How do hosts afford a cleaning service?

[Inna22]

I have always had my own cleaner that I hired directly but the one I have had for almost a year went back to her country. I have been struggling for a month to find someone (they all want a set schedule) and so called a few services. The charge minimum $30 per hour and their assessment of how much time is needed to clean the place is well above what it took my cleaning person. For my two bedroom property, the cheapest I could find was $90 which is way beyond a reasonable cleaning fee I could get away with. Also, they like to send a team of two which means for smaller properties it is just not enough time for washer and dryer to run as they are done twice as fast. I see posts about looking for a cleaning service or hosts mentioning they use one all the time. I am trying to understand how it works for others. I would much rather get a service even if it is just a little more expensive as it is peace of mind of not relying on one person. I know and respect that those cleaners have to make a living and the company deserves a cut. I just don’t understand how others make it work.

[Sandra126]

I can't, there would be no profit left after bills.

[Susie111]

@Inna22There is no way I could pay a cleaner and get profit, just as @Sandra126 said.

I sometimes ask a close friend to help out if we are away. And I always make sure to make it worthwhile for her.

[Sarah977]

@Inna22  Can't offer any advice as I do my own cleaning, but I don't rent a whole house to large groups like you do.

I've always thought, though, that a good place to look for a cleaner or someone for other co-hosting duties would be to put up notices at a local senior's center, or other places where seniors frequent, like a public pool or gym. There are plenty of retired people who are healthy and lively and might like the opportunity to earn a little extra cash (of course you'd pay them fairly, just not exhorbitantly). They might also be quite flexible on schedules.

[Inna22]

@Sarah977 That's an interesting apprach. I should think of places to put it up 

[Ute42]

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Hi @Inna22 ,

the average value of my STR contracts is $1100 so money istn't the problem. But I can't get anyone to do the job. The area where I am has high wages, we have very little unemployment and cleaning would always be on a sunday. Noone wants to do the job. So I'm the cleaning lady. What should I do?

[Inna22]

@Ute42

I am terrible at cleaning. I have had someone help me clean from the first day I lived alone and worked for minimum wage. Everything I touch has streaks, never straight. I would get horrible reviews and rightfully so

[Susie111]

@Inna22Check out www.norwex.com I know it's pretty known in USA.

Seriously I don't know how I would clean without there products. And the best part it's very economical and enviromentally friendly products. And so easy to use !

Only water and a cloth. The bathroom cleanser is the best, just spray and leave for a minute then rinse and then dry it with the window cloth. After all that it looks like a brand new shower!

And our shower is more the a decade old.

No streaks with Norwex!

[Susan151]

@Inna22 Consider looking for a service that specializes in AirBNB turnovers. In Boston, there are quite a few companies that "get" the issues. I use a company for my whole house cleanings, and when I need help, they can do a turnover as well. I do all the laundry and dishwashing, etc. I provide all the consumables, etc since I live here, but they take care of all that stuff for other clients.

Surely a city as large as yours has some entrepreneurs that are filling this niche?

[Inna22]

@Susan151

yes, lots of companies that advertise specifically airbnb cleaning. It is just that the pricing does not make sense (for me). I cannot understand how I can afford $90 to clean a two bedroom I rent for as low as $99 per night. And even though I can pay $300 to clean the biggest one of my places, it cuts too much into profit and cannot be a posted cleaning fee. I would also not be able host one night guests that are nice to fill one off dates in the summer and help me get by in the winter.

[Susan151]

@Inna22  It sounds like you have a new reality, and might have to adjust your pricing to account for the fact that you were getting a deal. $30 an hour doesn't seem out of line for a service that has multiple cleaners. I guess if you are really lucky, you might find an individual who is willing to work for less than that. How you find that person? I have no idea.

[Inna22]

@Susan151 that is $30 per person per hour. Also, those who charge less also value the houses at more hours

[Lisa723]

@Inna22 (@Julie1599 @Susie111 @Susan151 @Ute42) I can't say about your market, but my philosophy is, I will pay a living wage (currently $35/hour) and cleaning costs what it costs-- I have been pushing cleaning fees up for the past 18 months. This means that my cleaning fees can easily exceed my nightly rates for low-demand dates. The only place I have seen any objection to this idea is on this forum. It doesn't seem to be damaging the business at all.

[Inna22]

@Lisa723 I get value star taken down in low season all the time becuase of the high cleaning fee even with my current rates, specifically for the property where it is lower than what I would pay to service. 

[Lisa723]

@Inna22 and...?  🙂  Isn't it common knowledge that guests who are getting something for less than its real value are exactly the ones most likely to mark down for value?