Cleaning fee Question Airbnb will not answer

[Jeff541]

For some reason to date Airbnb support staff will NOT answer my repeaeted question with a specific response...will you??? can you please??

I wrote:"Your support staff informed me that if a listing is turned over to a guest incompletely, or not clean, Airbnb may deduct my entire published cleaning fee from my payout in accordance with Airbnb’s policies. Since Hosts charge cleaning fees that range from $0-$500…How much is deducted if the published cleaning fee is $0, or $100, or $200 or even $500? The entire amount in each case...including $0? Please be specific in your explanation so I may properly update-publish both my room rate and cleaning fees going forward as a Host" Thanks Jeff

[Sandra856]

Hi @Jeff541 🙂

I don't think I understand the link between what guests get back if they don't think it is clean enough AND your  decision on what your cleaning fee will be? Best, Sandra 

[Jeff541]

Thanks so much for responding...My first and only experience as a Host included a wife of the guest making the reservation that I believe was very motivated to request my entire cleaning fee be refunded AFTER she found out my cleaning fee was purposely set HIGH ($350) ...clearly much higher than the cost to actually clean my home ($150). It was set high after I read Airbnb articles and reviewed Host posts that stated the advantage of setting a high cleaning fee would discourage short term stays. So the combination I used was to set a very low room rate but a cleaning fee. I am now trying to decide on a new approach. The guest complained to me directly at first (after the 24 hr Airbnb policy) and wanted me to pay her directly...of course prior to any reviews-ratings being published.   I did not pay. She then contacted Airbnb Resolution department who tried to negotiate (this took weeks and a lot of time...following the guest check out 30 days’ prior) a "deal" between us...but the deals offered always included paying the guest the ENTIRE PUBLISHED CLEANING FEE…I.e. $350. I refused any offered deal. Case closed eventually. Since then I have noticed that "cleaning fees vary greatly at accommodations in my area ...including $0...Easily I could increase my room rate and also use $0 cleaning fee...and hopefully avoid "unclean claims" from guests ...that is the reason for seeking a specific answer to "How much is deducted if the published cleaning fee is $0, or $100, or $200 or even $500? The entire amount in each case...including $0? Please be specific in your explanation so I may properly update-publish both my room rate and cleaning fees going forward as a Host" …so what will be paid out …. even if the guest can prove cleanliness issues, if the cleaning fee is published at $0 ???...Thanks Jeff

[Jeff158]

@Jeff541  If the guest can prove its not clean with photo's etc, customer service will refund the whole cleaning fee and possibly your nightly rate as well. Penalties are not fixed at airbnb, no one can tell you how much might be deducted, it can be as much or as little as the customer service representative feels like refunding. If they are in a good mood or bad mood can make a big difference.

[Jeff541]

Thanks so much for responding...My first and only experience as a Host included a wife of the guest making the reservation that I believe was very motivated to request my entire cleaning fee be refunded AFTER she found out my cleaning fee was purposely set HIGH ($350) ...clearly much higher than the cost to actually clean my home ($150). It was set high after I read Airbnb articles and reviewed Host posts that stated the advantage of setting a high cleaning fee would discourage short term stays. So the combination I used was to set a very low room rate but a cleaning fee. I am now trying to decide on a new approach. The guest complained to me directly at first (after the 24 hr Airbnb policy) and wanted me to pay her directly...of course prior to any reviews-ratings being published.   I did not pay. She then contacted Airbnb Resolution department who tried to negotiate (this took weeks and a lot of time...following the guest check out 30 days’ prior) a "deal" between us...but the deals offered always included paying the guest the ENTIRE PUBLISHED CLEANING FEE…I.e. $350. I refused any offered deal. Case closed eventually. Since then I have noticed that "cleaning fees vary greatly at accommodations in my area ...including $0...Easily I could increase my room rate and also use $0 cleaning fee...and hopefully avoid "unclean claims" from guests ...that is the reason for seeking a specific answer to "How much is deducted if the published cleaning fee is $0, or $100, or $200 or even $500? The entire amount in each case...including $0? Please be specific in your explanation so I may properly update-publish both my room rate and cleaning fees going forward as a Host" …so what will be paid out …. even if the guest can prove cleanliness issues, if the cleaning fee is published at $0 ???...Thanks Jeff...I guess you are saying it is entirely up to Airbnb...regardless of my published cleaning fee??