EN
ES
How to Set Your Airbnb Cleaning Fee Without Scaring Off Guests
Find out everything about Airbnb cleaning fees, what you should be charging, and how it will impact your listing.
Setting up cleaning fees does not serve only to break even on housekeeping costs. Savvy hosts use Airbnb cleaning fees as a guest-filtering tool or as a pricing tactic to stay more competitive in the local market.
Although it’s common to see the fee on listings, there are some things to consider to avoid scaring off potential guests and to attract the right ones. iGMS helps you manage these fees effectively, set them at a competitive rate while maintaining high cleaning standards.
If you're unsure about setting up a fee for having your listing cleaned, keep reading. This article will cover the ins and outs of knowing what to charge and how it will affect your listing.
What Are Airbnb Cleaning Fees?
This fee is a one-time fee charged to guests by hosts. It covers the costs of cleaning their rentals after the guests have checked out. Not all hosts charge cleaning fees, but many hosts do as it helps them to cover their cleaning costs.
How Does It Work?
The cleaning fee is an extra charge that is added to the total booking fee. It does not form part of a security deposit, and cannot be returned after the booking concludes.
The cleaning fees stay the same regardless of how many guests book a vacation rental and how long the stay is. It was designed to cover the costs of a cleaning service or the products if you conduct the cleaning yourself.
As of 2025, Airbnb displays the full price display worldwide with cleaning fees included. The reason is to have more transparent pricing, as opposed to the early years when you could see the fee only at checkout. Be aware of how cleaning fees add up to your total price when pricing your listing.
What Does an Airbnb Cleaning Fee Cover?
Airbnb cleaning fees cover the expenses required to clean and prepare their rentals for the next guests. While there is no policy in place, guests expect your rental to cover basic cleaning chores for them.
The cleaning service fee will generally cover the following:
- Sprucing up of the room/rooms
- Changing linen
- Cleaning supplies used
- Washing of dishes
- Clearing out cupboards and the fridge
- Time spent cleaning
- Restocking of general house of supplies
Using a property management tool like iGMS can help you streamline and automate these tasks, ensuring a consistent and high-quality cleaning service for every guest.
What is the Average Cleaning Fee on Airbnb?
The Airbnb cleaning service cost is set by the host. A NerdWallet analysis of 1,000 U.S. Airbnb reservations with check-in dates in 2022 or 2023 found that the median cleaning fee per listing for a one-night stay was $75. For larger properties or hosts who hire cleaning help, this cost can increase to approximately $105.
However, this cost is affected by the type of listing you’re offering. A small studio apartment's cleaning fee will differ largely from that of a 5-bedroom mansion, where cleaning fees can easily exceed $200.
You can also look at your nearby competitors to see what pricing strategy they use.
Should I Charge an Airbnb Cleaning Fee for My Vacation Rental?
Hosts don’t need to charge for cleaning, and there are no cleaning fee rules enforced. Many hosts do choose to charge cleaning fees, as it keeps their rentals immaculate and encourages guests to leave a 5-star review.
It also depends on the country. In the U.S., cleaning fees are most common, and 89% of hosts charge them. In the United Kingdom, 52% of properties don’t charge a cleaning fee. In France, 44% of properties don’t have a cleaning fee, versus 56% that do charge it, according to AirDNA.
Host don't need to charge the cleaning fee if they feel it drives their booking price up too much. In these instances, hosts generally do their own cleaning or pay the cost themselves of hiring a cleaning company.
Before you decide whether or not to charge an Airbnb cleaning fee, take a closer look at the key features of your property and listing:
The Type of Property and Its Size
If you’re marketing your listing as a luxury stay with higher price points, it’s more likely that your guests won’t squirm at the extra fee for cleaning.
Based on your property’s offering and size, you may want to include a higher cleaning fee to maintain the advertised living standards. If, on the other hand, you are renting out a room in your home, this might not be necessary.
Your Competition
Another great way to determine if you should increase your nightly rate to include Airbnb cleaning fees is to look at your competitors. If your competitors are charging for cleaning, you should be able to as well. It will also provide an indicator of an acceptable rate for you to charge out.
