The Ultimate Airbnb Cleaning Fee Guide (2025 Edition)

The "Hidden" Fee That Makes or Breaks Your Booking

If there's one line item that causes more friction than any other, it's the cleaning fee. Guests hate it, hosts rely on it, and Airbnb's algorithm judges you for it.

In 2025, the "cleaning fee game" has changed. With Airbnb's "Total Price Display" now the default view for many users, hiding a high cleaning fee behind a low nightly rate no longer works. In fact, it hurts you.

After analyzing over 5,000 bookings across my portfolio and consulting with top property managers, I've completely overhauled how I approach cleaning fees. It's no longer just about covering costs—it's a strategic lever for conversion, SEO ranking, and revenue management.

This guide covers everything you need to know: the math, the psychology, the tech stack, and the exact templates I use to manage cleanings for 12 properties without losing my mind.

Part 1: The Economics of a Turnover (The Real Cost)

Most hosts underestimate their true cleaning costs. They calculate the cleaner's fee and stop there. This is a mistake that costs you thousands per year.

Here is the True Cost of Turnover (TCT) formula I use:

$$ TCT = (Labor) + (Linens) + (Consumables) + (Damage Buffer) + (Management Overhead) $$

1. Labor (The Cleaner)

In 2025, professional cleaning rates have stabilized but remain high.

• Solo Cleaners: $25-$40/hour
• Cleaning Companies: $40-$60/hour

My Benchmark: I pay a flat rate per turnover, not hourly. This aligns incentives—they want to finish efficiently; I want a fixed cost.

2. Linens (Laundry & Wear)

Laundry isn't free. Even if you do it yourself, you have water, electricity, detergent, and machine wear.

• Laundromat/Service: $1.50 - $2.50 per lb.
• In-Unit: ~$5-$8 per turnover in utilities and supplies.
• Replacement Cost: Sheets and towels last about 30-50 washes. You must budget $3-$5 per turnover for eventual replacement.

3. Consumables (The "Restock")

Every guest uses:

• Toilet paper (2-3 rolls): $3.00
• Paper towels (1 roll): $1.50
• Trash bags (2-3): $1.00
• Coffee/Tea/Sugar: $3.00
• Soaps/Shampoos: $2.50
• Dish/Laundry pods: $1.00
• Total: ~$12.00 per turnover.

4. The "Oh No" Buffer

Every 10th guest leaves a stain that needs special treatment. Every 20th guest breaks a wine glass. I add 10% to every cleaning fee to build a "maintenance fund" for these micro-disasters.

Part 2: Strategic Pricing Models

Now that you know your cost, how do you price it? There are three main strategies.

💰 Cleaning Fee Strategy Decision Tree

graph TD
    A["Calculate True Cost of Turnover<br/>TCT = Labor + Linens + Supplies + Buffer"] --> B{Property Type?};
    
    B -- Luxury Villa $300+/night --> C["Strategy C: Profit Center<br/>Charge Premium $200+"];
    B -- Standard Property --> D{Market Competition?};
    B -- Budget Property --> E["Strategy A: Pass-Through<br/>Break Even Exactly"];
    
    D -- Competitive Urban Market --> F["Strategy B: Subsidized<br/>Charge 20-30% Less<br/>Bump Nightly Rate $10-15"];
    D -- Less Competitive --> E;
    
    C --> C1["White Glove Service<br/>Extremely High Expectations"];
    F --> F1["Lower Optical Barrier<br/>Better Search Ranking<br/>Attracts Short Stays"];
    E --> E1["Fair & Defensible<br/>Easy to Explain<br/>Best for Beginners"];
    
    C1 --> G["Monitor Reviews Closely"];
    F1 --> H["Track Conversion Rate"];
    E1 --> I["Ensure Profitability"];
    
    G --> J["Result: Optimized Revenue"];
    H --> J;
    I --> J;
    
    style C fill:#FF9800,stroke:#F57C00,color:#fff
    style F fill:#4CAF50,stroke:#2E7D32,color:#fff
    style E fill:#2196F3,stroke:#1565C0,color:#fff
    style J fill:#9C27B0,stroke:#6A1B9A,color:#fff

Strategy A: The "Pass-Through" (Safe & Fair)

Goal: Break even exactly. Method: Charge the guest exactly what you pay your cleaner + supplies. Pros: defensible, fair, easy to explain. Cons: You make $0 profit on the work of managing the cleaning. Verdict: Best for beginners.

