Well you have a very particular scenario, but in most cases, having to clean up everything, take the trash out, doing dishes, cleaning grill, taking linens out, collecting towels and starting the washer while still getting kicked out at 10? And paying hundreds for cleaning on top of that? You can’t enjoy the last day and you’re paying for it.

I've found that level of chores to be pretty rare (and nonexistent in more recent years), and there was a push over the last year or so (from Airbnb to their hosts) to do away with much of that sort of thing. Not sure how well it worked, though. At any rate, reading through reviews usually tells you if the chores are excessive. And if it doesn't, and you end up doing more work than you'd like, you can always include that in your review. (I also noticed that nowadays many hosts advertise "no chores" in their listing description, or even listing title.)

Personally I don't mind taking out the trash and starting the dishwasher before I leave. I draw the line at doing laundry or actual cleaning, though. I'm always torn on being asked to strip the beds that we've used. On one hand... annoying... but on the other, that tells me that they won't waste water and electricity/gas cleaning stuff that doesn't need to be cleaned, which I like. Sorta in the same line as when a hotel will ask you to hang towels that you're ok with using multiple times, and leave towels you want washed on the floor or in the tub.

My assumption is that part of the reason for the excessive chores is that it's harder to turn around a property for a new guest when the cleaning crew isn't on-site. At a hotel, housekeeping just goes from room to room down the hall until they're done, and the hotel often has some amount of slack so even if housekeeping isn't completely finished, they can still check in new guests as they arrive.

At an Airbnb, the cleaning crew may not even be at the property for the entire run of a dishwasher. But I suspect the hosts that want you to do things like start laundry don't have an extra set of bedsheets and towels: in that case, screw them, they're being cheap and making you work for it.

> You can’t enjoy the last day and you’re paying for it.

You pay for nights, not days (same as a hotel). Regardless, I don't think I've ever "enjoyed" my last day in any kind of rented accommodation where the check-out time is noon or earlier. The entire morning is always about getting ready to leave.

Been there, not even sure how it's legal to charge a (usually quite substantial) cleaning fee while having the guest do 1/2 the work.

In a Napoleonic legal system it might not be. Perhaps the question you should ask instead is why is it not illegal?

I must be staying in very different airbnbs than you. I have never had to do any of that. But I only stay with Superhosts and only 4.8 or higher.

You choose poorly, I’m afraid to say. I ask my guests to do nothing but lock the door behind them, and I don’t charge a cleaning fee.

Yeah blame me all you want but you’re an exception, not the rule. Good for you though and I hope to find more hosts like you.

AirBnB just needs to add a “no cleaning fee” search option.

I've never had to do any of that. AirBNB is way cheaper for my family of 6 (3 adults, 3 kids)

you’ve been very lucky. the list of “chores” i’ve had to do at the airbnbs i’ve stayed at is unreal. even worse when i was paying absolutely ridiculous cleaning fees.

If there's a high cleaning fee I just don't do the "chores"

Yeah what I've found with Airbnb is these days you need to optimize way harder for host quality/reviews and less for your actual preference in terms of location, price, furnishings. If the place has a 4.95, you will get what you pay for. 4.5-4.8 = there many be some hiccups. < 4.5 you might as well go to Vegas and put the money on black.

I'm hearing AirBnB have for a little while now been playing fast and loose with reviews - genuine and fair negative reviews are being blocked, and it looks like this is to prevent (short-term) loss of revenue to AirBnB.