

      Friend of mine has a car dealership. He says "and customers think WE are the dishonest ones?"

      [email protected]806-672-7102
      SMOKY MOUNTAIN FALLS INC.51 Review
      WebsiteView Page
      1Reply
    • JD MartinBusiness Member
      Moderator
      Rock Star Extraordinaire · Northeast, TN · Member since 2015 · 10k+ posts · 16k+ votes
      18h
      Quote from @Collin Hays:

      Friend of mine has a car dealership. He says "and customers think WE are the dishonest ones?"

      My father sold cars all his life. They had a saying "buyers are liars".

      Podcast Guest on Show #243
      Skyline Properties
      View Page
      0Reply
    • Christina B.
      OP
      Boulder, CO · Member since 2023 · 179 posts · 101 votes
      1d

      The NYT comments reveal a high level of frustration with host demands on guests for chores, cleaning, etc. I certainly empathize if those demands or requests aren't clearly stated before one commits to the booking. I have less sympathy with what's unsaid- the guest picked that place because of its location, its pricing, etc. with full knowledge of what the host's rules are. If you were willing to trade sweat equity (or whatever), you're an adult. Allow us the choice. Now, I'm looking at less choice and higher prices because Airbnb wants a greater profit? SMH.

      0Reply
  • John RacinePro Member
    Rental Property Investor · Casselberry, FL · Member since 2008 · 79 posts · 47 votes
    1d

    Christina, the hotel comparison is where I think a lot of guests miss the math. I spent time in hotels before STRs, and the economics are completely different.

    A hotel housekeeper might clean 12 to 18 rooms a day, depending on the hotel. Even at $20 an hour, which is high in a lot of markets, that 8-hour shift is spread across all of those rooms, so the cleaning cost per room is small.

    An independent cleaner turning an STR is in a different world. One property can take double, maybe triple, the time of a standard hotel room, and then they have to drive to the next one. Most cap out at 2 to 4 turnovers a day. That limits what they can earn, so yes, the cleaning fee is going to be significantly higher than what a guest would ever see in a hotel rate.

    On the chores, I've never had guests strip beds or haul trash. I just ask them to run the dishwasher and put the trash in the large can for curbside pickup, so the new rules don't affect me much.

    Two other things that have kept this from hurting much on my side:

    • Most of my calendar is 30+ day stays, with short stays only filling gaps. A guest staying 30-60 days checks out once, so a checkout checklist matters a lot less than on a listing turning every two or three nights. If the new rules make turnovers more expensive, longer minimums mean fewer of them.

    • I spread bookings across channels. Booking.com has been one of my strongest, and Airbnb's rules don't touch bookings that come from somewhere else.

    The average Airbnb guest likely doesn't understand any of that, and doesn't really care. So in the short term, we each have to determine what's best for our own businesses.

    What are you leaning toward for your place?

    1Reply
  • Christina B.
    OP
    Boulder, CO · Member since 2023 · 179 posts · 101 votes
    1d

    @John Racine I do think that guests miss the math but that also, there's such a large variety of rental properties, what's onerous for a one bedroom might be reasonable for a 4 bedroom house. End of the day, I respect guests don't have to math. I appreciated being able to vent here to fellow hosts. Now, it becomes a problem to solve like anything else and how we pivot. Not loving Airbnb's treatment and double-speak (e.g. "we're on your side, guests!" while their actions in the past year lead to an end result of "you'll be paying more, guests- but blame the hosts, not this platform").

    For us, after discussions with our cleaner, rates will increase on Airbnb in addition to that 15.5% (which only maintained the old rates/payment). I'm seriously considering eliminating the cleaning fee and baking it into the rates (but overall, that results in higher costs per night because good cleaning in this small mountain town is not cheap). I'll test Airbnb vs VRBO vs direct to see what makes the most sense. I'm a guest, too, and book regularly across Airbnb, VRBO, Booking.com, and hotel chains- and there's always something to learn. The properties I enjoy staying at the most- have exceptional service and clear communication, which we try to provide. We'll keep doing that. And if end of day, we also turn to MTR, that's good, too. You say that Booking.com is one of your strongest- I've heard very mixed things about the guests that come from that platform when it comes to STR. Do you still recommend?

    0Reply
    • John RacinePro Member
      Rental Property Investor · Casselberry, FL · Member since 2008 · 79 posts · 47 votes
      1d

      @Christina B. , I have heard mixed reviews on Booking too so I wonder how much of it is geo-specific. I have several properties in Jacksonville, Florida and I have been very fortunate there.

