cleaning

[Linda29]

 I am renting my guest house out to a couple for a week and I have required them to pay an upfront cleaning fee, do I need to clean and change linens and towels and do general cleaning daily or not? 

[Clare0]

 Hi @Linda29, what do you mean you charged an "up front cleaning fee"?  Is that in addition to your regular $50 cleaning fee? If so, I would advise you in the future to send a special offer including the extra cleaning fee charge.  But to answer your question, I do not offer cleaning services for one week stays.  I do provide extra towels for my guests' convenience.   If you have charged your guests extra, I would expect extra cleaning.  

[Luis-and-Tati0]

Hi @Linda29

The regular cleaning fee is refered to the cleaning and the preparation of the house to the next guest...

Like @Clare0 posted, if you charged more than your regular cleaning fee your guest will expect extra cleanings...

Some times when we got to go inside a house we are renting and there is too much garbage or dirty dishes we will load the dishwasher and remove the garbage... This is only courtesy to our guests...

Luis

[Michelle0]

I know there are variations between the US and Europe here. In the US, you can write off cleaning expenses as a loss (I don't believe you can in Europe). I always recommend homeowners don't charge a cleaning fee and work the costs into their rental price. When you charge a cleaning fee up front, guests tend to treat the home like a hotel. When you don't charge a fee, they tend to leave it in great condition. 

[Raquel13]

I disagree that when a host charges a fee the guest feels free to leave the place dirty. Even though my fee is $80 for a 1-bedroom apartment, more than half of my guests leave the place clean if not impeccable.  The guests who left yesterday even washed sheets and towels, and actually cleaned the apartment.  Needless to say, I rewashed everything and re-cleaned, but in general guests are quite nice about it.

[Lisa171]

I was charged a $60 cleaning fee for a 3 day stay. Prior to check in, my host sent me a detailed list of cleaning instructions to perform prior to departure such as stripping the bed sheets, carrying the trash out to the apartment trash bin, etc.

Do you think it is fair to expect the guest to do those types of things after paying a $60 cleaning fee?

I only charge a $25 cleaning fee & ask the guests to pick up after themselves but I believe those types of things are included in the cleaning fee.

[Ash-and-Dasha0]

@Lisa171 That's crazy. I would not follow such cleaning instructions. I'd leave the place in a decent state but I won't strip the bed, mop the floors, etc. You can involve airbnb to cancel such a reservation because it sounds weird. Maybe the host will eventually learn not to ask guests to clean the place, but you don't want to be the first guinea pig. 

[Lisa171]

I am glad to find somebody agrees with me - I was beginning to wonder if maybe it was me and this was standard practice. I have been a host for a while but this will be my first stay as a guest. I thought maybe I have been overworking!

I expect people people to pick up after themselves during their stay but since I charge a $25 cleaning fee, I feel responsible for the routine cleaning - changing the beds, emptying the trash, sweeping, mopping, dusting, etc. after the guests leave & repair for the next guests.

[Clare0]

@Lisa171 I do not charge a cleaning fee at all as I do the cleanup myself.  Other hosts, though, need to hire a cleaning service and I suspect that is why they charge a cleaning fee.  In my area, a cleaning lady charges $20 per hour.  I average 4 to 5 hours after each visit since I'm really fastidious.  

Since I do my own cleaning, all I ask my guests to do is put dishes in the dishwasher, leave the beds as is (so I can inspect for stains that need to be pre-treated before washing) and leave the towels in the bathroom...but not on the floor. All I really ask is that they leave the place relatively tidy. 

Another reason I don't charge a cleaning fee is because I don't want guests to think they are paying to leaving the place a mess.  I interact personally with my guests and they get the drift that I am the one who will be cleaning up after them.  Some leave the place a little messier than others but most are very respectful.  

That said, I've seen listings where the cleaning fee is almost half of the nightly rate...Price gouging in my opinion. Just a way to get extra cash in some cases. 

Just some thoughts.  

[Tania-and-Andrew0]

I recently had a guest who expected a full hotel treatment; she even left the towels in the floor because she was expecting me to clean them. I decided to include the cleaning fee in my nightly stay and I explain clearly in the rules that the room/bathroom and house will be cleaned the day they arrive and the day they leave. For long stays we include a complimentary cleaning every week, we change the bed linens, towels and clean the room and bathroom. Have anyone experienced something like this? People saying they want a daily change of towels? Hotels are asking people to not request new towels during their stay to protect the environment.

As both host and guest, I book places that don't have a cleaning fee. Just if this helps.

[Lisa171]

I have a towel closet the guests can access but I also have a washer & dryer - since I am renting rooms, if I see used towels in the bathroom, I will usually throw them in my next load of laundry.

I try to trust the people staying with me but have noticed my towel supply seems to be dwindling & the closet looks emptier - maybe it's just the cost of this type of business.  Also food often goes missing. I don't mind people "borrowing" occasionally but don't take a completely full jar of peanut butter or full gallon of milk & put it back with 1 teaspoon remaining - that makes me angrier than just taking the whole thing