Some hosts are threatening to strike, while others are plotting ways around Airbnb’s new restrictions. Guests, meanwhile, are celebrating.

AIRBNB HOSTS ARE melting down over a new policy banning them from making guests complete tasks that “would typically be performed by a cleaner,” like “stripping the bed, taking trash offsite, or washing and putting away dishes.”

The change, which applies to all bookings made on or after November 20, quickly sparked outrage after it was announced in an email to Airbnb hosts on Wednesday. Many began fuming online about losing the right to make their guests clean up after themselves.

“As hosts, we have a responsibility to protect our investments, our homes, and, in many cases, our personal living spaces,” one person wrote in Airbnb’s official forum for hosts. “The problem is that Airbnb increasingly expects hosts to accept the risks while limiting our ability to protect ourselves.”

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[–] 45 points 3 days ago (10 children)

Wasn't it supposed to be that way at first? Renting an extra room in your house

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  • [–] 82 points 3 days ago (2 children)

    Yes, in the same way that Uber pretended that their service was a way to find people to carpool with and not a taxi service

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  • [–] 31 points 3 days ago (5 children)

    Originally it was just for people visiting conventions to have a place to put their air mattress, which is where the Air in Airbnb comes from.

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  • [–] 15 points 3 days ago (4 children)

    so initially it was just couchsurfing/hospitality but worse (no culture sharing aspect + it costs money)?

    Damn, after reading your comment I thought airBnB came after the enshittification of couch surfing but no, they co-existed and society chose the one with money instead of culture sharing + local volunteer vetting + free accomodation.

    We suck :p

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  • [–] 18 points 3 days ago (3 children)

    so initially it was just couchsurfing/hospitality but worse (no culture sharing aspect + it costs money)?

    Founders went to a tech convention and didn't feel like paying full price for a hotel if all they were gonna do was sleep there and spend the whole day at the con so they made a platform where people looking for exactly that could find places to literally put their air mattress (you had to supply your own mattress) during conventions and it kinda snowballed from there into "oh shit we can make money off this".

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  • [–] 6 points 3 days ago (2 children)

    paying full price for a hotel if all they were gonna do was sleep there

    Isn't that what most people do at a hotel though?

    The only time I've spent more time than just sleeping at the hotel was when we were there specifically to play d&d

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