Your Choice of Professional Cleaning Services
Depending on your location or size of your property, professional cleaning teams can be fairly costly. Airbnb hosts need to decide if it’s worth hiring professional cleaners to do the job or if they can handle it on their own. Keep in mind that cleaning your vacation rental will cut into your time.
How Much Should I be Charging for My Cleaning Fee?
Deciding on an amount for your Airbnb cleaning fees boils down to what works best for your listing and what will keep your guests happy. Having too high of a service fee can deter potential guests from booking with you and affect your Airbnb host reviews.
You must strike a balance between reasonable pricing while striving for a well-maintained rental.
Depending on whether you want to encourage one-day bookings, charging a cleaning cost can be a deterrent.
Before finalizing your extra expenses, take into consideration the following points:
- What do your competitors charge for their cleaning fees? You should look at how they charge with regards to length of stays and if they’re adding the service fee separately or if it’s included in the overall price.
- What is the size of your property? Your property size can help justify your Airbnb cleaning fee, especially for bigger listings.
- Who are your target guests? Marketing your Airbnb property to backpackers may get an entirely different response than a high-end, luxury stay.
- Are you hiring a professional cleaning team? This will dramatically affect your cleaning costs and, therefore, your fee.
Can I Price Out One-Night Stays With a Steep Cleaning Fee?
Charging higher cleaning fees can help to discourage guests from booking a one-night stay. For a guest booking a one or two-night stay, an extra cleaning fee of $65 might sound like a lot. However, for someone booking a stay for several nights, the fee will seem more reasonable.
Is the Airbnb Cleaning Fee Refundable?
In some instances, a refund of the Airbnb cleaning fee is possible. If a guest cancels their stay with you before the check-in time, the fee will be refunded to them in full.
If a guest cancels after their booking has already begun, they will not receive a refund for the cost of the cleaning fee. This is regardless of the cancellation policy you choose for your vacation rental properties.
Is the Cleaning Fee Subject to Airbnb Service Fees?
The cleaning fee you charge will be subject to Airbnb’s service fees. The final booking cost of your rental includes the cleaning fee, so it will be affected by Airbnb service fees.
Is the Airbnb Cleaning Fee Negotiable?
Because each host determines their own cleaning fee, it is technically negotiable. However, it’s not a good idea to list your fee as being negotiable on your Airbnb listing. This could invite non-stop debates and bargaining from guests.
If a guest messages you privately and asks if your cleaning fee is negotiable, consider your options before answering. More often than not, guests who want to negotiate rates from the get-go turn out to be problematic.
How Can Your Airbnb Cleaning Fees Affect Your Listing Performance?
First off, since Airbnb started showing the total price upfront, the impact of the cleaning fee has become much more noticeable to potential guests.
A high cleaning fee can make your listing appear significantly more expensive, even if your nightly rate is competitive. This could reduce click-through rates, which is also a key factor in Airbnb’s ranking algorithm and consequently reduce the number of reservations.
The key is to understand how the total price looks to guests and work your way backward to calculate a fee for cleaning that feels fair. We encourage you to experiment, make small adjustments to the price until you start to see an increase in your booking rate.
Besides charging a separate fee, you can include your cleaning fees as part of your nightly stay rate directly. To do this, take the cost of the cleaning fee divided by the total number of nights a guest stays. The amount will then be added to the nightly rate, bringing up the total cost.
How Do I Change My Cleaning Fee Price on Airbnb?
If you would like to edit or change your cleaning fee on your listing, you can do so in your Airbnb profile.
- Log into your Airbnb profile.
- Click on “Your Listings” on your profile dashboard.
- Click on “Pricing”.
- Click on Edit next to the “Cleaning Fee”
- Type in the new amount you would like to set and click “Save”.
Final Thoughts
Choosing to include an Airbnb cleaning fee is a fast and simple way to maintain your property while delighting your guests. When deciding on the price, it’s best to take in all of the listed factors while keeping your intended guest in mind.
To improve cleaning services even further and maintain the best service for guests, opt for automation of cleaning tasks. Vacation rental software, like iGMS, can help you automate cleanings to ensure your property is spotless for your next guests.
