As a host, how much will you be willing to pay for unlimited cleaning per unit, per month?

[Kamah0]

  My team and I are working on a startup call: HouseKeepingBnB. 

      We will do unlimited cleaning for a flat rate per month(Example $0.87 per sq ft).

[Sarah977]

@Kamah0  That doesn't sound like a very well-thought out plan. The square footage of a home, when it comes to cleaning, isn't all that relevant. Bathrooms require in depth cleaning and sanitizing, so a place with 1 bathroom is going to require less cleaning time than a place with 3 bathrooms, regardless of the home's sq. footage. A place that sleeps 8 people is going to require more cleaning than a place that sleeps 4, regardless of the size of the house.  Some listings may only have a changeover of guests 4 times a month, some may get mostly 1 or 2 night bookings, necessitating 15 or 30 cleanings a month. 

Some places accept pets and may require extensive and intensive cleaning to get rid of pet hair. Some places are easier to clean than others, with all hardwood and tile floors as opposed to carpeting. Minimalist decor is easier to clean than homes which are crammed full of stuff.

With your pricing model, I would not be confident that corners wouldn't be cut and inadequate cleaning done when you find out that you are being required to do far more work than you bargained on. 

And how would it be equitable for hosts who only need 4 or 5 cleanings per month to pay the same as hosts who require 15 cleanings?

[Kamah0]

@Sarah977  We appreciate your feedback and this is why we wanted to start this conversation!   Nevertheless,  I believe square footage is relevant because the bigger the square footage means more space. Besides, our square footage is base on pricing. A 543 square foot one bedroom apartment takes less time to clean than 745 square foot one bedroom apartment. All cleaning will be guided by Airbnb’s cleaning protocol. The concept is subscription base but we give hosts the options to opt out if they are not satisfied with our service. We know that everything hosts schedule’s vary on a monthly basis. Base on this information, we will know how to schedule for deep  or light cleaning. At the end of the day, we want to give hosts that juggling between the day job and cleaning between guests the freedom to scale with a hassle free cleaning team  that’s consistent but not over pricey.

Maybe, you might be interested in our second pricing model: $190 down( per year) then we’ll clean your unit for 80% of what you charge your guests per cleaning fees as needed, no subscription. We’ll appreciate your feedback. 

For most hosts, finding a reliable and consistent cleaning service have been a hassled. We want to help change that by creating this culture but we need your feedback Thanks, again! 

[Sarah977 · Accepted solution]

@Kamah0  Well, that second option is an interesting one, that might make more sense both for you and the hosts. But in order not to screw yourself, I think you would need to have some input into what is a reasonable cleaning fee to set, if you were dealing with inexperienced or unscrupulous hosts. Imagine a scenario where the host wanted to charge a really low cleaning fee to encourage people booking with them. So they set a cleaning fee of $50 and then expect you to clean a 3 bedroom house for $40.

Personally, I have no need of cleaners 🙂  My listing is just a private room/private bath home share that I clean myself. And even if I wanted to hire a cleaner, the going rate for that in Mexico, where I live, is $5/hr. Obviously your market is in the US.

[Lorna170]

@Kamah0   Not sustainable IMO. 

My 800 square foot cabin averages 4 - 6 bookings per month.  I pay housekeeping $125 per booking, so $696 per month would be okay, but would that include doing the laundry onsite? Maintaining the lawn and landscaping?  Picking up after visiting pets? The hot tub empty, scrub clean and refill?  Taking the trash to the dump?  Replacement of paper goods and pantry items?  

Another property is 2500 square feet and rents by the week; the average is 3 guest stays a month.  Your pricing would mean $2,175 for cleaning. It takes 2 persons 4 hours to turn the property, one additional person to do the outside work.  3 people at $20 per hour for 3 cleanings is $720 per month.   So...why would I pay you?

I like that you have an idea...talk to cleaning companies, housekeepers and business owners before you plunk down on a particular pricing structure.  It may be better to have different offerings for different properties.  Good luck!

[Kamah0]

@Lorna170  Happy New Year’s! We appreciate your feedback.  It’s clear that a particular price model can’t never be a good fix for all units. Perhaps, you may be interested in our second price model for your bigger property : $190 down( per year) then we’ll clean your unit for 80% of what you charge your guests per cleaning fees as needed, no subscription. We’ll appreciate your feedback. We clean, take out trash, and restock, laundry is extra. Thanks 

[John5097]

@Kamah0 I think its a great idea! It could include other factors as well. I think with this that occasionally it might take a little more effort on some turnovers than others. That's just the way it is, and the flat fee for a long term service would take a lot of stress off host, and could trust and rely on someone. You could even agree that some things would be extra but not a problem. Anyway I like it! 

[Kamah0]

@John5097 We appreciate your feedback.  Also, we believe our service will encourage most hosts to scale faster. We plan to offer extra services. Laundry, dropping and picking keys etc. thanks 

[John5097]

@Kamah0 Awesome! I think that's a great approach. After you get established you could fine tune your rates. 

I thought I would hate cleaning but I actually enjoy it! Its one thing that's within my control to make a difference. 

It won't be without its challenges. But great communication and positive attitude you can adjust and be part of a team. 

[Sandra126]

I once had 17 one nighters in a row, my record. Just saying.

[Kamah0]

@Sandra126 @We appreciate your feedback.  In that case, we’ll clean your unit 17 times. No two months at same for most host.  On your month with fewer  turnovers, we break even. Thanks! Happy New Year’s 🎆

[Sandra126]

@Kamah0 This is true, and you are certainly enthusiastic. All the best.