An Airbnb host who rewashes guests’ dishes and skips a separate cleaning fee says ‘the general public is not sympathizing with us’

An Airbnb host defended their guest checkout requests on Reddit and said they even rewash dishes that do not meet their standards, as reported by Daily Dot. In a post on r/AirBnB, the host questioned whether some hosts are giving the entire community a bad reputation, writing, “The general public is not sympathizing with us.”

The host said their checkout list only asks guests to leave the house clean and tidy and to lock the doors. They said any extra cleaning is appreciated, but it is not required.

The host said they have a 5.0 rating and are constantly booked out. They said they have never charged a separate cleaning fee and instead work it into the nightly price.

The host says most guests clean up without being asked

The host said most guests still wash their dishes, pile towels near the washer, or start a load of laundry, and many take out the trash. “My cleaners or I strip the beds, replace and wash the stuff at home. I thought everyone did this,” the host wrote, adding that they rewash dishes that are not up to their standards. Guests at another Airbnb said their host asked for a tip after they washed the dishes and took out the bins themselves.

The host said guests often leave the coffee machine dirty and questioned why washing a few more dishes was such a big deal. They added that guests almost always leave some trash behind, which the host takes out after cleaning.

The host suggested that hosts who feel strongly about guest cleaning could put up a sign saying something like, “We would truly appreciate it if you did the following but it isn’t required.” They also said they were tired of social media comments blaming all hosts, such as “this is why people stopped using Airbnb.”

“Did Airbnb say this wasn’t allowed or something?” the host asked. “Honestly, am I missing something? I feel like there are logical workarounds for the new changes.”

One commenter questioned the idea of charging guests to clean bathrooms in a shared house, calling it “a bit much” and saying they would cancel a booking on principle. “Was this place extremely cheap?” they asked. “I would hope clean bathrooms are standard?”

Another commenter said a later checkout would make them more willing to help. “If checkout times were a little later, like say 12 PM, I’d be more inclined to clean,” they wrote, adding that a 10 AM checkout does not leave enough time for laundry and dishes on top of packing.