Airbnb has issued a policy update on October 20, effective for reservations booked on or after November 20, outlining what hosts can and cannot ask guests to do during their stay and before checkout. The policy, titled "Reasonable House Rules and Requests," aims to draw a line between being a considerate guest and becoming an unpaid cleaner. According to the policy, hosts are generally not allowed to ask guests to complete tasks that require significant effort or time, or would typically be performed by a cleaner.
The policy change comes as Airbnb continues to be a popular choice for travelers in Kenya, with 6,535 active listings in Nairobi alone, according to short-term rental analytics firm Airbtics. Airbnb has been operating in Kenya for over a decade and is among the most preferred ways for travelers to find accommodation in the country. The new policy has sparked debate among hosts, with some expressing concerns that it favors guests at their expense.
The policy limits tasks that hosts can ask guests to perform, including washing and putting away dishes, stripping beds, and taking out the trash. However, hosts can ask guests to put used dishes in the sink, gather used towels, and separate trash and recycling into designated indoor bins. Airbnb has also published guidance on "Important Changes to House Rules," explaining which checkout tasks hosts can request.
Hosts are also required to select seven standard house rules covering issues such as the maximum number of overnight guests, quiet hours, and locking up at checkout. Beyond these, hosts can add "reasonable requests, all in one place." However, some hosts have expressed concerns that the new policy restricts their ability to manage their properties effectively.
Purity Kathambi Mbaabu, an Airbnb host, consultant, and property lawyer, told Nation Lifestyle that the rules reinforce a long-standing complaint among hosts that Airbnb favors guests at their expense. However, she also noted that if the price of a stay covers cleaning, hosts should not expect guests to do that work. She estimated that cleaning a Nairobi one-bedroom apartment costs between Sh500 and Sh700.
Airbnb's cleaning-fee guidance, issued in March 2026, allows hosts to include housekeeping costs in the nightly rate or charge a separate cleaning fee. However, the company cautions that a separate fee raises guests' expectations of cleanliness and can lead to more scrutiny when they review their stay. The new policy does not abolish cleaning fees but makes boundaries more explicit and sets out action against hosts who breach them.
The update aims to make house rules clearer before guests book and prevent surprises for guests. Airbnb has redesigned its house rules to make them easier to discover and clearer to set, alongside a new policy that keeps requests reasonable, with no surprises. Guests still have responsibilities, including not leaving a property needing deep or excessive cleaning and reimbursing hosts for damage caused.
Key points
- Airbnb's new policy limits what hosts can ask guests to do during their stay and before checkout.
- The policy change has sparked debate among hosts, with some expressing concerns that it favors guests at their expense.
- The update aims to make house rules clearer before guests book and prevent surprises for guests.
