February 18, 2026
The Airbnb cleaning fee is a one-time charge set by the host for preparing the property to professional standards after each stay, changing linens, and ensuring general hygiene.
This fee is independent of the nightly accommodation rate and is unaffected by the duration of the reservation; meaning the guest pays the same amount whether staying for 1 night or 10 nights. However, it should not be forgotten that the cleaning fee is an integral part of the total price that the guest sees on the payment screen, and Airbnb's algorithm bases its ranking of your property on this total cost.
1. Why is the Cleaning Fee Important?
The cleaning fee is not included in the displayed nightly price in Airbnb search results; however, it appears in the total amount (at the check-out stage).
Algorithm Effect: The Airbnb algorithm ranks based on the "total price". A very high cleaning fee can push you to the bottom of the list, even if your nightly price is low.
Psychological Threshold: Guests tend to perceive cleaning fees that are more than 10%-15% of the total reservation amount as "penalizing".
2. 3 Key Strategies for Proper Pricing
A. Standard Pricing for Short Stays
If your property usually receives bookings for 2-3 nights, it makes more sense to keep the cleaning fee low and reflect a portion of it in the nightly price.
Note: A high cleaning fee for short stays reduces the reservation completion rate by 18%.
B. Discounted Structure for Long-Term Stays
Instead of Airbnb's "Standard Cleaning Fee", use models that decrease the share of cleaning costs in the total as the duration of stay increases. For short-term rentals under 100 days, the longer the guest stays in the property, the more efficient the cleaning operation becomes.
C. Competitor Analysis (Benchmarking)
Regularly monitor the cleaning fees of similar properties in your area (those comparable in terms of number of rooms and capacity). If your competitors charge an average of 500 TL while you are asking for 1,000 TL, you need to justify this difference with concrete added values like "Professional Disinfection" or "Hotel Standard Textiles".
3. Covering Costs vs. Getting Bookings: The Balance Point
When setting the cleaning fee, you should account for not only the amount that goes to the staff but also the following hidden costs:
Consumables (shampoo, soap, toilet paper).
Laundry and ironing expenses.
Final check (inspection) costs before check-in.
What Happens If I Set the Airbnb Cleaning Fee Too High?
The high cleaning fee directly eliminates guests who want to stay for a short time (1-2 nights). Additionally, since Airbnb ranks based on the "Total Price," even if your nightly rate is cheap, your listing, which ends up being expensive overall, will fall to lower ranks in the search results. Ideally, a portion of the cleaning cost should be included in the nightly price to keep this fee at a reasonable level.
Should I refund the cleaning fee if the guest leaves the house clean?
No. The cleaning fee in the Airbnb system covers the costs incurred to bring the property up to professional standards before the guest's arrival. It is courteous for the guest to leave the house clean, but it does not eliminate the costs for professional disinfection and textile changes for the next guest.
Does Airbnb Take a Commission from the Cleaning Fee?
Yes. Airbnb calculates the service fee it receives from the host (usually 3%) based on the total of the Nightly Price + Cleaning Fee. Therefore, when determining the cleaning fee, you should calculate the net amount you will receive taking this deduction into account.
Can I set a different cleanliness fee for each reservation?
You cannot manually change every reservation on Airbnb; however, besides the "Standard Cleaning Fee", you can define different cleaning fees that are only applicable for short stays or special weekend rates. As Homeyday, we manage these settings dynamically to maximize your occupancy rate.
Is it more reasonable to increase the "nightly price" instead of the cleaning fee?
If you are generally taking long-term stays (5 nights or more), keeping the cleaning fee low while increasing the nightly price may put you at a disadvantage in competition. Because in long stays, the total cost will appear much higher than your competitors. The best strategy is to find a balance according to the average length of stay in the area where your property is located.
