I am including the link - (Something’s Gone Wrong With Airbnb - The Atlantic)- to the article in The Atlantic concerning the changing face of Airbnb and from my point of view it rings true. I hold an unpopular view among hosts that requiring guests to “clean” the Airbnb before they leave including starting bedsheet washing, dishwashers, taking out the trash, sweeping, and other tasks is just not acceptable when charging a cleaning fee. I recently stayed for a week at a Utah home and there was a long list of 'tasks" to accomplish before we left which was at 4:30 a.m. to catch an early morning flight. I paid a hefty cleaning fee as well. I did the tasks but thought maybe next time I would stay at a hotel which would be much easier. I have been an Airbnb/VRBO host for over 10 years for two properties and only request that guests do not leave dirty dishes otherwise we take care of the cleaning and I have not had any problems. I charge a cleaning fee and would not do so if I asked the guests to clean. I have often heard the comment that the cleaning fee is so the Airbnb is clean when the guest arrives which I feel is just not accurate or appropriate. The Cleaning Fee is to clean the Airbnb after the guest leaves which in turn means the space will be clean for the next guests. I believe as hosts we are in the hospitality business and allowing guests to relax and enjoy your property without facing a list of tasks will improve our guest relations.
Agreed. When I found out years ago that some hosts want their guests to strip beds, start a load of wash, hump the garbage out to a dumpster, sweep, vacuum, and other housekeeping chores, I thought it bizarre.
Some hosts try to defend it, saying they have 8 beds and could never get the changeovers done in time if guests didn’t do these things, and I just think, “Then you should either spend more $ and hire a team of cleaners instead of just one, or stop being so greedy and leave a day between bookings so you have time to clean”.
Paying guests aren’t unpaid cleaners. Leaving the place tidy and washing their dishes is all that should be expected. And maybe taking the garbage out of the house to an outside bin if the cleaner isn’t coming in right away, so it doesn’t attract critters.
All I ever asked my guests to do was turn everything off, lock the door and leave the key in the lock box.
I also charged zero cleaning fee.
I wouldn’t stay at a place with a list of things you have to do before checkout except wash your dishes.
Amen, sister!
I’ll go a step further and say extensive chore lists are not acceptable if you are charging any fees to stay at your property. There is a difference between how we treat free houseguests (“You’re welcome to stay, but we expect you to clean up after yourself…”) and how the hospitality business treats paying guests (“… what else can I do to make your stay more enjoyable?”) The free houseguests pay by cleaning up, the Airbnb guests pay by giving us money in exchange for clean accommodation.
We don’t ask Airbnb guests to do any chores – at check-in I actually make a point of telling them “stripping the beds is our job, not yours, and no need to do things like wash the floor at checkout because we’re going to do that ourselves after you leave – no need for you to duplicate our cleanup.” Although I do not ask guests to wash dishes, not once (in eight years) have I found a dirty dish waiting for me after the guest leaves. In fact, most check-out guests make the bed and leave the suite “Mom’s-coming-to-visit” tidy.
When we learned last spring that “cleaning fees” were identified in Airbnb market research as a big turnoff, we eliminated ours and bumped up our base fees to recapture them – and then put “no cleaning fees” in our listing name
Hey @Spark great idea about not charging a cleaning fee. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery- I think we will use that. Cheers!
I’ve never charged a cleaning fee, either.
But I can understand why it’s problematic not to, upping the nightly fee, if hosts get bookings that can range from one night to 10. If a host cleans themselves, they may have much less cleaning time after a one night booking than after a 10 nighter, but if they have a paid cleaner, it would be hard to find one that would agree to never know if they’d be paid for 2 hrs of cleaning or 4.
It’s much easier to include the cleaning expense in the nightly price if you have, say, a 3 night minimum, like I do. My nightly price assures that on a 3 night booking, I feel fairly compensated for the cleaning time- if it’s a 2 week booking, the cleaning has already been paid for on the first 3 nights.
Or if a host generally gets the same length of bookings, whether it’s one nighters, or one week, that also lends itself to easily including the cleaning in the nightly fee.
We avoid by “over-collecting” on cleaning fees built into a higher nightly rate (and risk pricing ourselves out of the market) by offering automatic discounts as the stay gets longer
That’s an excellent way of handling it.
I agree too. Basically, I ask my guests to hang up wet towels on the bathroom hooks, not to strip the beds, put their trash in a trash barrel in the suite, shut off fans and AC and shut the suite door and front door.
I do however get annoyed when a guest wants me to reduce or remove a cleaning fee because they are really clean. Like they don’t understand that no matter what, I clean the place the same.
