Poll - Do you charge a cleaning fee?

[Kirstie]

Hi all,

We are starting a new type of topic here in the Community Center - polls! It will be a really interesting way to compare your methods of hosting and how you use Airbnb with other hosts. As well as seeing the statistics, you will also be able to discuss your answers and share ideas and experience about each topic here in the thread.

In order to participate in this poll, simply choose 'yes' or 'no' in the box below in answer to the question 'Do you charge a cleaning fee?' and then click 'submit'. Then write a comment below in the thread telling us more about your choice and your experience of the two options - e.g. I charge a cleaning fee to cover the cost of my hired cleaner etc. The answers will be able to help new hosts and more experienced hosts as well!

You can see the current results of the poll here!

Please give any suggestions about topics of polls that you would like to see in the future! We welcome your ideas 🙂

Happy polling!

Kirstie

[Kirstie]

Hi @Jiw0,

Good points!

This isn't an official poll instigated by Airbnb, it's just for fun! We thought it would be interesting to see what proportion of hosts do and don't charge cleaning fees and your reasons - it's turned into a great discussion :). I'll be publishing another poll later today on a different topic so keep an eye out!

Kirstie

[Lisa36]

One of my properties I charge cleaning fee and one I don't.  I have no idea why!  I think I've left the cleaning fee on the smaller apartment because I have shorter stays.  I have stayed in accommodation around the world and when holiday lets and apartments started charge a cleaning fee, I was incensed as I always leave the place clean and I thought why can't they just include it in their nightly fees?  Now of course I am used to it as everyone seems to charge it now.  The interesting thing is recently I had a guest ask if I could waiver the cleaning fee as they will clean the apartment but I could see that even if they cleaned, I would still have to vaccuum and wash linen and clean shower as how could I take the risk that they didn't clean to my standard?  There might be a tiny shard of glass or splinter left behind.  So it is an interesting discussion and as the polls indicate quite divided.

[Lana7]

I don't charge a cleaning fee.   I know as my experience as a guest finding just the right place, available, in my price range, no pets, and have just been about to book when I see that the cleaning fee take it out of my price range 😞 

I do understand this completely if you are hiring a cleaner especially, but I like what one other guest said about just building that extra cost into their fee.

I also worry about guests treating my room more like a hotel if I do hotel-y things like charging a cleaning fee .   I do all my own cleaning - and I'm obsessive about it .  My guests share a small flat with me, and I like that they know I do the cleaning becaue I do feel it drives the message home that they're not in a hotel, but a guest in my private home.   I've found that guests who really understand that they are in my home, treat my home with more respect.

Lana

[Erin90]

I let two bedrooms in my house. I don't charge a cleaning fee, as I consider that to be included in the tariff. I don't employ a cleaner, I do it all myself. When looking for accommodation for myself, I choose places that don't add a cleaning fee if possible.

[Matthew137]

We do charge a cleaning fee. We rent out our spare bedroom and feel that a booking for one night wouldn't be financially worth it for us without it, but think it would be too expensive to up our rates across the board, so it makes those one night stays viable without increasing prices for those staying longer.

[Celine50]

I do charge a cleaning fee of about $30 for each of my listings. It takes a couple of hours for all to be spotless. (on my hands and knees including baseboards).

I have a guest checking in tomorrow for 2 full weeks. To him, $30 won't matter at all!!

Let's say I have a couple for the weekend who takes a minimum of 4 showers, has breakfast, and hangs in the living room : my $30 a stay is well justified. (I have to do the stove, the bath, the bedroom, the LR and all this for $30). 

As long as the cleaning fees are not outrageous, I feel they are justified. If I get another listing as planned, the cleaning professional will charge well over my $30 fee and I'll have to dig into my profit... 

[Zack-and-Jennifer0]

We didn't charge a cleaning fee when we first started. I clean it and if the guests are fairly tidy, I can flip the entire 1500 sf house, including laundry for the three beds in about 3.5 hours. Unfortunately, it didn't take too many rotten apples to ruin it for the entire bunch. After the third or fourth time of spending over 6 hours to clean, we instituted a $60 cleaning fee. We find that guests are still the same, so at least I get $60 for my efforts now. We checked our competition in the area, and our fees are still lower than theirs.

[Giniffer0]

Yes! I didn't for the first couple of rentals until I realized how much cleaning supplies and toiletries I was going through by having a new guest every day. 

[Lynne2]

Yes, I do and after some thought, I won't change my listing.  Here in South Africa it is reasonably unlikely that cleaning will be done by the owner.  Guests might like to know that the fee goes directly to the cleaner and that he/she is earning a decent wage.  Also, when potential guests scan listings, I think it's unlikely that they will make the correlation between a cheaper option with cleaning fee and the higher amount without the added cleaning fee.  All they will see is the higher price.

[Rory15]

I have 2 properties on the site, one is in Italy and the other in Kenya. I charge a cleaning fee in Italy but not in Kenya. I do this because I have to get cleaners in at the Italian place, and thet are very expensive. In Africa I have staff and cleaning takes place on a daily basis as a matter of course.

[Darryl-and-Bridgette0]

We do not charge a fee. 

I've only had a really messy guest twice and I requested and received a fee for cleaning (1 was a smoker in the condo and house rules are very clear about no smoking.) We request guests clean up after themselves and remove trash. 

[Christine1]

I do charge a modest fee, it's more of a first night, the result being that anyone booking for more than one night finds it to be cheaper after the first night. 

I would rather it not be referred to as a cleaning fee, since cleaning and clean should be an expectation by guests. Its an integral part of what they are paying for. I notice that some hosts get the feeling that cleaning payments encourage guests to be reckless and offlload extra work on "the cleaner". 

I would prefer a name change to this fee, that's why I think of it as a first night levy, not a cleaning fee.

When I have extra super clean guests, [fairly regularly actually], I send them a partial or full refund of this cleaning fee when they leave after I have checked and recleaned the room. 

I usually send the money before any review activities take place as well.

Regards, Christine.

[Jamie-and-Gustavo0]

We've charged a cleaning fee for most of our five years and it hasn't been an issue - we are still booked every weekend, but we have a cheaper rate per night than some other places in the area. do a pretty thorough cleaning job after every guest, so it is a way to keep track of our output of energy.

[Patricia--Pat-0]

Yes because I pay a professional cleaning service at check out. I charge exactly what I pay them.My apartment In Hawaii is generally spotless. Labor is very high in the islands.

[Marsha22]

I charge a cleaning fee when I rent the whole house. I have to pay someone to do a full cleaning, strip and make beds and do laundry, put out trash. They charg me $100 so that's my fee.