Airbnb Releases Ranking of Countries and U.S. States With the Cleanest Listings

Airbnb released a ranking of countries and states that have the most listings now certified with its Enhanced Cleaning program, which was sparked by the COVID-19 outbreak.

Months after Airbnb released a new set of health protocols and Enhanced Cleaning training for hosts more than 1.2 million in over 220 countries have complied. The training certification process teaches hosts about new CDC sanitation standards, in light of the coronavirus pandemic. Listings which have opted into the Enhanced Clean program see, on average, about three times more bookings than those which do not.

“Cleanliness and safety are top of mind for our hosts and guests,” said in a press release on Thursday. “In the last weeks, hosts have embraced and adopted our new rigorous guidelines, with thousands more attesting to the Enhanced Cleaning protocol every day. This effort shows how our hosts are dedicated to the highest standards and committed to keeping their guests and communities safe.”

As hosts complete the certification, Airbnb has been keeping track of the listings that became certified this summer. Of the top 10 locations in the world where Enhanced Cleaning is implemented the most, nine are in the U.S.

The U.S. listings, which are mostly in the western part of the country, are:

• Telluride, Colorado
• Destin, Florida
• Walla Walla, Washington
• Panama City Beach, Florida
• Oregon Coast
• Peak District, Hope Valley, UK
• Grant County, Washington
• Big Sky, Montana
• Mammoth Lakes, California
• Winter Park, Colorado

On a global scale, about half of the top 10 Enhanced Clean countries on Airbnb are:

• United States
• France
• United Kingdom
• Spain
• Italy
• Mexico
• Brazil
• Australia
• Canada
• Greece

The ranking shouldn’t be read as a metric for which home-stays are cleanest, as the list is affected by several factors. For example, the ranking is skewed by the availability of Airbnbs in each country. When Airbnb adjusted the metrics for total listings available in each country, Barbados, Korea, Japan, and Portugal also became top-ranking Enhanced Clean locations.

The numbers also don’t necessarily reflect which countries have the cleanest Airbnb listings, only which hosts have received COVID-19 cleaning training.

Recently, Airbnb launched a partnership with the National Park Foundation to encourage travelers to book a rental close to a national park.

Cailey Rizzo is a contributing writer for Travel + Leisure, currently based in Brooklyn. When in a new city, she's usually out to discover under-the-radar art, culture, and secondhand stores. No matter her location, you can find her on Twitter, on Instagram or at caileyrizzo.com.