Staying in rented accommodations for either a short weekend break or an extended vacation is increasingly the preferred option for many travelers worldwide.
Platforms like Airbnb, for example, have made it much easier for hosts to rent out pretty much any type of property to a wide range of travelers — from couples to families with small children, from the elderly to single professionals on business trips.
While promoting your rental property on Airbnb is relatively simple and accessible, one aspect remains quite complex and controversial — the Airbnb cleaning fee.
Airbnb’s guidelines state that all rental properties should be offered in clean and tidy conditions — something that has become even more essential since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020.
However, Airbnb doesn’t provide rigid guidance on what its cleaning fee should be or how to charge a price that is fair to both the host and the client.
If you own a property for rent on Airbnb and are looking for more clarity on the platform’s cleaning fee, then this guide can help.
Before discussing how to charge a fair cleaning fee on Airbnb, it’s vital to understand what this fee is, specifically, and what it includes.
Airbnb hosts should apply a cleaning fee to all their listings on the platform to ensure their rental properties are kept pristine at all times, ready for each new guest(s) to arrive and enjoy their stay.
The cleaning fee is an extra charge added to the total booking fee and is not part of the security deposit. Therefore, an Airbnb cleaning fee refund is generally not possible.
Another important thing to note about the cleaning fee for Airbnb is that the amount always stays the same, regardless of how many guests stay in the property or how long they have booked the property for.
The considerations outlined in the previous section should function as a basis for an Airbnb host to determine how much to charge for their rental property’s cleaning fee.
Typically, an Airbnb cleaning fee would cover the following:
However, none of these items are strictly compulsory. Similarly, a host can include even more items in their cleaning fee, which would impact the final cost.
To complicate matters further, Airbnb doesn’t have a set price for its cleaning fee. The average Airbnb cleaning fee in 2022 was around $75.
However, this price can go up considerably if the host chooses to work with a professional cleaning company and/or include more services in their cleaning fee.
These additional cleaning considerations are vital in our post-Covid world. With guests still looking for extra-clean, sanitized spaces, Airbnb hosts are continually opting to provide top-notch cleaning services, which naturally affect the total cleaning fee.
Now that you know what the Airbnb cleaning fee is and what it covers, you can start figuring out how much you should charge your guests for your rental property's cleaning fee.
Below are four essential aspects that every host should consider when setting their prices.
The first and probably most significant aspect to bear in mind when setting your cleaning fee is the type of property you are listing on Airbnb.
Consider its size, décor, and location. Cleaning fees for a small, quaint, and simple property in a quiet, residential area can vary massively from those for a large, luxury mansion in a high-end neighborhood.
An interesting yet often overlooked aspect when establishing your cleaning fee is your target audience. So, when figuring out how much you should charge for your Airbnb cleaning fee, ask yourself who you are marketing your rental property to.
If, for instance, you are mainly targeting young students and backpackers, you might want to keep your cleaning fee relatively low and accessible. But if you prefer hosting families or single professionals, you might be able to charge a bit more.
Properties listed on Airbnb often have specific rules that renters are expected to follow, which should be clearly outlined in the listing itself.
For example, many listings have rules about keeping the property reasonably clean, including taking out the trash (which becomes especially important for larger groups/longer stays), stripping the beds before leaving the property, or starting the dishwasher ahead of departure.
If your Airbnb listing features any of these cleaning stipulations, this might impact the total cleaning fee you charge your guests.
Additionally, many Airbnbs have house rules that renters must abide by. For some listings, cleaning rules are listed as part of this broader category of house rules.
Last but certainly not least, you must consider your cleaning costs.
For example, are you going to clean the property yourself using low-cost cleaning products and equipment? Or are you partnering with a trusted professional cleaning company that uses high-end cleaning supplies to leave your property spotless via a thorough deep cleaning of every area?
The first option will, of course, be more cost-effective — although potentially much lengthier — whereas working with a professional company will cost you quite a bit more. Both are important considerations.
Cleanliness is one of the top factors that can make or break your Airbnb listing. For this reason, you’ll want to keep your rental property in tip-top shape — but setting a fair cleaning fee can be far from easy.
If you are looking for a reliable, professional partner to help you keep your Airbnb rental in pristine condition, look no further than TIDY. Visit our website today and find out how we can help ensure the success of your Airbnb rental(s)!
TIDY'S Property Management Software Guide
Stay on top of tools to help you manage rental properties.
This eBook gathers the most useful software for property managers!
Get a Demo
Let us prove to you how much better we can make your cleaning & maintenance management. We can set up a risk-free (and actually free) pilot for you to see it in action.
Book a DemoLearn How TIDY Helps Offer Cleaning as a Benefit
A widely-loved and unique pre-tax benefit.
LEARN MORE