My cleaner and her family would like to rent my place (whole house) for a weekend in early October, which is during low season. I told her I will give a discount. I’m thinking 50% off my usual rate ($700/night) and she will clean my place when done. She’s my only cleaner and has been cleaning for me for about 5 months and did a relatively average/good job. I’m wondering if any of you run into this situation and what discount you would give. Thanks in advance!
If she’s really, truly, sincerely going to clean the house after her stay and have it ready for the next guests, then I’d take the cost of her usual cleaning away from the total price rather than give a discount.
The only thing that would slightly worry me is whether she’d start cleaning at checkout time and have it 100% ready for check in time for the next guests.
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I think a discount would make her feel valued by you. Maybe 25-33% off plus she’ll not be charged the cleaning fee if she does it herself.
I had a stronger relationship with my former housecleaner in Los Angeles so its a different situation than yours. She worked for me for 20+ years and had become like extended family, so much that her two oldest sons held their HS graduation parties at my house.
When she was in Phoenix last year to visit family, she stayed in my guest house without charge. She left it as clean as you’d expect. She’s welcome anytime for free.
In your situation, I’d offer 50% with the expectation that she’d clean it without charge.
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@Slingster said that her cleaner had done an average job and has only been cleaning the rental for 5 months. To me, that doesn’t really deserve a large discount when the rental could be occupied by a ‘proper’ guest paying full price.
I’m assuming that this will be a private deal and not via Airbnb so the cleaner is already saving Airbnb fees so too much of a discount doesn’t seem to be applicable.
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I agree that 50% seems awfully generous for a weekend booking, unless the host doesn’t get many weekend bookings in October, if she’s just a so-so cleaner who hasn’t been working there for very long. If she was a stellar cleaner that a host would be devastated to ever lose, that might be different.
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Similar but different: my hair dresser and I trade retail for retail. An example would be if i charge $100 a night and she stays 3 nights, she would later in the year do hair colors & cuts free up to $300 value.
Your housekeeper can stay free, do her own cleaning and trade off free cleanings to the value of the rental.
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Good in theory, and I do trades with others like that, too. But with your hairdresser, it’s just between you and her. If the cleaner slacks off or doesn’t show when she should, because she knows she won’t get paid that day, there’s a lot more at stake. Or if the host becomes displeased with her or her cleaning and wants to fire her before she’s completed her end of the deal, that would also be problematic.
If she’d been working for him for years, and was a great cleaner, that would be different.
Nothing like using the barter system, when done properly is a win win scenario for both parties.
I needed some welding done on one of our doors recently, and a blacksmith I know is vegetarian and struggles to find decent veggie food here. So I traded him a nice homemade vegetarian meal for the work. We were both happy and no money changed hands, result.
JF
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That is a tough one. I have had friends, or coworkers, want to rent and it’s a tough pill to swallow to give up a week or weekend where you could get full rent, especially if there’s nothing to gain on your end (if they want during the week at a less-desirable time of year, a little easier to accept). Often, I would feel obligated to do it for friends at a reduced price… the positive side is friends are usually neat and respectful tenants, so you can give them a discount for knowing they will take good care of the place, probably the same with this cleaner lady. I don’t know if I would go half on 700, but maybe I’d do it for 500 and consider returning the cleaning fee after if I saw that the place was left spotless.
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OP said it’s in low season so there’s a chance the place would be empty that weekend anyway – is that correct?
I think 50% is the minimum discount I’d provide (I had my cleaner and nanny and both of their extended families stay for free in the unit during low season but they were both great people who did an excellent job).
I’d say 30% but more if she had been with you longer.
Like you I’m willing to do super discounted or maybe free stays (depends on who and for how long) in the low season. My peak season is usually 12 weeks (This year it Is 9 weeks!) and I have to earn the money to help pay the bills for the rest of year so I can’t do peak season discounts.
Time of year affects the discount I can do.
I’m just wondering how much you pay her if she can afford to pay $350/night! I like the 50% idea and of course no cleaning fee.