I have recently hired an outside management company “Evolve”. Their business model of services seems like a great way to go for their 10% fee, however, the cleaners they refer to me charge $130 a pop. I have used then 1 tme so far to get a basic fluff clean. The dryer wasn’t working properly (as I found out later) and they just put the damp towels in the storage closet with no mention of doing so.
This home is a 2 bedroom / 2 bathroom home. All newly renovated with wood floors. Its 1100 sq ft. I had a cleaning company in the past and can tell you that I would charge $70 on average and that is high for this job. When Flipping a home in between guests 2-3 x a week doesn’t need a full clean every time so I am at a loss as to the high rate. Any suggestions?
It’s very hard for cleaners to know when they should clean superficially, which basically equals not doing a very precise job, are cleaning thoroughly. So you tell the cleaners: “Behind the flatscreen you only have to clean once a month!”, but what will you say when one of your guests finds a used condom hanging behind it. I’m putting this as an example, because I once experienced this as a guest.
About the price: Depends where you are and what you expect I suppose, but it’s always a free market, so if you feel it’s too expensive shop around to find a ‘better’ deal.
Why not just employ your own cleaners directly. You can then interview them and use your expertise in cleaning to choose the right cleaners.
My cleaners do certain tasks every clean and then some every two or three cleans.
You are paying a high rate because you are using a management company and they will add on their commission. Similarly to what you would have done when you had a cleaning company.
Actually, it seems quite a good deal to me - if the cleaners were doing a good job.
Just my opinion but it does need at least four hours worth of cleaning (which includes the laundry) for every turnover. It depends too whether the cleaners are supplying their own cleaning materials (detergents etc.), equipment (floor polishers etc.) and any guest supplies (loo paper etc.)
$130 doesn’t seem crazy if they are doing linens. Cleaners don’t like doing on demand cleaning. Prefer every Tuesday at 11 for example. But if you can find better pricing no reason not to switch.
Depends on location. We pay $150 AUD for extra clean, which includes laundry. Wages are high here and when it’s a correctly registered company there is insurances and tax they need to account for.
Our biggest annoyance with our cleaners so far has been when they change the quilt cover (Doona cover) they don’t always use the matching pillow case… and will add white or blue or a random colour from a different sheet set for a different bed. But the house is always cleaned well and regularly complimented for cleaning in reviews. So I can handle a couple of mis matched pillow cases haha. In saying that. We try to do as many cleans as we can when turnovers aren’t back to back.
I tried a management company, briefly, last year. Never again. My last cleaner, directly employed, sadly left after she moved too far away. I put an ad out locally on Face Book and had nine responses. As we are a B&B, I do a lot myself but between two of us, we can change over three bedrooms, three bathrooms, kitchen, dining room, sitting room in two hours, with our bedroom less regularly. Ok, the sheets go out but I do towels, robes and pillow cases myself. I pay over the living wage and am happy that this goes into the cleaners pocket, not some rubbish management company with their 12% take.
I agree with you, Jaquo. By the time i’m done with everything it can take 3-4 hours. That’s because there is always something over and above to focus in on each go around that services often miss, including
Cleaning Walls
cupboards and drawers
windows
washing curtains
corners and baseboards
touch up paint here and there
spraying for creepy crawlies
installing/removing window banger air conditioners
cleaning fans and filters
minor repairs
…oh heck there’s always something!
You do touch up paint in a regular basis? Wow, mine are long overdue
Hi Yana,
The whole house is painted white. Scuffs from suitcases, shoes, etc. happen. If i can’t get it off using regular cleaner, I just touch if up a bit.
Yea. 3-4 hours is 100. That’s max.
Hi Mandi,
I agree - there are so many things! Something I obsess about is the kitchen and all the kitchen equipment - cleaning the oven, the microwave and so on. I usually remove all the china and the cutlery (even if the guest has washed everything and put it away) because invariably they’ve left some crud on a few forks or bowls. And why not? They’re on vacation, not in a housekeeping contest. 
My routine is to deep clean 1 room every clean in rotation- 9 cleans, and around we go again!
The price is very fair here are prices in AUD for professional cleaning with hire linen .
I bed 1 bath unit/ apartment from $90
2 bed 2 bath Unit/apartment from $120
3 bed 2 bath unit/apartment from $140
3 bed 2 bath House from $170
4 bed 2 bath home from $220 +
Your property manager adds there 10% and guest what your paying the correct price for a full Airbnb clean , this is never a simple wipe over ,if the guests have been super clean then the additional time onsite is spent doing things like window tracks and skirting boards , you know the things that don’t get done every clean .
Where are you? That seems reasonable as long as they are doing a good job. We pay between $50-100 for a 1 br 1 ba with no laundry and I even pre-fold the towels and iron the pillowcases myself. Our regular cleaner basically charges $35 per hour and it takes between 1-3 hours to clean thoroughly (1 1/2 on average). It takes me longer because I get hung up on little things that our regular cleaner skips over…I’m a bit OCD.
We are in NC and our caretaker also cleans between and he asked for $20/hr. The house is 1900 sq/ft and depending on the number of guests he charges $50-100. Two guests, limited linens is approx $40 but if we have 6 guests with all beds it can end up $120+. I’d say the average is $80.
@LCL Wow that is really inexpensive!! Just goes to show how different parts of the country/world have very different labor costs.
I pay my house keeper $30 an hour in NY, which is super cheap and she’s efficient enough that she gets it all done (from the windows to the fan) was
Plus the laundry in around 2.
The one I have upstate who is not nearly as detail oriented, but inexpensive enough to use for a pied a terre comes for like 5 hours and charges $50, but doesn’t do the bookshelves or behind the toilet.
$50 for 5 hours? That’s too cheap. I guess you get what you pay for?
I pay 80$ for 3 bedrooms/3 bathrooms.
House has 4 bedrooms but one guests doesn’t want her room to be cleaned. Eliza comes with her helper and they finish within 2 hours. So it’s 4 hours, she does amazing job.
I had more expensive cleaners who didn’t even come close to the level of job Eliza does.
I asked to do fridge and expected her to charge me, she just did it for free. I leave her tip from.now and then.
I am in South Florida