Outrageous cleaning fees

[Mark211]

People are killing this platform with their ridiculous cleaning fees. I tried to book a "$55 a night" room for two nights. The total bill came to $274.

 

[Gillian166]

@Mark211  agreed! It really should be factored into the price.  I don't agree Airbnbs are worse than hotels, you can't even find a hotel in my region..... but again, sure there are some dodgy hosts out there. 

[Darran6]

How do you suggest that hosts factor it into a nightly price? I promise you we would if we could, as this conversation gets tiring. 

Hotels employe cleaners on a daily basis on an hourly price, and hotel rooms only take maybe 30 minutes to clean. Airbnb is totally different. Single properties, paying separate cleaners and laundry services, that have to travel to/from the property, and then spend a few hours there. 

Airbnb SHOULD just take the cleaning fee hosts charge, and then average it out over the number of nights on a guest's stay. They don't offer that option. 

For hosts to try to use a crystal ball is impossible. If hosts just add a flat fee per night, that would be mean guests staying one or two nights perversely pay far less for cleaning then guest who stay for two weeks. That's unfair. As it costs the same, and longer stays should be rewarded, not penalised. 

If guests have an issue with this then hotels are available. Putting pressure on hosts in this regard leads on to a squeeze on pay for cleaners who do a really hard job for already poor pay. 

[Mark5501]

A retired couple shouldn't be paying a $385 cleaning fee for a 4 night stay (at $241 a night). It's ridiculous and you know it. 

[Dean43]

A large amount of Hosts are doing it right. The problem is the late adopters who are cheap AND when the property management groups got into it, they cheapened the product both quality and service! They provide cheap almost plastic silverware, cheap toiletries, poor quality bed frames and beds and provide piss poor service. On top of that they have a no cancellation policy when there's enough renters to replace these rents. If you're having a no cancellation policy 48 hours after booking, you're in fear of something. Your listing isn't up to par. In fact, everyone should be able to cancel up to 48 hours before the stay if you're a good listing. A good listing can rebook quickly. 

[Huma0]

@Mark211 I personally don't charge a cleaning fee and I agree with @Gillian166 that it should be factored into the overall price. 

While the cleaning fee you mention above does seem super high compared to the nightly rate, hosts will charge the market rate (otherwise they won't get booked). The low rental cost with high cleaning fee is a tactic to make the listing appear cheaper, and I don't agree with that behaviour, but the total cost is likely what people are willing to pay, otherwise the listing would end up failing.

I often see that guests complain that Airbnbs are as expensive or more expensive than hotels, but I've yet to see examples of where that is actually true (unless you get a great last minute deal on the hotel). I have large rooms by London standards and they are not at all cheaply furnished, but even the really basic budget hotel near me that has a low review score charges more.

This might not be the case in every location, but every Airbnb I have stayed in as a guest has definitely been cheaper than a hotel of the equivalent standard.

Also, you have to compare like with like, i.e. you can't compare an entire apartment or house with a hotel room. 

[Dana1214]

I am trying to get a room in NYC, checking their prices makes me feel dizzy but when you see $275 for cleaning it's just insane. 

[Diane1559]

I so agree!!!

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Dana1214 if you can get an acceptable place elsewhere for less than the total including cleaning fees then just don't book it. If however the overall price is good why would it matter what the breakdown of fees was?

[Darran6]

$55 a night is $110, plus Airbnb fees is around $130. So cleaning isn't $274, it's $144, right? It seems a little high, but as a comparison, my cleaning fee is £75 for ana apartment in central London, or around $100. This is actually less than it costs me. At a minimum it's £85 (I just wear the difference because of complaints like yours). The last 3 were...  £96.50, £147, £152. This is the way it is. Apartments in very expensive cities have expensive costs. My cleaner is £20ph. Laundry is £30-40. I can't change this/am unwilling to exploit those who work very hard "at the bottom of society". My focus is on the $55 nightly rate. That's basically free. Also, guests should be aware that there are no Airbnb fees on cleaning, so if your preference is to build it into nightly rates (very difficult for single properties versus hotels with 100s of rooms), you're actually asking to pay an additional 20%+ on top of the cleaning fee. 

I wish Airbnb would call it a turnover fee. There are certain costs that are the same for each stay, no matter how long. Cleaning and laundry is only part of it. Sets of bedding. Incidentals. And most importantly, time. 

[Amy3082]

Boycotting airbnb.  The fees are criminal. "Service fees" as well as "cleaning fees." Shame on them. 

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Amy3082 I would love to understand why you are boycotting Airbnb. As long as the price is acceptable (total price that is) does it matter if the individual elements are a bit strange?

Also have you found the 'show total price' toggle when searching?

[Dean43]

Yep! Hotels don't charge a cleaning fee. There should be limits on this. Hosts are getting greedy and offering poor service on top of that. They need to do it right or don't do it at all! What once was disruptive gets destroyed by greedy Hosts and poor property managers. The best way to fight back is destroy their ratings. Be very critical! That's the only way we fight back. Hit them hard where it hurts. Harsh ratings so other guests can see it and criticize their lack of quality amenities and poor service. Push back hard!!! It's the only way!