Airbnb Cleaning Fees: What to charge your guests?

As well as becoming a popular form of accommodation for guests, Airbnb has become a great way to earn extra income for those who want to rent out their property or a second home. Whether you own a vacation rental or have a room on your property you want to rent out, this platform allows you to do this.

If you are going to rent out your accommodation through the Airbnb site, then there are a number of fees you need to consider when listing your property. One of these you need to consider, is a cleaning fee. A lot of hosts add this worldwide, aside from China, and it’s added to the final cost. Here is everything you need to know about Airbnb cleaning fees and how much you should charge your guests.
 

What exactly is an Airbnb cleaning fee?

When it comes to listing on Airbnb, you need to consider the cleaning fee. This is a one-time fee that is charged by guests to the hosts staying at the property. It allows the host to clean the rental properly and ensure it’s ready for the next guests. A thorough clean is appealing to guests who are staying on the property for longer periods. 

A cleaning fee is an optional choice for hosts and you don’t have to charge one if you don’t want to add this to the overall fees for your guests. After all, a lot of hosts worry that an Airbnb cleaning fee will put off their guests. 

However, some hosts do find it a good option as it does help them pay towards the cleaning fees of the property. After all, if the guests leave it in a mess, some of the profit from the stay will end up going towards cleaning it. So having this cleaning fee is reassurance that some of the costs for cleaning are covered during the stay.

How to set the Airbnb cleaning fee?

The cleaning fee is added to the booking fee and will be clearly displayed on the booking as the cleaning fee so that the guest knows exactly what is included in the price. They know that this money will go towards cleaning supplies needed etc. 

When it comes to setting the cleaning fee for guests, there are a number of ways you can do this. You can either add one flat-rate fee which is added for all guests, whether they are staying a couple of nights or a week. This makes things similar and ensures you don’t have to keep changing the fee depending on how long the guests are staying. 

Or you might want to go the route of making it fairer by reducing the cleaning fee if the guests are only staying one or two nights. You can then keep it the same flat-rate fee for longer stays for all guests. 

Another option is to have a flat-rate fee but then add a pet fee when it comes to cleaning fees. That way, if the guest is bringing a furry friend with them for the trip, this cleaning fee will cover the additional cleaning costs you will have to face when cleaning after the pet has left the building. This enables you to get more for cleaning without having to charge pet-free guests the same rate for cleaning.

How much to charge for the Airbnb cleaning fee?

It’s also a difficult decision deciding on how much to charge for Airbnb cleaning. This price is set by the hosts and it is up to them how much they charge. But the average Airbnb cleaning fee tends to be around $65 (£53), which is charged to the guest for the booking. This can be higher though depending on the size of the property. It can also depend on the cleaning that is required such as if the host needs to hire a professional cleaning company. 

It’s worth hosts looking at how much other hosts are charging for cleaning fees when finding the right cleaning fee for your property. Ultimately the Airbnb cleaning fee depends on the host after taking all these factors into account.
 

What does the cleaning fee cover?

When a host places a cleaning fee on their listing, this leaves guests in the belief that the property will be cleaned to a top-quality before and after their visit. The fee for cleaning an Airbnb is intended to cover:

Cleaning up the rooms - From using anti-bacterial wipes or spray to polishing the surfaces, every part of the room is expected to be in pristine condition. All the items should have been put away and the condition of the property should be perfect for the guests to have an enjoyable stay.

Changing the bed linen - As part of the cleaning fee, it’s expected the beds will have been changed with fresh linen between guests. This covers all the beds in the property and there should be no marks or stains on the sheets.

Cleaning products - The cleaning fee covers all the cleaning products that would have been purchased to get the property in pristine condition. There should be cleaning products left in the accommodation so that guests can also clean if necessary during their stay.

Clean kitchen essentials - There is also an expectation that all the plates and cutlery will be cleaned and ready to be used by the guests. They should be enough kitchen essentials in great condition and these all should be ready to go.

Clean cupboards - The cleaning fee also means that the cupboards should all be cleaned out before the next guests arrived. Anything left behind should be disposed of and the cupboards, as well as the fridge, should be clean.

Cleaning company - The cleaning fee also covers any cleaning company that has been used to clean the property. As its time consuming, some hosts hire a company to ensure the property has been cleaned from top to bottom in-between stays.

Is it worth charging an Airbnb cleaning fee?

There are a lot of benefits to charging a cleaning fee for your Airbnb. For starters, this takes some pressure off hosts from having to pay out of their profit to arrange cleaning. After all, they are getting the money to pay out for cleaning as an additional fee. Also, a cleaning fee will entice guests as they know the property will be of the highest cleanliness before the visit. 

Having a cleaning fee will urge more long-term bookings rather than short-term bookings. After all, Airbnb hosts aim for the long-term guests rather than those who want to stay a night or two.

Are there negatives to a cleaning fee?

It might stop guests from booking if they have an additional fee to pay as well as the main price. After all, they might be able to book somewhere else for a cheaper, overall rate. They might overlook your Airbnb due to the cleaning fee. 

Additionally, you might find guests trying to negotiate rates if they have added fees. And guests can often expect the accommodation to be clean from top to bottom if you are charging this fee which is added pressure on the host. They might prefer letting the guests ensure the property is clean after their stay.

Will the host pay service fees that include the cleaning fee?

The final booking cost which includes the cleaning fee if added will come into consideration when it comes to the service fee charged to the host. For instance, if you are in the US or Canada, you will have to pay 3% to Airbnb of the final cost. It also depends on whether the host is paying all the service fee or whether this is shared with the guest. So it’s worth considering this fee when deciding on your cleaning fee. 

However, cleaning fees are not there to make extra money, so ensure it’s only added in the case of cleaning charges.