Strategy B: The "Subsidized" (SEO Booster)

Goal: Maximize search ranking and conversion. Method: Charge 20-30% less than your actual cost, and bump your nightly rate by $10-$15 to cover the difference. Why it works:

1. Lower Optical Barrier: A $50 cleaning fee looks much better than $85.
2. Algorithm Love: Airbnb's algorithm tends to favor listings with lower fee ratios.
3. Shorter Stays: Makes 1-2 night stays more palatable for guests. Verdict: Best for competitive urban markets and small units (studios/1BR).

Strategy C: The "Profit Center" (Luxury Only)

Goal: Make margin on the cleaning. Method: Charge premium rates ($200+) for a "White Glove" service. Risk: Guests will have EXTREMELY high expectations. One stray hair = 3-star review. Verdict: Only for high-end luxury villas where guests expect hotel-level perfection and price sensitivity is low.

Part 3: Step-by-Step Calculation Guide (2025 Data)

Let's calculate the fee for a standard 2-Bedroom Apartment (1000 sq ft).

My Pricing Decision:

• Actual Cost: $147
• Competitor Avg: $120 - $160
• My Fee: $135 (I slightly subsidize to stay competitive, making up the $12 difference in my nightly rate).

Part 4: Managing Cleaners (The Hardest Part)

Finding a cleaner is easy. Keeping a great cleaner is the holy grail of hosting.

Where to Find Them

1. Turno (formerly TurnoverBnB): The industry standard. Marketplace of cleaners who know Airbnb apps.
2. Local Facebook Groups: Search "City Name Airbnb Hosts".
3. Referrals: Ask the host with the best reviews in your neighborhood.

The "Cleaner Contract"

Never hire casually. I require:

1. Photo Evidence: They must upload photos of the finished kitchen, bathroom, and beds to our shared app before they leave.
2. Damage Reporting: They are my eyes. If they spot damage and don't report it, they are liable.
3. Inventory Watch: They must flag when TP or coffee is low.

Automation Stack

I don't text my cleaners. It's inefficient.

• PMS (Hostaway/Guesty) syncs with Turno.
• Turno automatically texts the cleaner when a booking is made.
• Cleaner accepts the job via app.
• Payment is released automatically upon photo verification.

Result: I spend 0 minutes scheduling cleaning.

Part 5: The "Baked-In" vs. "Separate Fee" Debate

Should you charge a cleaning fee at all?

The Case for $0 Cleaning Fee (All-Inclusive):

• Pros: "What you see is what you get." Guests love the simplicity.
• Cons: You lose money on short stays.
  • Math: If cleaning costs $100.
  • Guest stays 1 night: You need to raise rate by $100. (Too expensive!)
  • Guest stays 10 nights: You raise rate by $100 total ($10/night). (You lose profit!)

My Hybrid Approach: I use a Separate Cleaning Fee but keep it lower than average, and use a Minimum Stay requirement (2-3 nights) to ensure profitability.

Pro Tip: If you want to attract digital nomads (30+ days), you must offer a cleaning discount or bake it in. They won't pay a high daily rate that includes invisible cleaning costs they only use once.

Part 6: Handling "Cleanliness" Reviews & Disputes

Nothing hurts more than a 4-star cleanliness rating when you paid $150 for cleaning.

How to Prevent It

1. The "Smell" Test: The first thing a guest notices is smell. We use subtle plug-ins or essential oil diffusers (very light, fresh scents like linen or citrus).
2. The "Hair" Rule: One hair on the pillow = dirty. Zero tolerance. Use lint rollers on everything after making the bed.
3. The "Welcome" Message: "Our cleaning team just finished preparing the home for you. If you find anything missed, please let us know within 1 hour so we can fix it immediately!"
   • Psychology: This shows you care and puts the onus on them to report now, not in a review later.

What if they complain?

Scenario: Guest sends photo of dust on a fan blade. Response: "Thank you for flagging this! I apologize our team missed that detail. I can send them back within an hour to reclean, or I can credit you $25 off your cleaning fee. Which would you prefer?" Result: 90% take the $25. You save the hassle, they feel heard, and you usually save the 5-star review.

Part 7: FAQ (2025 Updates)

Q: Can I charge guests for leaving a mess?**

A: Only if it's "excessive." Airbnb covers this under AirCover, but you need photos. Standard "mess" (unwashed dishes, trash) is usually not claimable unless you have specific House Rules they violated.

Q: Should I ask guests to do chores?**

A: NO. In 2025, the "chore list" is the #1 reason for negative reviews.

