Without a doubt, keeping a vacation rental clean is important for ensuring that guests have a good time and leave great reviews. Nonetheless, cleaning fees let hosts set up their Airbnb for the next guest without having to pay for any expenses incurred after the first guest leaves.
It’s critical to comprehend the ins and outs of Airbnb cleaning fees due to the prospective impact on your ratings and booking activity.
What is the Cleaning Fee for Airbnb?
It’s one service charge that hosts impose on guests to help defray the price of cleaning and preparing their vacation rental for the next guest. Remember that not all hosts impose a cleaning fee on their guests.
Also, the hosts may choose to add it to their nightly rates or charge separately, depending on their preference. Some hosts purposefully impose a cleaning fee to their guests in an effort to generate extra cash and test out various amounts.
How Does the Cleaning Fee on Airbnb Work?
The cleaning fee is a separate expense from the overall cost of the booking and is not covered by the security deposit or the service fee for Airbnb. Hence, it cannot be returned after the booking has ended.
The price of the cleaning fee is also unaffected by the quantity of guests or the duration of stay for any specific reservation.
Most significantly, the nightly rate and cleaning fee are both mentioned and broken down, so a guest making a reservation request is not taken by surprise. As a result, before guests reserve an Airbnb, everything is very clear.
What Is Covered by the Airbnb Cleaning Fee?
Airbnb cleaning fees assist hosts in covering the expense of cleaning and carrying out the required cleaning tasks to prepare the space for the next guest. After that, let’s think about what those costs are:
- The time required to wash dishes, replace linens and towels, and clean the rooms, etc.
- Replenishing toiletries and cleaning supplies
- Occasional repairs and upkeep
- Restocking necessary home supplies
- Expenses related to using a cleaning service
There isn’t a set rule, and it could seem like a lot, but if you want to operate a profitable Airbnb business, you must keep the aforementioned expenses in mind.
What is the Standard Airbnb Cleaning Fee?
The host sets the prices for Airbnb cleaning fees based on a number of factors. This includes the style of listing, the area, and if the host choose to employ a cleaning crew or clean the space themselves. Additionally keep in mind that prices for professional cleaners vary based on the city.
The simplest way to calculate your cleaning price is to visualize the size and design of your property. In addition, estimate an average cleaning cost based on the costs of comparable properties in your community.
Do I Add a Cleaning Fee to Airbnb Listings?
Despite the fact that it is regularly done on Airbnb, the hosts have the discretion to impose a cleaning fee or not.
Some hosts may choose to include it in their overall expenditures, while others may prefer to charge for it separately, in order to maintain their Airbnbs in immaculate condition and encourage guests to post 5-star reviews. Be aware that not all hosts opt to impose a cleaning fee because they believe it will deter guests from making several reservations. Most Airbnb hosts choose to either clean their homes themselves or pay for professional cleaning services when this occurs.
Having said that, it’s crucial to strike a balance between your unique preferences and pleasing guests. It makes sense that, particularly for a novice host, debating whether to ask a cleaning fee or not can seem scary.
But, you need to strike a balance between offering guests clean Airbnbs and fair prices. Therefore, before considering whether or not to charge a cleaning fee, keep the following in mind:
Size and Type of Property
Luxury tourists will probably not mind paying more for better service if you charge a cleaning fee for your listing, especially if it enables the hosts to pay their bills and maintain a high style of life.
But, you are not need to provide a separate or significant cleaning cost if your ad is only a room in your home or a studio apartment.
It is crucial that the level of service you offer guests complies with the standards for which you charge and is conscious of the related costs.
Competition
When determining whether to increase your nightly rates and include an Airbnb cleaning fee, it is best to look at what your peers are offering. Because of this, you’ll be able to charge a reasonable price without turning away potential clients.
Cleaning Services Available
A professional cleaning crew might be quite expensive to hire. Also, where you live and the size of your property play a role in this.
Decide whether it is more affordable to work on the cleaning yourself or to employ cleaners after that. Remember to factor in the time needed and the cleaning supplies required.
The Idea of Doing Away with One-Day Reservations
One-day reservations are less likely to be made when cleaning fees are included in your prices. For instance, it could appear excessive to charge a guest staying one night an extra $70 for cleaning. Nonetheless, it would seem more reasonable to a guest staying for a few nights.
Target Market
While deciding on a cleaning charge for your listing, take into account your target market. You’ll be able to make the greatest decision by doing this. If you were catering to travelers, charging more for cleaning might not be a wise move. High-end tourists, on the other hand, are more likely to be willing to spend more for exceptional services.
Do Rentals that Allow Pets Charge More for Cleaning?
You face the risk of making the Airbnb home dirtier and more damaged by permitting pet-friendly guests, which could result in higher cleaning and maintenance fees. Most hosts may opt to charge separate pet fees in instead of adding extra cleaning charges.
Also, bear in mind that the majority of guests who bring their dogs with them are familiar with their needs and tendencies and are equipped to deal with any incidents that may occur.
Does Airbnb Refund its Cleaning Fee?
In exceptional cases, the cleaning fees will be totally returned if a guest cancels a reservation before the check-in time. But, regardless of the cancellation policy you’ve selected for the short-term rental, be aware that it will not be reimbursed to a guest who cancels after the booking has started. Furthermore, after a guest’s stay is finished, it is regarded as non-refundable.
Do the Airbnb Service Fees Apply to the Cleaning Fees?
The total of the payments paid to hosts and to guests is used by Airbnb to determine its service fees. A portion of the total rental cost that is subject to Airbnb Service Fees is the cleaning fee.
Depending on where the property is located, Airbnb service fees differ from one nation to the next. For instance, depending on whether they are in the US, Mexico, The Bahamas, Argentina, Canada, Uruguay, or Taiwan, hosts only pay about 3% of their booking fees as a service fee, while guests pay about 14%.
What Effect Can a Cleaning Charge Have on an Airbnb Listing’s Performance?
The performance of your listing may be impacted by the Airbnb cleaning fee, depending on how you decide to set your prices. It could be included in the nightly rate or subject to an additional service charge, depending on the host. The impact of putting cleaning charges in your listing separately will, in any event, have no difference in your bookings compared to having it in the overall total pricing as it may startle guests with the sudden increase in pricing before making a booking.
The cost is then increased by adding the sum to the nightly rate. One alternative is to multiply your cleaning charges by the entire number of nights a guest will stay. Remember that this strategy has the consequence of increasing your average daily fee, which discourages guests from making reservations because it is unclear what the final cost will be.
After evaluating both approaches, choose the one that results in the most reservations. Make tiny adjustments until your booking rate improves if you observe a difference in your bookings after adding a cleaning cost.
You should also be informed that, as of November 2022, listings on Airbnb are now prioritized according to the best overall pricing rather than just the nightly fee. This modification is meant to encourage hosts to lower or do away with cleaning costs.
How do I Alter the Cost of the Cleaning Fee on Airbnb?
Do the following steps in your Airbnb host dashboard to modify or alter your cleaning costs:
Step 1- Login in to your Airbnb profile Step 2- On your dashboard, pick “Listings” Step 3- Click on “Pricing” Step 4- Next to the “Cleaning Charge”, click Edit Step 5- Add the required amount and select “Save”
