Airbnb has announced an enhanced cleaning protocol intended to control the spread of COVID-19.
The new protocol is now in place in the US, and is being rolled out to 50 countries worldwide.
Cleaning guidelines are based on advice from hygiene technology company Ecolab, the US CDC and former US Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy.
Airbnb invites all hosts to review the protocol and take a quiz to verify understanding.
Then eligible hosts who commit to following the protocol can get a special highlight on their listing page.
Eligibility requirements include:
- Pass quiz and commit to following the cleaning protocol
- Shared room and hotel room listings are not eligible
- Private room hosts with common areas:
- Clean and sanitize all common areas before each guest check-in
- Limit number of guests so as to maintain social distancing of 6 feet/2 meters, and comply with any local government guidelines
- Everyone wear face covering in common areas at all times
- Ventilate common areas by keeping windows open if safe to do so
- Average cleanliness rating of 4 stars or better (or get at least 3 new 5-star reviews)
There are additional guidelines for hosts of food and drink experiences.
Hosts can add a cleaning fee to cover incremental costs related to the protocol.
The Airbnb cleaning handbook can be downloaded here.