• Okay to ask: "Please lock the door and turn off lights."
• Maybe okay: "Please start the dishwasher."
• Never ask: "Strip the beds," "Take out trash to the curb," "Vacuum."
• Rule of thumb: If they are paying a cleaning fee, they shouldn't be cleaning.

Q: How do I handle pet hair?**

A: Charge a Pet Fee separate from the cleaning fee. Cleaning pet hair takes an extra 30-60 minutes. My pet fee is usually equal to 50% of the cleaning fee (e.g., $50 pet fee if cleaning is $100).

Q: What about "Deep Cleaning"?**

A: Schedule a deep clean (baseboards, inside oven, behind fridge, carpet shampoo) every 3-6 months. Do not expect your standard turnover cleaner to do this during a 2-hour window. Pay extra for a dedicated "Deep Clean Day" and block the calendar.

⚡ Quick Start: Reset Your Cleaning Fee Strategy in 48 Hours

1. Pull your costs (30 min). Grab the last 10 cleaner invoices, laundry receipts, and supply orders. Fill out the TCT formula so you know the real number.
2. Benchmark your comps (30 min). Search your zip code on Airbnb with identical filters. Record 10 cleaning fees + nightly rates to see the spread.
3. Decide on a strategy (15 min). Pass-through, subsidized, or profit center? Choose one per property and document the logic so your team stays consistent.
4. Update pricing engine (30 min). Adjust PriceLabs/Beyond markups or manual calendars so nightly rates absorb any subsidized portion.
5. Rewrite listing copy (20 min). If you lowered the fee, shout it out: “Fair, transparent cleaning fee—no chore list.” If you raised it, explain the value (“Professional hotel-grade turnover + restocked amenities”).
6. Align cleaners (20 min). Share the new rate and expectations. If you added a damage buffer, explain it funds stain-removal kits and linen replacements so they know you’re serious about standards.
7. Track conversion (ongoing). Watch Airbnb’s Insights → Conversion for 14 days. If booking rate drops, adjust.

❌ Common Cleaning Fee Mistakes

Here are the common mistakes I still see hosts make:

• Charging based on what you would pay. Guests compare to the market, not your cost structure. If everyone else is $80 and you’re $140, you lose the click.
• Forcing guests to do chores. A long checkout checklist plus a cleaning fee is the kiss of death in 2025 reviews.
• Paying cleaners hourly. Hourly billing encourages longer cleans. Flat rates aligned with your standards protect profit.
• Not separating pet fees. Pet hair obliterates schedules. Always add a pet fee and build it into your cleaner payout.
• Ignoring cleaner quality control. Without photo checklists you’ll never know if standards slip until a review nukes your listing.
• Never auditing supplies. TP, soap, and coffee creep up over time. Review Amazon/Subscribes quarterly to avoid “death by $12 per stay.”

🧠 Advanced Cleaning Fee Plays

• Dynamic cleaning fees. Some PMS tools let you drop the fee for 7+ night stays or raise it on one-night gaps. Use automation so you don’t do this manually.
• Subscription linen services. Companies like Breezeway Linen or HappyNest bill per pound and include pickup/delivery—perfect for remote hosts.
• Hybrid turnovers. Offer guests a low-fee option if they decline mid-stay housekeeping, but upsell a $75 “Refresh” package for longer stays.
• Cleaner bonuses. I pay a $10 kicker for every 5-star cleanliness mention. It keeps my best cleaners loyal and focused.
• Fee testing. Once a quarter, lower the fee by $10 for two weeks and compare conversion. Sometimes a tiny drop adds enough bookings to offset revenue.

📊 Case Study: 2BR Nashville Loft

• Before: $150 cleaning fee, $190 ADR, occupancy 72%, constant “fee too high” complaints.
• Action: Recalculated TCT ($132), switched to subsidized strategy: fee $115, nightly rate +$8. Updated listing copy to highlight “professional hotel-style cleaning included.”
• After 30 days: Occupancy 72% → 81%, ADR (total) stayed flat, net payout +$180/month, cleanliness review mentions improved from 3.9 → 4.8 average sentiment.

Summary Checklist for Hosts

1. Audit your costs: Use the TCT formula above.
2. Check competitors: Are you $50 higher than everyone else?
3. Review your cleaner: Are they sending photos? Are they reliable?
4. Update your House Rules: Remove the chore list.
5. Automate: Get on Turno or similar platform.

The cleaning fee is a balance. Too high = low conversion. Too low = lost revenue. Use the data, find your sweet spot, and automate the rest.