Airbnb Cleaning Fee: How Much Should I Charge?

Cleaning fees, particularly Airbnb cleaning fees, have become a hot topic since COVID-19. With more focus than ever on the cost of keeping rental properties sanitized and safe. Hosts have often been accused of boosting their income by charging an inflated Airbnb cleaning fee. But once hygiene became a matter of life or death, hosts massively increased their cleanliness charges.

In response to increased health concerns, many hosts have raised their cleaning fees. Understanding that maintaining high cleanliness standards is crucial, especially when guests’ reviews heavily depend on it. This shift has led to a wide variation in cleaning fees, with some charging higher cleaning fees to cover the costs of professional housekeeping services or commercial-size laundry machines.

To provide clarity, we’ve analyzed the average cleaning fee across various Airbnb properties in North America, factoring in the median cleaning fee and how this fee is divided among different types of vacation rentals. Our analysis includes understanding the cleaning fee that potential guests pay, excluding the nightly rate, and Airbnb’s service fees.

Average Airbnb Cleaning Fee – Canada

In Canada, the Airbnb cleaning fee landscape is diverse and complex. Fees vary significantly based on the type of rental property. For example, the cleaning fee for an entire house or chalet is generally higher compared to a shared or private room. This variation in cleaning fees can be attributed to several factors, including the size of the property and the extent of cleaning required.

To gain a comprehensive understanding of this variation, we divided Canadian Airbnb listings into four main categories:

• entire home

• shared room

• private room

• hotel room

Further, we broke down the ‘entire home’ category into subcategories:

• entire house

• entire chalet

• entire condominium

• entire cottage

• entire apartment

This categorization helps in assessing how the cleaning fee is divided among different property types and how it correlates with the total cost of the vacation rental.

Our analysis reveals that the median cleaning fee for an entire home is understandably higher. This is because such properties often require more extensive cleaning services, potentially involving laundry services, scrubbing toilets, or even the services of a professional cleaning company. These additional services not only add to the cleaning costs but also to the total price paid by guests. Airbnb hosts need to consider these factors when they decide to charge cleaning fees, especially in light of the need for transparent cleaning fees in the current market.

Impact of Cleaning Fees on Rental Pricing and Guest Decisions

Moreover, the cleaning fee contributes to the overall vacation rental bill, which guests evaluate alongside the nightly rate. Hosts must account for these extra expenses while ensuring their pricing remains attractive to potential guests. For hosts with a few listings, the challenge is to cover costs without compromising on guest satisfaction.

The cleaning fee also plays a role in how listings appear in search results. Guests often filter their search based on the total price display, which includes the cleaning fee. Therefore, how Airbnb hosts set their cleaning fees can influence booking rates and how often guests book their properties. The figures that we collected and analyzed, in this case, are meant to illustrate the greater market trends within cleaning fee patterns in Canada.

Average Airbnb Cleaning Fee – US

In the US, the landscape of Airbnb cleaning fees showcases a notable difference compared to Canada, with average cleaning fees generally higher across various property types. This increase is partly attributed to the overall higher listing prices in the US market. When examining the cost of Airbnb cleaning fees in the US, it becomes apparent that there’s a trend toward charging a higher cleaning fee, especially for certain types of properties.

Our detailed analysis, represented in the accompanying graphs, provides a clear breakdown of these fees. The first graph delineates the average cleaning fees across different categories of properties: entire homes, shared rooms, private rooms, and hotel rooms. Notably, the cleaning fee divided among these categories shows a significant variance, reflecting the diverse cleaning needs and expectations in each category.

Delving deeper, the second graph focuses on the ‘entire home’ category, revealing the average cleaning fees for various types of properties within this segment, such as entire houses, chalets, and apartments. Similar to the trends observed in Canada, entire house and chalet properties in the US command the highest cleaning fees. This is likely due to the larger space and the more extensive cleaning required.

Benchmarking and Justification of Cleaning Fees vary widely

Particularly for Airbnb hosts who list entire apartments, understanding these trends is crucial. For instance, our data indicates an average cleaning fee of $86 for such properties. This figure serves as a benchmark for hosts to evaluate if their current cleaning fee is appropriate. Hosts charging significantly below this average, like $10, might consider increasing their fee to align with market standards.

However, hosts need to justify any increase in cleaning fees, especially in the current climate where guests are highly attentive to cleanliness standards. A well-justified cleaning fee, accounting for thorough cleaning and the use of quality cleaning supplies, is generally well-received by guests as long as it doesn’t appear excessive.

Balancing Costs and Guest Expectations in the US Market

The trends in the US indicate a move towards a more robust pricing structure for cleaning fees, reflecting the increased demand for cleanliness and sanitation. For hosts, this means carefully considering how they charge a cleaning fee, ensuring it covers their costs while remaining fair and justifiable to guests. This balance is key to maintaining guest satisfaction and competitiveness in the Airbnb market.

How Can DPGO Help?

If you’re an Airbnb host looking to access vital Airbnb data insights, then DPGO is the perfect choice for you! Not only do we offer extensive market insights, but we also use that information to improve and optimize your pricing. To give DPGO a try, click on the banner above and register for an account. We’ll give you 30 days to enjoy DPGO services for free. We also add credits to your account for every listing you optimize with us. Got questions? Drop a mail to support@dpgo.com and a member of our Support Team will gladly assist you.