Short-Term Rental Hosts Confront Cleaning Fee Conundrum
Photo Credit: A home listed on Airbnb in Brazil that the company designated a guest favorite. Airbnb
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Airbnb’s total price display policy has pushed some hosts to reconsider how they use cleaning fees. Experts say it’s better to determine what makes a fair fee than it is to eliminate it entirely.
A 2022 Airbnb policy change aimed to address a longtime complaint from critics: surprise and sometimes costly cleaning fees that aren’t included in the nightly rental rate.
With “all-in pricing,” guests can choose to browse rental listings on Airbnb by total cost, not including taxes. The company also announced its algorithm would prioritize this new total price, ensuring that “the highest quality home with the best total prices will rank higher in search results,” according to CEO Brian Chesky.
The change forced some hosts to reconsider how they handle cleaning fees – higher cleaning fees would drive up the total price, potentially pushing their listing further down in search results. Earlier this year, Airbnb reported nearly 300,000 listings removed or reduced their cleaning fees since it launched total price display.
But most listings still include cleaning fees, especially in the U.S. “Many h
