October 22, 2026 / 12:18 PM EDT / CBS News

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Airbnb is updating its rules to shield visitors from onerous cleaning tasks it says could negatively impact their stay.

The new policy, announced this week, prevents hosts from asking guests to strip beds, start a load of laundry and other household chores Airbnb says "require significant effort or time" and would typically be performed by a cleaner.

These tasks could lead guests to write negative reviews, Airbnb said, which ultimately hurt the property owner.

The new policy sparked backlash among some hosts, with more than 5,000 people signing a Change.org petition calling on Airbnb to reverse the rules. The signatories argued that the policy goes too far and is "unreasonable."

Requiring a cleaner to pick up the slack could hike expenses for hosts, which could ultimately be passed on to guests in the form of higher accommodation prices, the petition says.

"These are not professional cleaning duties," the petition says.…