Extra Charges

[Patricia308]

As a newbie to Airbnb, I'd like to find out how many of you charge a cleaning fee and/or a security deposit.  I already have 5 reservations and have not charged anything extra....just the nightly fee.  Does charging these fees scare people away?  I want

to be fair, but I also want to protect my property.

[Victoria57]

Hi @Patricia308, we don't charge a security fee and just absorb the cleaning fee into the room rate. Others in our village do the same so it would look strange if we charged these on top when no-one else does and would make us un-competitive.

[Karen77]

Check out the listings for hosts in your area.  This varies so much by region, I'm discovering.  

[Annette33]

quite a few guests and hosts apparently have no understanding that the security deposit is not charged upfront by Airbnb, in other words, the guest is never charged - only if there is a dispute later and the host prevails. Thus I have refrained from listing a security deposit as I think it might deter people from booking.

about a cleaning fee: as long as you stay within a moderate, reasonable, frame, I think it adds a bit to your income, so why not? I only dislike it when it is a rather large percentage of the nightly cost, especially if I were to book a one night accomodation and am faced with the idea of it adding 50% to my room rate...

[Cornelia20]

I don't charge cleeningfee for a studio.
However I'm also renting a house were I leave it in the hands of my guests. They can do the cleaning themselves or pay 60 euros. 50 % is paying the extra fee.

[Annette33]

@Cornelia20, for some reason I can't see/get a link to your listings. have you snoozed them? interesting idea about charging the cleaning fee or letting guests do it: how is that working out? they wash the linens, etc.. and make it sparkling clean for the next guests? that takes a lot of trust to rely on... people have different standards. so I'm really curious to find out about your experience with that. thanx!

[Donna15]

@Patricia308, I charge a cleaning fee and require a security deposit. To date, I've never had to make a claim against it. But there are plenty of hosts here who have regretted not having a security deposit condition when their listings were damaged.

In case you were considering the option mentioned here, I advise you not to ask guests to do the cleaning in lieu of paying a fee. If they do a poor job, the guests after them will be likely to complain in their review. It's the host's responsibility to maintain a high standard of cleanliness and order for each guest. Besides, very few guests will be willing to do a thorough job of cleaning when they're in the rush of preparing for check-out and possibly the next part of their travels.

[Karen-and-Will0]

I charge a $75 cleaning fee and a $200 “security deposit.” When I was pondering this same question I looked at what others were doing in my area. I then picked a cleaning fee that fell in the middle of the range I found. As most hosts know, Airbnb doesn’t really charge the guest the security deposit. However, I threw it in as a CYA.  So far no one has been put off by these fees.  One young guest asked if they cleaned well if we would drop the cleaning fee.  Red flag went off for me, so I said no.  They still booked anyway.

[Cornelia20]

Dear Annette,
You have several options.
I rent my studio with bedsheets included and I don't ask cleaningfee. It's included in the price.
I rent my house near the see too. It's at 2:30 hours distance. However I do not include cleaningfee because for some People it will get to expensive. They can do the cleaning themselves and have to bring there own bedsheets and towels. All guests are coming by car and not by flight.
I'm paying a local agency to give the keys and see if the cleaning has been done correctly. If not, a cleaning lady will do it again I will reduce the fee from the deposit within 24 hours.
In paris people are coming by flight. I ask for a cleaningfee and bedsheets and towels are provided.
And I also know someone who is paying a cleaning lady who brings her bedsheets and wash the sheets in her house after every rental.
It's up to you how you want to organise.
I hope it's clear for you now.
Don't hesitate to contact me again.
Best regards
Cornelia

[Gerry-And-Rashid0]

You need to uderstand two things:

1. the guest does not pay the security deposit, its just an agreement to pay up to a certain amount if there is damage and it is agreed by AirBnB that the guest should pay.
2. If you don;t have a security deposit then you have close to zero chance of getting any money
3. Do you really want people staying who search for poroperties without a security deposit - it happens
4. Do you really want people staying who cant afford to have this charge held against their card\

Finally cleaning fee - either build it into your nightly rate or add it as an extra - either way someone has to do the cleaning and it costs money

[Terra3]

I chrge a security fee and cleaning fee. Most others in my city do also, so I don't stand out here. Sometimes in the winter I drop the cleaning fee because I am not so heavily booked. The security fee isn't charged unless you document damages. If you do incur damages document, document, document. 

[Shelly8]

I don't charge a cleaning fee but will probably add a security deposit, although I haven't had a problem.  I state in my listing that I expect guests to clean up after themselves since I don't charge a cleaning fee.  However my nightly rate is higher than those around me although my space is bigger than most.  I plan to add the security deposit because I will have a fellow host and friend manage my place while I'm out of the country.  I have had guests comment that they appreciated the no cleaning fee and were happy to do the cleaning that I ask them to do.  Some do a better job than others and I always go over things again.  But just getting folks to replace the sheets and throw the dirty ones in the laundry is a big time saver.  Emphasizing this when folks check in is also important and has gone a long way with folks keeping things cleaner than they normally would.  I think it has reduced my cleaning workload in the long run.  Adding the cleaning fee to me means that I can leave things as messy as I want because I'm paying for it.  I'd rather guests not have that impression!

[Annette33]

@Shelly8, @Cornelia20, my experience is - I have a moderate cleaning fee in place - that people are super clean and tidy anyways, some even strip the beds, dishes are always washed, etc. Very nice!
But to me, there is much more to cleaning the place after guests leave, like vacuuming, washing the linens, dusting, scrubbing the bath tub and toilet, etc... all things I would NEVER expect a guest to do, nor would I think that even a well meaning guest would  clean the place as thorough as that that for the next visitor:  that's what I was wondering about @Cornelia20, if you had some possibly negative feedback from guests about cleanliness after another guest cleaned the place before?

[Athena2]

Hi from Cyprus, does anybody knows how to put an extra charge for the air conditioning,  please if anyone knows to help me out because summer is here and I have to be prepared.

Thank you so much  Athena

[Sheila95]

Hi Athena, 

    Rather than charge additional fees, just adjust your nightly or weekly price to reflect your additional expenses. Good luck