Like Spark, we charge a higher nightly fee and no cleaning fee. I also have a 3 night minimum and a 10% discount for 7+ nights. I know I lose guests becuase of it but I prefer less wear and tear/cleaning cost, etc.
The only thing I ask guests to do is take their trash to the community dumpster as there is no household trash pick up where I am located.
I would never trust a guest to clean to my standards.
I’ve also never understood how asking guests to strip beds cuts down on cleaning time in any significant way. How long does it take to pull the bedding off a bed- 1 minute, tops?
Agree @muddy and I have always preferred changing the sheets myself since it allows me to check for stains or rips. In terms of time needed to wash and replace linens, if you are in the STR business you need at least 2 replacements of linens for each bed or give yourself a day between bookings. Thanks
As far as checking for stains, it seems like hosts who ask guests to start a load of wash would end up having to replace towels and sheets more often- guests certainly aren’t going to pre-treat stains, they’re going to throw it all in, on hot, cooking the stains in so they never come out. And some will no doubt overload the machine or add too much soap.
When we first started hosting the two of us were spending 4 hours or so cleaning between guests and were looking at different approaches to gain efficiency. We tried leaving things if they looked ok but actually realised we couldn’t bear leaving anything unchecked/ not cleaned. In fact it didn’t seem to really matter how clean a guest would leave the place, it didn’t save us any time since we still wanted to cover everything and leave it as clean as we could, so that we come away feeling happy and integral around the space/our offer. 140 or so bookings later we’ve managed to knock an hour off our regime but I have to say we really enjoy our three hours going through the place in forensic detail. We’re off grid and I always worry whether our guests have enough hot water and I can tell by the position of the shower valve how hot the supply as been. As we empty the recycling we comment on their alcohol consumption, the most outstanding guest being a barrister staying with us for a week while working at the local crown court, phenomenal guzzling that hasn’t been matched in three years. We also make up stories about our guests as we clean, making ourselves laugh our heads off at the most bonkers interpretations we can glean from the debris of a stay. We love cleaning after our guests and I, for one, am amazed at how green sequins can still turn up in the oddest places even though the bulk of them were hoovered up three weeks earlier - it’s like magic.
Loved your post. I have also gleaned some insight into my guests by personally dealing with their garbage. Like the guy who was not at all objectionable as a guest, but seemed quite socially uncomfortable, avoiding more than simple pleasantries when we crossed paths and holing up in his room whenever he wasn’t out and about, even though my guests are welcome to use the kitchen and outside terrrace, as almost all of them do. The number of empty liquor bottles in his room, although I had never seen him visibly inebriated, told me he was a heavy closet drinker.
And while I also pretty much clean the same between every booking, there is a bit that doesn’t need to be done again after short stay, tidy and clean guests. Like I might not have to wipe down the baseboards again, or dust the shelves, or scrub stuck-on food off the stovetop. And I don’t have to check for shower drains clogged with long hair after a guest with a buzz cut or bald. 
Glitter is actually worse than sequins- it’s like forever chemicals- it never goes away completely.
I too think it’s a bit too much to ask guests to undress the bed, load washer and start it, wash towels, vaccum, etc. Especially when charging a cleaning fee. I only request that they take out the trash and not leave any dirty dishes. I agree with you, they’re on vacation and shouldn’t be vacuuming and doing laundry.
Even if they aren’t on vacation, and came for work purposes, to attend a course, or get medical care, beyond being respectful of the space and its contents, cleaning up spills or a big mess when they happen, and not living like a pig, they are paying guests, not free labor.
In fact, guests who are on vacation should actually have more time to tidy up after themselves than someone like a business traveler who’s busy with work all day, or rushing off to catch an early morning flight.
And I never quite understood why more guests mean more mess, although I know it often does. Seems like the more people there are to pitch in and wash dishes and bag the garbage, the faster it would go.
I specifically asked my guests not to strip the bed because it’s much easier to spot and treat stains while the sheets are still on the bed.
The same with the towels - I prefer to not touch used towels too much and so by putting them on hooks, 1 - It prevents mildew and 2. I can easterly span the towel and look for stains and treat.
jujuba - I laughed out loud at your response!
I really don’t mind doing turnovers as it allows me the time to fully inspect everything. I have learned that some things don’t need to be done every single turnover, like dusting the modeling, top of the kitchen cabinets, etc.
its about 50/50 hiring my cleaner vs me doing it myself. It depends on timing.
Home share host - I’ve never charged a cleaning fee and I always ask guests to hang up wet towels, etc. Some have left wet towels on wood furniture, but since I usually walk in as they’re leaving, I can mitigate any damage. I want to check sheets for stains while they’re on the bed - it’s easier to see that way.
Dirty dishes in dishwasher if they have time. Otherwise, I clean the sink out when they leave.