      Vrbo has been good but where I think so many of us may soon suffer more is the Airbnb 1st movers advantage. They were 1st to the market so they are the behemoth.

      Doesn't mean they can't be knocked into a different position. Just ask Sears, Blockbuster, and Kodak, lol.

      I do think in my heart of hearts, the best for us in our business is to have the separate cleaning fee and let Airbnb do with it as they please. I cohost a number of properties so a 1 night stay could cost a small fortune. The small fortune is my take on the price and not my guests so it is relative.

      I also feel in my heart of hearts direct booking is a great option. I have not focused on it 1 iota at this point so I need to get my butt in gear. I spent time writing sales copy and building websites so this "should" be a no brainer. Really want to focus on building community and a following to be able to have direct booking as an option.

      Those who on't have that yet can do things like PPC(Pay Per Click) marketing, influencer campaigns, UGC(User Generated Content) type initiatives etc but that all takes effort and dollars.

      I think all of that to say, being a business owners is solving problems, and I just got handed a ton more problems to solve, LOL.

      1Reply
  • JD MartinBusiness Member
    Moderator
    Rock Star Extraordinaire · Northeast, TN · Member since 2015 · 10k+ posts · 16k+ votes
    20h

    Before I sold and got out (and I'm not coming back to the STR world!), it was a pretty easy ask of the guests. If you're able to, please start the dishwasher as it helps our cleaners prepare for the next guests, and if you can remove any trash and place it in the bin outside the house that would be helpful. Otherwise, just turn off the lights and lock the doors behind you. We eventually gave up on asking to gather towels and strip beds because a lot of guests just ignored it anyway and our caretakers were pretty savvy about figuring out what was used and what wasn't. Never asked guests to start the wash because a) a lot of people are just idiots and don't even know how to do wash, and b) if for some reason the cleaners don't get there that day you've got wet sheets sitting in a washing machine for 24 hours or more.

    Podcast Guest on Show #243
    Skyline Properties
    View Page
    2Reply
  • Jon Martin
    Member since 2022 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
    17h

    The "Cleaning Fee"/duties is hot button social media rage bait that AirBnb conveniently used as a Trojan Horse for their real platform priority- limiting ways for hosts to collect guest information. At the same time as the cleaning duties rules, they also made restrictions about using platforms like StayFi (collects emails for WIFI access .. . like many hotels lol), requesting photo ID, or having guests sign rental contracts. ABNB can easily hide behind the "protect guest privacy" schtick but we all know what their real intentions are- keeping guests on platform.

    And I put "cleaning fee" in quotations for a reason. It's irrelevant. Guests are expecting a clean property, and you have to pay someone to clean up behind them. How you itemize the bill is irrelevant. It would be no different than 2 identical hotels where one charges a resort fee and the other doesn't, yet the price per rom and quality is the same. It's the same, except with the resort fee you feel like you are getting ripped off and nickel and dimed, whereas if you paid the same price for an all in booking you wouldn't notice.

    2Reply
    • JD MartinBusiness Member
      Moderator
      Rock Star Extraordinaire · Northeast, TN · Member since 2015 · 10k+ posts · 16k+ votes
      10h
      Quote from @Jon Martin:

      The "Cleaning Fee"/duties is hot button social media rage bait that AirBnb conveniently used as a Trojan Horse for their real platform priority- limiting ways for hosts to collect guest information. At the same time as the cleaning duties rules, they also made restrictions about using platforms like StayFi (collects emails for WIFI access .. . like many hotels lol), requesting photo ID, or having guests sign rental contracts. ABNB can easily hide behind the "protect guest privacy" schtick but we all know what their real intentions are- keeping guests on platform.

      And I put "cleaning fee" in quotations for a reason. It's irrelevant. Guests are expecting a clean property, and you have to pay someone to clean up behind them. How you itemize the bill is irrelevant. It would be no different than 2 identical hotels where one charges a resort fee and the other doesn't, yet the price per rom and quality is the same. It's the same, except with the resort fee you feel like you are getting ripped off and nickel and dimed, whereas if you paid the same price for an all in booking you wouldn't notice.

      I always preferred the all-in price; I learned the value of that single price years ago in the utility industry. Unfortunately, it's a "Romans" thing right now in the platforms and when 95% of owners itemize it makes your place look non-competitive. Now changing to the "show the all-in price" helps with that part of it so it may end up that everyone goes that way eventually.

      Podcast Guest on Show #243
      Skyline Properties
      View Page
      1Reply
Join the conversationCreate a free account to reply, vote on answers and follow this thread.
Log InJoin for Free