What This Story Is About
- Airbnb is rolling out new rules that change what hosts can require of guests. In East Tennessee, a Pigeon Forge host and several visiting renters have differing reactions to the change.
Why It Matters
- For guests, the rule change could mean a less labor-intensive checkout process — no more mopping floors or hauling trash to a landfill after paying hundreds or thousands of dollars for a stay, as described by renters Marlies Weber and Ross Carnevale.
- The new Airbnb policies take effect Nov. 20. Hosts who don’t comply could face warnings or reduced visibility in Airbnb search results.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Airbnb is changing what hosts can ask of guests, requiring all house rules be disclosed up front and generally banning checkout tasks like stripping beds and washing dishes.
The new policy restricts hosts from asking guests to strip beds, start laundry or do other chores the company says take “significant time” and should be done by a cleaner. All rules must now be disclosed up front, with no new rules added after booking.
The policy also sets new limits on fines and outside contracts.
Guests say change is overdue
Marlies Weber is visiting Knoxville from Indiana for a wedding, and is staying in an Airbnb this week. She said the checkout list adds up fast when traveling with kids…