A Newbie mistake--forgot to add cleaning fee!

[Peter-and-Cornelia0]

Hi there, hosting community!

We just posted a listing for our guest house last night at midnight, and already have four bookings. Unfortunately when I was proofreading the listing, I neglected to add the cleaning fee of $150. We're writing to each of the prospective guests to say that this is our omission and to apologize, and that we understand if they'd like to cancel the reservations--also that we'll discount the fee to $125 for them, but as these bookings have already been made, any idea how to do this? 

I of course want Airbnb to get their appropriate fees, just don't know how to add this into an existing booking if they still want to book?

This is all happening so fast, and we're lucky to have had so much interest, but gee do I feel like an idiot!

Thank you for any insights you might offer,

Cornelia

[Lily351]

I am a new

host and have 5 bookings which brings me to July. I have not added a cleaning fee to these bookings but would like to add one for future bookings.  Can  I edit the pricing so that it kicks in for bookings after July?

[Sarah977]

@Lily351  Yes, you can change any pricing you want to at any time. The new pricing will only affect reservations made after the changes were made.

[Gary749]

Be careful to add your cleaning fee into a "Special Offer!!!" I learned the hard way.

My wife and I are Superhosts in Oregon. We've got wildfires not too far from us and a couple booked with us to evacuate their home. They wanted to stay six nights but said that they might need to leave early if they can go back to their home. They asked if we could give them a deal and we obliged. 

I went to give them a deal and forgot to add the cleaning fee into the "Special Offer." I can't go back and ask them for the cleaning fee now. They are ending their stay four days early, and that's when it became obviously clear that I forgot to add the cleaning fee. Well, I've got to say, on top of giving a discount during our busy season, and not getting a cleaning fee, my co-host is not very happy with me. 

[Krystal16]

@Lily351 

Yes you can change this for future bookings, even me as an experienced host forgot to add the cleaning fee for a second property, luckily noticed after one booking.  Anyhow to update for future bookings

- go to your listings tab from the hosting dashboard

- click pricing

- scroll down to extra charges

- click edit and change your cleaning fee price in there.

Happy Hosting

[Jillian130]

I have a new listing and cant work out how to add a cleaning fee nor how to change my cancellation policy. Can anyone help?

[Renee448]

I would walk you through this, but unable to take the time right now. Call Airbnb at 844-234-2500. They answer quick and have helped me every time with any detail!

[Renee448]

You absolutely can gracefully ask for the cleaning fee!  Everyone makes mistakes, and people generally understand this.  I had a WiFi setup problem that effected my completed Airbnb setup. Within 24 hours I realized this and sent a personalized message to all 9 of my bookings.  I told them honestly what happened and that the cleaning charge of $130 would eventually be requested.  They all said ok.  Once I figured out how to do this, I sent them an update that they had just received a price increase on their booking for the cleaning, but instead of the amount mentioned earlier, that they would receive $30 off for any inconvenience.  They all understood and confirmed the price increase request, which popped up in my inbox as ‘confirmed’ as each accepted it through Airbnb.  If I had instead forgot to add it instead of a WiFi problem, they would understand that equally!  To do this increase. I clicked on their name in the inbox (messsge correspondence) - clicked their name again to get to get to the ‘Confirmed’ page of that guests where it shows how many days and what they paid - scroll down past ‘Private Notes’ and click on ‘Change Reservation’ - click on ‘Price Change’ - click on the first top money amount and in my case it was $540, backspace and in my case changed it to $640 to add a $100 - hit done - below will be an ‘Error’ message, just hit the ‘x’ to bypass it - next click ‘Adjust Price’ will show up - click ‘Save’ then ‘Next’ then ‘Send Request.’  I then followed up by sending them a message to their inbox that the adjustment for the cleaning fee was implemented and that a request for the increase was just sent to them to confirm and that I had charged $100 instead of $130 for any inconvenience they had. Renee

[Robin4]

@Renee448 

Renee, I understand you know how to physically go about this alteration to allow for 'your oversight' but, you have a massive amount to learn about being a host and.....you surely will!

