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Airbnb cleaning rule changes will 'absolutely' hit Wales harder, says host

Danielle HerbertBBC Wales
Airbnb hosts left "speechless" by messy guests

An Airbnb host has said rule changes meaning guests cannot be asked to do certain jobs will put "more stress" on hosts.

Hosts cannot ask guests to do jobs normally carried out by cleaners, including doing dishes, stripping beds and taking rubbish off site.

Gavin Rowlands, 37, owns a property in Neath Port Talbot with his wife Kelly and said Wales would "absolutely" be hit harder due to specific rules.

Here, holiday let owners pay more council tax if properties are not available for at least 252 days and let for at least 182 days a year, which can see hosts strive for more same-day changeovers between guests.

Airbnb said the changes were made to "help guests understand what hosts expect".

Gavin Rowlands A kitchen surface and hob covered in dirty pots and pans, some of which still have food in them. There is also food waste over the surface, as well as empty food packets and a large knife also covered in food.Gavin Rowlands
Gavin Rowlands, whose property is on Airbnb, worries that the rule changes could put "a lot more stress" on hosts

Previously, properties in Wales had to be available for 140 days of the year and let for 70 to qualify for business rates – a system that still exists in England.

Despite being "constantly busy", Rowlands said he and his wife have been unable to meet the threshold, meaning they pay 200% tax on their holiday home.

"The harder were working, the worse off we are," said Rowlands, who added that he worked two jobs on top of running the holiday let.

"We've got to get our numbers up to help pay the bills."

Airbnb's new guidelines, which apply to bookings made globally from 20 November, state that hosts can now set seven standard house rules and other "reasonable" requests.

But rules say guests - who pay a cleaning fee - should not be asked to complete tasks normally done by a cleaner.

Gavin Rowlands Gavin Rowlands has a grey beard. He wears a white baseball cap with the text 'IRONMAN' in the centre of it. He also wears a blue t-shirt and is photographed from the shoulders up. He is sat next to a woman with shoulder length brown hair. She is wearing a black vest top. She is smiling and looking at the camera.Gavin Rowlands
Rowlands and his wife Kelly both take on a share of cleaning the holiday let, as well as employing a cleaner

In May, Rowlands and his wife were left "speechless" after guests left their holiday home full of empty cans and pans and plates full of food.

He said this "was not a one off", despite Airbnb's existing rules stating that guests should treat the host's home like their own.

"It's only going to get worse. It's really disheartening."

Despite this, Rowlands does not have plans to leave Airbnb, but said "these negatives come with using it".

Gavin Rowlands A close up shot of a red can covered in cigarette ash. The ash can also be seen on the wooden surface the can is placed on.Gavin Rowlands
Rowlands said his property is "regularly" left in an unsuitable condition after guests check out

Rowlands and his wife both take on a share of cleaning the holiday let, as well as employing a cleaner, but they only employ them part-time to keep costs down.

In July, the Welsh government launched a 12-week consultation to see "whether the 182-day threshold is set at the right level and what impact a modest reduction might have".

The Welsh government said "legislation would be required to implement any changes" which could take effect on 1 April 2027.

Emma Enticott Guy Allen and Emma Enticott are photographed standing on a sandy beach. The sea can be seen behind them. Emma has shoulder length grey hair. She wears large black sunglasses, a black coat, a bright pink jumper and a light pink shirt, with the collar visable. Guy wears a grey flat cap and sunglasses with blue lenses. He is also wearing a dark patterned scarf and black jacket. They are both smiling and looking at the camera.Emma Enticott
Guy Allen and Emma Enticott have decided to take their Mumbles property off Airbnb ahead of the rule changes

Guy Allen, 63, and Emma Enticott, 52, operate a holiday let in Mumbles on the Gower Peninsula, which was on Airbnb but they asked their agent for it to be removed after the new rules were announced.

"If they change their policy we will go back on it," Enticott said.

Speaking on the rule changes, Allen said: "It's just daft... for those people who aren't going to respect the property, it just gives them carte blanche to not.

