Cleaning fee--to charge or not to charge?

[Karen77]

I've been happily hosting for over a year and have been charging a modest cleaning fee.  

After a a guest made it clear he was unhappy about this, I find myself wondering.  Do you charge a fee?  Why or why not?   If you do, what do you say to the occasional guest who thinks you should be like a hotel?  

[Dawn33]

Karen, I charge a modest cleaning fee to cover all of the supplies that I use. If a guest has a problem with it, this will more than likely not be the only problem during their stay.

If they want a hotel-like "no cleaning fee" scenario, they should make reservations at a hotel and pay their fees and taxes.

[Sharon114]

The guests are very much mistaken if they think hotels don't charge cleaning fees.  Who do they think pay their cleaners? Maintenance and cleaning is incorporated into their nightly rates.

I don't charge a cleaning fee but then I don't have the cheapest nightly rates either.  There are some listings in my area which appear cheaper but by the time you add the cleaning fee and charges for extra guests after the first guest, there is little difference between them and me. 

[Ryan91]

I wonder if its a better strategy if you lower your price and add a cleaning fee? Would this equal a higher booking rate. Do a lot of people test these things? Please message me if you do... I'd love to find the best strategy

[Sharon114]

I think that a lot of guests prefer to see the total nightly rate straightaway.

[Sharon114]

If I lowered by nightly rate and included a cleaning fee this would be fine for a one night booking but I would lose out on longer stays.  I could only charge a cleaning fee once.

[Sara2]

Karen I point out that laundering sheets and duvet costs over £30 my cleaning fee is only £10 a recent lady wanted to bring her own sheets and clean her own room so did she plan to clean kitchen and bathroom I declined her.

[Sharon114]

How does laundering sheets and duvet cost £30?  Do you launder the duvet for every guest or are you refering to the duvet cover?

[Helen3]

A commercial service can easily cost that in London .

[Sharon114]

Wow, just as well I do my own laundry.

[Helen3]

If the guest wasn't happy to pay for a cleaning fee, he always had the option of finding another host who didn't charge :). 

I think the reality is, smart hosts either incorporate a cleaning charge into their night rate or charge an additional fee to make sure their costs are covered.

Whether you employ a cleaner or do it yourself, there is the time it takes to clean and the costs of equipment and products.

What do the majority of hosts near you do?

[Victoria57]

We only have 2 rooms so it's just the cost of running the washing machine and dryer and cleaning supplies for the bedrooms and ensuites. Guests would be surprised here to have to pay extra for cleaning so I include the fairly small cleaning costs into my nightly price as does everyone else near us.

[Karen77]

This fellow's Airbnb experience had only been in the U.K. and various European countries, so I understand his response.

So much of what is or isn't offered/charged is region based, I'm seeing. When I booked in another state, the hosts there seemed to have a different ethos than in my area.

[David126]

As others have said he cleaning fee is included one way or another.

I look it as a way of encouraging longer stays, as it is only charged once.

I know someone who rents out rooms but has a minimum 2 night sstay as otherwise it is not worth the hassle and cost of cleaning. A fee is an option to having a minimum stay.

Gtom a guest perspective seems logical if you rent a whole house, less so if you rent a room.

Comparison with a hotel is tricky as they usually have access and the demand for minimum wage workers which AirBnB hosts do not.

[Sylvia56]

I just started hosting this week and charge a very modest cleaning fee. But, I just got an inquiry for a four month stay.  What kind of fee do you charge in this situation, or is the guest responsible for cleaning their own space? What about laundry?  Any feed back is appreciated, thanks.