I notice you don't have any reviews as hosts as yet, and I can assure you these first 9 confirmed bookings of yours are not going to be appreciative of being hit with substantial extra charges and they will give you a caning in the review process that will probably cripple your hosting career.

You say 'everyone makes mistakes', and you are right, we do but, if we are honourable, we wear those mistakes. I made a few in my time but, I never made the guest foot the bill for them.....and that is why I am a 350+ review Superhost. 

To me what you are doing tarnishes the platform, that's one thing but, advising others how to also do the same thing......that's another, I do not go along with that!

Cheers.........Rob

[Dimitar27]

Keep the reservations as they are.

First positive reviews are priceless!

[Gillian166]

this happened to me. at no point during the listing process does Air BnB prompt you to enter a cleaning fee. I took in 1 booking, also with the 20% discount, and remembered there was no fee for cleaning. It seems you have to publish your listing and then you add the cleaning fee? 

[Maria12212]

If I remember correctly, some features are not available until after you have published your listing. For example, adding your preparation days between bookings 

[Jennifer2898]

Hello, 

@Sandra126 @David192 @Rebecca181  and anyone else who wants to chime in. 

I am a renter and this scenario just happened to me, which is why I have looked it up on line. Now that the host has asked me, I am in a double bind. I partly chose the listing based on the price. If I don't pay, I feel awkward and perhaps not welcome. How should I politely respond? I don't want to complain to Airbnb at this point.

She writes: Hi Jenna, you will be one of my first guests to this new listing. I will really appreciate your insight and suggestions! You grabbed a good deal prior to me realizing my weekend price had not been set. I also forgot to include the $75 cleaning fee... Would you be opposed to me adding the cleaning charge in hindsight?

[Sarah977]

@Jennifer2898 

Yes, newbie hosts can make a lot of errors. If you have already booked, if it were me in your shoes, I wouldn't agree to pay more for the weekend price- it's too bad the host didn't have her pricing set correctly, but she should just chalk it up to a learning experience that she has to eat this time. The cleaning fee I would consent to at least meet her in the middle, and just be sure to leave the place nice and clean, so she doesn't end up feeling screwed.

If you haven't actually booked yet, then it's up to you to make a counter-offer, or refuse to pay anything more, see what she says, and if you feel it will create bad vibes between you if you do book, move on to find another listing.

There is zero need to involve Airbnb. She has been really upfront, has asked politely, and is basically putting the ball in your court. If she insists on the extra charges if you already have a confirmed booking, and you refuse, her only option is to cancel your booking, for which she will receive heavy penalties.

If this were an experienced host who made these errors and expected you to pay more, I might report them, but I wouldn't destroy a new host by reporting them unless they did something awful. She's just on a learning curve and will most likely make sure it doesn't happen again.

[Jennifer2898]

@Sarah977 

Thanks for your quick reply.

I forgot to mention, yes, I had already booked when she asked for the fee. (She isn't a newbie but I get it, we make mistakes.)  I would like to keep the booking but I guess it doesn't make me feel great that she started with the fact that I'm not paying the weekend fee, like I'm getting away with something already so I should pay the cleaning fee. I wish she had offered to split the fee. 

I'm not the type to complain to Airbnb unless it was something egregious,  which this is not.

So, you all are right, it puts the renter in a bad position and starts the stay on a negative note.

Cheers,

Jenna

[Sarah977]

@Jennifer2898  I read her message to you wrong-I thought she said she was a new host, but I see now she just said it was a new listing. So I assume she has others. I guess she put the listing up without checking all her settings. Sloppy.

The thing is, if it's an entire place,  the $75 is probably what she pays the cleaner. So she'd actually be out of pocket for that, as opposed to just not making as much as she could for the weekend. 

Personally, if I made an error like that, I would just eat the difference and kick myself for being so inattentive. 

From the way she worded her message to you, though, she may in fact adopt that attitude if you say you don't feel you should pay more just because she made a pricing error. At this point she just asked- hoping you might be willing, but if you aren't, she might accept that graciously. The cleaning fee, as I said, I would be willing to pay, or a portion thereof. $35 or $40 isn't a lot, and it's only a one-time fee, not added to every night of the booking.