Airbnb Host Discovers Surprising Advantages Of Removing The Cleaning Fee

Anyone who’s rented an Airbnb has dealt with it. You find the perfect place for a reasonable price and proceed to checkout — only to find the fee has somehow doubled. What gives? As you angrily squint at the charges, you see a sky-high cleaning fee the host has tacked onto the bill. “So let me get this straight,” you think to yourself. “I’m expected to clean the place top to bottom — incurring additional fees if it’s not up to some arbitrary standard — and then, on top of that, I’m supposed to pay a cleaning fee? For the place I’ve just cleaned?” It’s ridiculous. And it’s one of the main reasons people are increasingly saying the era of Airbnb is done, opting to stay in traditional hotels instead.

However, some Airbnb hosts are redefining the standard — and it’s paying off in a big way.

Airbnb Host Rachel Boice is taking a more transparent approach to cleaning fees

Meet Rachel Boice, a savvy Airbnb host in Georgia who’s shaking up how she charges for stays at her charming properties, including a glass-pane tiny house perfect for a glamping adventure. Traditionally, Rachel, like many hosts, listed a nightly rate plus a separate cleaning fee—$89 and $40, respectively. However, she noticed that this model wasn’t sitting well with potential guests.

Fed up with the lukewarm reaction, Rachel switched tactics. She told Insider, “I pretty much always pay a cleaning fee. You’re like: ‘Why am I paying all of this money? This should just be built in for the cost.'” Taking her own advice, she folded the cleaning fee into a single nightly rate of $129. It’s a strategy more hosts are trying out, aiming to boost bookings by making costs clearer and feeling more upfront to guests.

Surprisingly, guests were more likely to clean the room after she eliminated the cleaning fee

This transparent pricing has not only improved customer satisfaction but also led to an unexpected perk: cleaner rooms. Rachel observed that guests started leaving the place tidier than when there was a separate cleaning fee. “I guess they’re thinking, ‘I’m not paying someone to clean this, so I’ll leave it clean,'” she explained.

Her experience echoes that of another host who shared with NerdWallet that guests who were explicitly paying a cleaning fee often left a rental “looking like it’s been lived in and uncleaned for months,” perhaps feeling entitled to leave a mess since they paid extra.

By blending all costs, Rachel believes she’s promoting a more honest interaction that encourages better guest behavior.

Take a look inside one of Rachel’s gorgeous tiny homes

@rachelrboice

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♬ Aesthetic – Tollan Kim