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I’m a host and have never actually charged anyone a cleaning fee. Instead i just ask them to leave it in the same condition as when received. Usually it’s left like so. Before the next guest it has a professional clean and turnaround.
I’m tempted to charge a small fee for this, predominantly because of time aspect. However i wonder whether this puts off potential guests as they see it as an additional cost. In addition to this, does it encourage people to just leave it in a mess? Has anyone trialed with fees and without? What has your experience been?
80 for an entire house and 35 to have it cleaned? Wow, seems very economical. May I ask what nation you are in? I’d add the cost of the cleaning. For 3 nights that’s only 10-12 a night and divided among several people, that’s nothing.
I charge a cleaning fee for my small apt and it’s almost always left in tidy condition. Either raise the nightly rate by $10 (and hide the cleaning fee) or just add it on. My cleaning fee is less than $45 and no one has ever complained – they just all rave about how clean the apt is.
It’s a turnover fee. I charge $85 and I have a full apartment. I also have to do the patio and garden. Always takes the entire day.
Of course you have to charge it and of course it won’t turn off guests. Your are more likely to get a better caliber guest with a cleaning fee. The riff raff are looking for the cheapo places they can disrespect.
I charge £50 cleaning fee. Nobody has ever objected. As it costs £26 for our professional cleaners and £80-£100 for valet laundry & ironing of linen we only recover a fraction. But we also have a 4-day minimum. This is central London so our rates aren’t cheap, but we are competitive.
I’m also based in London, certainly not zone 1 Central London though.
Kona: Thats the outlook i take. I prefer a good caliber of guest and this is why i have my minimum stays in part.
Chelsea, are you Zone 1?
You must be offering a very high service to be using a valet laundry company. Do you find this to be more efficient, than perhaps doing it yourself.
I charged $50 cleaning fee and ask that it is handed back in the same condition (other than sheets and towels) “to avoid additional cleaning fee” (that I would never charge, obviously).
Its a great incentive; always get my 3 bedroom flat back spotless!
Me too. As a newbie host years ago, I didn’t ask for the apartment to be returned clean, and of course they left a mess…trash, dishes, you name it. Now as part of check out I request please leave studio as you found it… Do dishes, clean stove, remove your trash. Strip bed of linens. Just ask for what you want… I almost never have problems now.
Today I spent about 6 hours cleaning, on my hands and knees cleaning the bathrooms and bedrooms. I have 5 guests at the moment and OMG u would think a bomb hit the bathrooms every day. All females, like myself, the make up stains on the walls , on the floor.
Tomorrow, its a deep clean of the kitchen, rubber gloves and brush ,clean all the presses, oven, fridge and tiles. When I was in University I worked in catering so always do the deep clean every so often. am in Ireland if anybody is free, I will put you up for a night or two and feed ya:grin:
My guests are in private rooms in my home, I would never ask them to strip beds etc. Some Nordic guests seem to do it automatically, like removing shoes at the end. I want my guests to have a nice time and not worry about cleaning.
This article makes my blood boil. May the writer of this ridiculous article NEVER come to stay with me, as she obviously doesn’t get it. She takes issue because she has to leave the key in a certain place and tidy up? And says it’s not a hotel in NAME ONLY?
You are in someone’s HOME… using their personal belongings. It is not a hotel. When will divas like this get it?
Granted the cleaning fee is a little high at $130 but again the cleaning is a preparation or turnover fee… not a CLEANING UP AFTER YOU FEE per se. Just because she paid a cleaning fee she doesn’t get to leave a frickin mess.
When I recently stayed with friends in Oahu, I stripped the beds to get them ready for the laundry.
Yes, you are a paying customer of Airbnb, but that doesn’t give you the right to treat a host’s personal home like an impersonal hotel.
She can take her stupid wake up call to unprofessional hosts and well… you know.
It’s also funny how she constructs other people in the sharing economy as resentfully trying to make ends meet and then takes care to say that she and her fiance are both doing it but don’t need the money. Eyeroll.
We have always charged a $50 PREPARATION fee and our rental is between $120 and $200 depending on the season and special events. I clean it myself (separate one bedroom apartment) and do the laundry. I think $50 is a bargain!
My PREPARATION fee is $105 per reservation. The minimum night stay is 2 nights. I have to spend 5 hours to get it clean to the bare minimum with laundry,etc.
My nightly rate is $185 -$250 based on 4 guests. I have the only 2 bedroom log cabin in the area with a real theater room (popcorn and movie candy included). There is also a deck outside with grill, and yard with a zipline and horseshoe pits.
I just cannot try to even attempt to build it all into a nightly rate. If you want to spread out the preparation fee…then book for longer than 2 nights!
