Airbnb policy changes have mixed reactions in East Tennessee. Here’s some of the new guest requirements.

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.

What Happens Next

• 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.

“We do have to start laundry, start the dishwasher, take out the trash, which when you’re packing up for kids and trying to leave, it can be inconvenient,” Weber said.

Weber said she has been told in the past to haul trash to a landfill during an Airbnb stay.

Florida visitor Ross Carnevale said he was told to mop after paying for a weekend rental.

“They required us to mop the bathrooms, kitchen, all the common areas before we left,” Carnevale said. “After paying almost $4,000 for a weekend, I had to do the cleaning.”

Pigeon Forge host says rules should vary by property size

In Pigeon Forge, longtime Airbnb host Erik Stenbakken said the one-size approach does not work for larger rentals. One of his cabins sleeps 24 guests.

“If I’m sleeping 24 people, I’ve got probably close to 200 pieces of just dinnerware,” Stenbakken said. “They might have to bring an extra staff member to clean that just to do dishes. Well, that costs money. And guess who pays for that? The guests do.”

Stenbakken said limits on dish-related rules could drive up cleaning fees and delay same-day turnovers between guests.

Host raises contract, liability waiver concerns

Stenbakken also said the new policy’s limits on rental contracts create communication issues. He said Airbnb’s rules prevent hosts from collecting guest names and phone numbers directly, which he said can be a problem if an issue arises at a property, such as a car that needs to be moved or a dispute that requires contacting the guest directly.

Stenbakken said the policy also restricts owners from requiring liability waivers for guests at properties with amenities such as swimming pools, unless certain conditions set by Airbnb are met.

“There’s an assumption that all Airbnbs are the same and they can all operate the same,” Stenbakken said. “And the fact is that they can’t. We’re talking about apples and oranges here.”

Stenbakken said rules should be customized based on property size.

Airbnb says hosts who don’t follow the new rules could face warnings or less visibility in search. The new policies start Nov. 20.