Overview
Cleaning fees on Airbnb… we’ve probably all been there. You’ve found the perfect listing for your next trip, only to realize that the cleaning fees are almost the same as the nightly rate. It’s depressing, and it’s what is driving many away from short-term rentals and back to hotels. Charging excessive cleaning fees is bad for everyone… so don’t do it! Hopefully, this doesn’t surprise you, but you should only charge for your actual cost to clean your unit. Cleaning fees should not be a source of revenue. Charge a fair amount and be transparent with your checkout expectations.
How much?
The amount of the cleaning fee can vary greatly depending on the size of the rental, the level of service required, and the location of the rental. As a host, it’s important to carefully consider the cost of cleaning when setting your cleaning fee and to ensure that it accurately reflects the level of service you’re providing. If you ask guests to clean the dishes, strip the linens, and start a wash, your cleaning fee should also reflect their involvement in the cleaning process.
Be transparent
What should I ask my guests to clean? Not everyone will agree with me, but here’s my shortlist of what’s acceptable to ask your guests to do.
- Strip the linens? Sure, it’s not really a big ask.
- Start a wash? No, that’s what the cleaners should be doing. I recommend having a few extra sets of sheets so your cleaners can make the bed while the dirty sheets are being cleaned. These sheets are my favorite and hold up well.
- Clean their dishes with a dishwasher? Sure, it’s not really a big ask.
- Clean their dishes by hand? Mayyybe. Just remember that most cleaners don’t check the “clean” dishes and your guests may not always clean things well. Nothing ruins a homemade dinner quicker than finding nasty old food on the supposedly clean dishes.
- Take out the trash? Sure, this isn’t a big ask and it may prevent pests like rodents and insects from finding their way into your place if cleaning doesn’t take place that day.
If you ask for any of these things, make sure that you’re transparent with the guest before booking. No one likes reading about all of these rules after they have checked in.
Absorb the cost? Yes, if it makes sense
The above recommendations aside, I don’t charge a cleaning fee on any of our listings or ask guests to do much other than take out the trash. Checkout is really the last impression your guest has of their overall rental experience. You can wow them all week with a beautiful rental, but why ruin it at the end by asking too much?
Absorbing the cleaning fee likely doesn’t make sense if it costs you a lot for the cleaning, but that’s not the case in many areas. Our rental in Costa Rica costs around $30 USD to clean, with our cleaning being paid a living wage. We absorb that cost as part of providing the ultimate guest experience and only ask our renters to take out the trash to avoid pests and insects.
Excessive? Expect retaliation
Sometimes as a traveler, unreasonably high cleaning fees are unavoidable. I always encourage those who have a negative experience to leave an honest review that reflects their experience and call out hosts for price gouging with cleaning fees. When hosts continually receive negative review scores about value, it’ll hit their bottom line when people choose to book elsewhere. Asking for a review may seem scary when your reputation as a Superhost is at stake.
Recap
How cleaning fees are set on a listing can tell you a lot about the host. That’s why I recommend only renting from Superhosts whenever possible. It’s the first filter that I toggle on my search results and I’ve never had a bad experience renting from one. Fortunately, Airbnb is starting to display the whole booking cost, including cleaning fees, so guests can compare listings more easily. Don’t use cleaning fees as a revenue stream and only charge what it costs you to have the unit cleaned.
