Airbnb hosts around the world are venting their anger over its new house rules, with some warning the “reckless move” could result in guests being hit with higher fees or finding properties offering fewer amenities.

Disgruntlement has built since the accommodation platform, which boasts more than eight million listings globally, announced earlier this month that it was introducing a policy from November 20.

Under the policy, hosts will be able to choose from seven “standard rules” – which cover things such as number of guests, and whether parties, pets and smoking are allowed – as well as adding “reasonable requests”.

Requests that might be considered unreasonable and therefore no longer allowed include asking guests to wash and put away dishes, to remove bedsheets or start a load of laundry, and to take rubbish off-site or not use a listed amenity such as air-conditioning.

“When adding a request, remember that most guests want to avoid unexpected chores,” states the policy on the Airbnb website. “Asking them to do things a cleaner should handle can negatively affect their stay and your reviews.”

The new rules apply to all Airbnb properties, including in Australia. They have been welcomed by some guests, who reason that if they are asked to pay a cleaning fee they shouldn’t have to do any chores.

However, the platform has faced a strong backlash from hosts.

“Asking someone to clean up after themselves is not the same as requiring them to clean the entire property,” one superhost from Florida in the US wrote on Airbnb’s community forum.

“NO, I don’t want to find dirty dishes, a full rubbish bin, a toilet that hasn’t been flushed, a soapy shower, sheets that are still warm, tissues under the bed, a full ashtray, sticky rings on the table, and, out of decency, I won’t mention other possible delights,” fumed a French host.

Another expressed outrage as what they claimed was a “reckless move” that would strip hosts of “basic protections”.

A Change.org petition titled “Airbnb: Keep Self-Catering Self-Catering – Let Hosts Ask Guests to Wash Up!” has so far gathered more than 20,600 signatures.

The petition’s organiser, UK-based Airbnb host Harry Newington, argues the policy is unfair to hosts and “fundamentally misunderstands the nature of self-catering accommodation”.

As well as reversing the restriction on washing up, the petition urges Airbnb to respect hosts’ “autonomy” and consult with them before introducing new policies.

Australian host Nadia Di Martino has described the changes as “infuriating”, and said she was considering leaving the platform or banning the use of cooking facilities.

“I think that many hosts will either have to increase their prices and then pay someone else to do the whole cleaning,” Di Martino, who operates three Airbnb properties in Townsville, told ABC News.

Felicity Stevens, who leads Airbnb’s Sydney host club, also shared her annoyance with the ABC, saying: “I don’t think it’s too much to be able to ask a guest to put the dishwasher on before you leave and to put the rubbish out.”

Airbnb has offered examples of host requests that would be considered unreasonable.

Complaints about the policy on Airbnb’s community forum come from hosts in countries including the US, France, Germany, Canada, New Zealand and Mexico.

Some say they will pause membership as part of a “nationwide host blackout” from November 20 to put pressure on the platform. Others predict the rules will trigger increased cleaning fees or higher accommodation costs.

“They want to implement their rules, then we could scale back on some of the amenities we offer,” wrote host Milly from New Haven. “No more dishes, pots, or stove … problem solved – no more worrying about dirty dishes!”

Airbnb, which says the house rules are now also displayed more prominently in listings, has defended the policy, saying it is easier for both guests and hosts to follow, while ensuring there will be “no surprises” for holidaymakers.

“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,” a spokesperson told the BBC.

Even those in the hosting community concede that some properties have too many rules. The Change.org petition recognises that guests have faced “excessive checkout instructions, sometimes despite paying substantial cleaning fees”.

A pair of young Airbnb hosts in the US state of Georgia, Cassie and Jon, have gained particular notoriety after sharing videos on social media showing themselves inspecting their accommodation after guests check out and commenting on everything from a TV remote left in the wrong place to smelly leftovers in the fridge.

 

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While some content creators have parodied Cassie and Jon’s clips, others see the funny side of the furore sparked by Airbnb’s new rules.

“It takes like two, three hours tops for them to do all of this stuff – it’s not like it’s a big ask,” deadpans digital creator Roya Fox in a satirical Instagram video.

“Now I have to do it… Where am I going to find the time to do all this? … I’m going to have to use the cleaning fee to hire a cleaning crew!”