How to set a cleaning fee

We understand that setting your price is one of the hardest parts of hosting. Your nightly price, and any additional fees, should strike a balance between covering your hosting costs and offering the best value to guests.

Staying in a clean space is a top priority for guests. A cleaning fee can help you pay for your cleaning supplies or a professional housekeeping service. 

When setting a cleaning fee, keep in mind that it raises the total price of a stay. For shorter stays, the fee makes up a bigger portion of the total price than longer stays.

To attract more bookings, try to keep your total price competitive. You can use the pricing tools in your calendar to see the total cost of your listing for different dates and types of trips. High cleaning fees can discourage guests from booking your space.

Here are a few options to consider:

• Add one standard cleaning fee for all guests, regardless of their length of stay.
• Add a lower cleaning fee for short stays of only one or two nights, and keep your standard cleaning fee for all other stays.
• Add all or part of your cleaning costs into your nightly price to remain competitive.

It’s important to manage expectations about what your cleaning fees include. We’ve heard from guests that they don’t want to do unreasonable chores, like stripping the beds, doing laundry, and vacuuming.

It’s reasonable to ask guests to do simple things at checkout, like turning off lights, throwing food in the trash, and locking doors and windows.

If you’re thinking of adding a cleaning fee, here are some best practices:

• Use the fee to cover your actual cleaning costs, not as a way to earn extra money.
• Set a fee that is lower than your nightly price.
• Consider whether there’s another way to recover your cleaning costs, like taking a tax deduction.
• Try to buy cleaning supplies in bulk, which tends to cost less over time.
• If you’re new to hosting, consider waiting to add a cleaning fee until you have a few great reviews to attract bookings.

Host damage protection, part of AirCover for Hosts, can reimburse you for costs up to $3 million USD in the rare event your place or belongings are damaged by a guest during an Airbnb stay. In certain cases, it also pays for extra cleaning services, including stain and smoke odor removal. 

You can request reimbursement through our Resolution Center.

AirCover for Hosts’ Host damage protection, Host liability insurance, and Experiences liability insurance don’t cover Hosts who offer stays or Experiences in Japan, where Japan Host Insurance and Japan Experience Protection Insurance apply, or Hosts who offer stays through Airbnb Travel LLC. For Hosts who offered stays or Experiences in mainland China, the China Host Protection Plan applies. Keep in mind that all coverage limits are shown in USD.

For listings in Washington State, Airbnb’s contractual obligations under Host damage protection are covered by an insurance policy purchased by Airbnb. Host damage protection isn’t related to Host liability insurance. Under Host damage protection, you’re reimbursed for certain damages caused by guests to your home and belongings if the guest does not pay for those damages. 

For Hosts whose country of residence or establishment is outside of Australia, Host damage protection is subject to terms, conditions, and limitations. For Hosts whose country of residence or establishment is within Australia, Host damage protection is subject to these terms, conditions, and limitations.

Information contained in this article may have changed since publication.