"It's also about the respect for our housekeeping team as well, you know, they shouldn't have to come in and start clearing up other people's mess."

Allen said the tourism market was "particularly challenging" in Wales, adding that same-day changeovers would be one of the "biggest problems" caused by Airrbnb's rule changes, referencing the 182-day business rate threshold.

"We're battling on a lot of fronts to build a successful business. Anything that adds to the pressure is not good. We are under siege as an industry."

Not all hosts are concerned about the changes, including Matt Porsz, who hosts and manages other Airbnb properties full-time.

He believes the update will improve the guest experience without changing how most people behave.

Guests at his property are asked only to lock up and return the keys: "People sometimes strip the beds or do things without me asking and that's nice for my cleaners, but I don't expect it."

Jamie-lee Presley Jamie-lee Presley is photographed sat next to her husband Alex Presley. They both wear bright blue t-shirts. Jamie-lee has blonde hair past her shoulders. Alex has black hair and a brown beard. They are both smiling and looking at the camera.Jamie-lee Presley
Jamie-lee Presley runs a cleaning company alongside her husband Alex, which specialises in Airbnb and holiday let changeovers

Jamie-Lee Presley, 37, from Llannon, Carmarthenshire, runs a cleaning company with her husband Alex, which specialises in Airbnb and holiday let changeovers.

She feels "nervous" about the upcoming changes and worries it could "open the door for already inconsiderate guests to become even more inconsiderate".

"I just think it's ridiculous. The respectful guests who have always treated properties properly will continue to do so. They're not the problem and never have been.

"It's the guests who already have absolutely no respect for other people's property that concern me."

She added that they already had "such a tight window" to clean properties in time for the next guests.

Krissi Foskett, 46, from Glasgow, also runs a cleaning company and regularly stays in Airbnb properties so "can see the issue from both sides".

During a recent stay in Stafford, she paid a £35 cleaning fee but was still asked to strip the beds, put on a wash, empty bins and carry rubbish to a recycling area.

"I don't particularly mind doing those things, but it did make me question what exactly I was paying the additional cleaning fee for," she said.

Jamie-lee Presley A pile of black bin bags next to two black bins and dozens of empty bottles of alcohol.Jamie-lee Presley
The couple's cleaning company once removed more than 20 bags of rubbish from one Airbnb property

"We have same-day check-ins, multiple properties to service, cleaners travelling between locations, linen to change, bathrooms to sanitise, kitchens to clean and incredibly high standards to maintain.

"When guests leave a property in an unacceptable condition, that doesn't just affect one cleaner.

It can affect the entire day's schedule, the next arriving guests, the property owner and ultimately the reputation of the businesses involved."

Looking ahead to the potential impact of the rule changes, Presley said it is likely the cost of her companies services will have to increase.

In a statement, Airbnb said: "House rules help guests understand what hosts expect, but we've heard from our community that they can be confusing, onerous and hard to manage.

"So, we've redesigned them to make them easier to discover and clearer to set, alongside a new policy that keeps requests reasonable, with no surprises."

BBC infographic titled “Airbnb’s new checkout-chore guidance” showing examples of what the accommodation platform considers reasonable requests for guests. Four sections, with red icons of stacked dishes, a washing machine, a rubbish bin and an air-conditioning unit, outline the rules: Dishes - Guests should not be asked to wash and put away dishes, but may be asked to place used dishes in the sink; Laundry - Guests should not be asked to strip beds or start a load of washing, but may be asked to gather used towels; Rubbish - Guests should not be asked to take rubbish off the property, but may be asked to sort rubbish and recycling into designated indoor bins; Utilities - Guests should not be asked to avoid using listed amenities such as air conditioning during their stay, but may be asked to switch them off when leaving

When asked to comment on the 182-day business rate threshold, the Welsh government referred the BBC to a statement published on July 31 from finance minister Elin Jones.

In it, she said: "I have heard representations from a number of businesses that are making meaningful contributions to their local economies but are unable to meet the current threshold.

"This consultation will help us find a solution that works better for everyone, including businesses, local authorities and local areas."

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