Airbnb says no more chores for guests under new rules
Read about changes to short-term rentals and discuss the fair balance between hosts and guests.
Written for any B1 learner. Adapt it to make it about your student: their level, their work, their goals.
Introduction
When you stay in a holiday rental, do you expect to do housework before you leave? Many travellers have complained about long lists of chores. Today’s news story looks at new rules from Airbnb that change what hosts can ask guests to do. Before we read, think about a time you stayed in a rental. What were the check-out instructions?
Key Vocabulary
8 wordsLearn these words before reading the article. They will help you understand the text better.
policy
A set of rules or an official plan that a company or government uses.
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complaints
Statements that say you are not happy with something.
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frustrated
Feeling annoyed or upset because you cannot do something or things are not going well.
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significant
Large or important enough to have an effect or to be noticed.
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reasonable
Fair and sensible, not asking for too much.
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restrictions
Official rules that limit what you can do.
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fine
To make someone pay money as a punishment for breaking a rule.
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inspect
To look at something very carefully to check that it is correct or in good condition.
Example Sentences
Article
Read the article carefully. Take your time to understand the main ideas.
Listen to the article. The sentence being read is highlighted; click any word to hear it.
Airbnb has introduced a new global policy that limits the chores hosts can ask guests to complete before they leave. The changes will affect all reservations booked on or after 20 November 2026. The company says it made these changes after hearing many complaints from its community about confusing and heavy tasks.
For years, guests have said they felt frustrated. They paid a cleaning fee, sometimes quite high, but still had to do a list of jobs. These often included stripping the beds, taking out the rubbish, and washing and putting away the dishes. Under the new rules, hosts generally cannot ask guests to do these things. Airbnb says these are tasks that a cleaner normally does, and they require significant effort or time.
Instead, hosts can now set up to seven standard house rules. These rules must be shown fully to guests at the time of booking. They can cover things like check-in and check-out times, quiet hours, rules about smoking, and whether pets are allowed. Hosts can also add other reasonable requests. What is reasonable depends on the local situation. For example, a host might ask guests to limit shower time if there are water restrictions in the area. Guests might also be asked to put used dishes in the sink, but not to wash them.
The policy also says that hosts cannot fine guests. If a host’s request does not follow the new policy, the system will flag it, and the host can appeal if they disagree. The company wants to make house rules easier for guests to find and understand, with no surprises. The rules will also appear in reservation reminders. Airbnb explained that the old system was often onerous and hard to manage.
These changes come after many stories on social media about very strict hosts. Some videos showing hosts inspecting their properties in great detail became popular online and started a wider conversation about what is fair.
Comprehension Questions
Answer these questions to check your understanding of the article.
- 1When will the new Airbnb rules start to affect reservations?
- 2What are three examples of chores that hosts generally cannot ask guests to do now?
- 3How many standard house rules can a host set under the new system?
- 4What is an example of a reasonable request a host can still make?
- 5What will happen if a host makes a request that does not follow the new policy?
- 6Why did Airbnb decide to change its rules, according to the article?
Further Discussion
Discuss these questions about the topic and your personal experiences.
- 1Have you ever stayed in a short-term rental like an Airbnb? What was your experience with the check-out rules?
- 2Do you think it is fair for guests to pay a cleaning fee and also do chores? Why or why not?
- 3What three house rules do you think are the most important for a guest to follow?
- 4In your opinion, what is the difference between a ‘reasonable request’ and an ‘onerous’ task for a guest?
- 5How do you usually leave a hotel room or a friend’s house when you stay over? Do you tidy up completely?
- 6If you were a host, what would you put in your house rules to protect your property but still be welcoming?
Wrap-up & Reflection
Today we looked at Airbnb’s new rules that stop hosts from asking guests to do heavy chores like washing dishes or stripping beds. We also discussed the balance between being a good guest and a fair host. Think about your own home: if a visitor came to stay for a weekend, what small, reasonable thing would you like them to do to help, and what would you never ask them to do?
Make it about your student
Same story, rewritten at your student's level, with discussion questions about their job, goals and weak spots. The vocabulary stays from the news, so they learn words outside their usual topics.
Sources
LinguaFlow wrote this article for language learners from facts reported by the sources below. Read them for the full story.