"Do you want me to clean? Or do you want me to pay a 'cleaning fee'? You get one, or the other...NOT both."

This is what I do t understand about Air B&B. How can you charge a $200 cleaning fee and demand the house be cleaned? It doesn't make sense. It's a rental. When I rent a car or a hotel, I make sure to pick up my trash. But the actual cleaning is included in the price per night. Even the timeshares don't do this nonsense. You are expected to run the dishwasher and putting your trash in the bin is just basic decency. But I fail to see what the cleaning fee accomplishes?

I used to be a frequent user of Airbnb but have switched back to hotels in the last few years. 1) the cleaning fees are ridiculous!!! 2) The prices are now often comparable to hotels anyway! 3) Most Airbnb bookings are now non-refundable after 24hrs!! So NO, I'll gladly pay the same amount to have a reception, daily cleaning, and fully flexible/refundable bookings. Airbnbs are no longer what they used to be. Hotels are way better now.

This astronomical cleening fees must be an American thing. I've used AirBNB many times in different European countries, and the fee was always minimal. In that case, it would not be unreasonable to expect from guests to wash the dishes and don't leave the place in complete disarray, but for 300$? I'm leaving a mess, I paid for it!

Unbelievable. Took longer to take the pics and post them online than it would have done to clean up that trivial amount of 'mess'. Not to mention the fact OP probably charges hundreds of dollars for a cleaning fee. I have three kids under 5, two dogs, three cats, and I would argue that you don't know what 'mess' is. And I have to clean up theirs for free.

The only thing that icked me a bit were the lashes. I wouldn't leave them like that regardless of where l am staying. The rest is the landlord (l refuse to call them hosts) job. Sure can hire someone with the couple hundred dollars.

Do you know what the cleaning fee in a hotel is? It's included, and if you want to be nice, you leave a daily tip for housekeeping. You don't do any cleaning or bed stripping. It's all included. Do you know what else is included? Free snacks and free breakfast at some hotels. As an Airbnb host, you do NOT get to charge a cleaning fee and also expect any level of cleaning other than putting trash in the provided INDOOR bin. Honestly, I think people should stake out the Airbnb after checkout to see if a cleaning crew is brought in before the next booking, and if not, sue the host in small claims court. Another option is to dispute the charge with your credit card company. It will be up to the host to prove they hired a cleaning company.

If you're going to charge a cleaning fee REGARDLESS if I clean or not, which option do you think I'm gonna choose?

I'm with the person that said cleaning fees cover mopping, toilets, linens etc. It shouldnt' have to cover common human decency. I wouldn't dream of just leaving trash lying around in someone elses home. But at least nothing is broken or absolutely filthy, but still. My own place can be a mess but if I go to someone elses home you can damn well be sure I'm tidy. Its like people who leave restaurants tables covered in stuff. I always tidy my table before leaving to the best of my ability. I guess that's just me and how I was raised.

I actually clean houses. We are not expected to do dishes or pick up trash all over the house. We mop vacuum dust kitchen bathrooms and take out trash. We do not pick up after people. That is the costumers common curtesy. When staying at an air bnb. I put dishes in dish washer and take out my own trash. I even wipe around my toilet and counters. If staying at a place with beach and quick vacuum in areas with a lot of sand. Maybe its the cleaner in me. Last stay in St Thomas USVI my air bnb host raved about me being the best guest in her apartment. She said you wouldn't believe how some guest leave the place. You should treat your host place like its your own without the deep cleaning the house cleaner will be doing.

Skip all the drama and book hotels.

Many years ago, people used to sell items on ebay for 1 cent and charge $25 for shipping because feebay was taking too much for their cut. Then they wised up and made the shipping part of the total they took their fee from. I wonder if this cleaning fee is the same deal where airbnb doesn't not get a percentage of that, so they make the room rate less and the cleaning fee more. But probably not. It's probably pure scammy greed from the owner.

Wow it's amazing how stupid American Airbnb has always been and people just now finding out

Oh come on. It's about being decent human beings. Wash your dishes, the airbnb host is not your maid. I've stayed multiple times in airbnb structures and I never left dishes in the sink or removed the matress from the bed. Who does that? And, as well, as host only a couple of times people left dishes to clean and once...a complete mess. I can agree tough that the fee is too high, I used airbnb in the US and I don't remember these prices (but it was years ago) and nobody has these prices in Europe. But hey, if I have to remove your disgusting eyelashes and move the furniture back to its place, yes, I'm gonna charge you 200 euros.

I would have to do the dishes and put the mattress back where it came from at the very least.

My cleaning fee is €15 for the entire stay. That barely covers restocking everything, washing everything, and me cleaning all the way through and making it all fresh and nice for the next guest. Those cleaning fees are extortionate. If I charged that, I'd have no guests. I truly appreciate people cleaning up after themselves and it *is* annoying when they don't, but I'm cleaning whether it's clean or not. I also wash all the dishes before the next guest arrives. It's a 1 bedroom / kitchen / bathroom / toilet small house, but it takes me a full day to get everything vacuumed, mopped, windows done, spiderwebs etc, cleaning toilet, shower, kitchen, washing up, putting fresh sheets on, fresh towels and and and. I don't think €15 is a lot for that. And yet, I had a guest half wreck the place and it took a week to put it right -- no recompense from AirBnB, and lost earnings because I had to cancel the guest following. (Even the fridge was broken.)

I booked an Airbnb in Nashville for June 2020, then had to cancel because of the pandemic. The host still tried to charge me a $125 cleaning fee! For a place I never set foot in! Airbnb originally declined to assist but I kept after them until they finally removed the charge. Never again!

I can't understand why people are like that. Do they not get it they hurt their own business by placing unreasonable charges. I've used Airbnb in some of european countries only and the additional fees are mostly reasonable because if they are not nobody wants to stay in your place.

Like put that stuff in the dishwasher n shut up

Those guests are slobs and should be ashamed of themselves; however any host who charges an exorbitant cleaning fee and expects guests to clean up deserves a dose of reality.

I used to complain about the "resort fees" at hotels but they're equal to or less than these crazy cleaning fees and you don't have to deep clean your room and sometimes there's a water park.

I mean, these photos are disgusting, I would never leave a house in that state, even though I pay a cleaning fee. I'm not saying about putting laundry on or vacuuming, but for God's sake, dirty eyelashes and trash overflowing the bin? Your cleaning fee won't cover getting rid of the bugs...

Years ago we stayed at the local ski hill. A family member was working there and set us up outside of regular season. I thought it was a hotel but it was a condo and there was a local authority that let it out: with rules. I wouldn't have minded cleaning but there was a huge add on charge for cleaning AND they expected a tip. I cleaned, I paid the fee, I did not tip. Also, never went back and told everyone about it.

I hate housework. I am not good at it. I could put in my best effort and it wouldn't be clean enough. Just take my money for whatever sake!

I just remember hearing horror stories a few years ago about airbnb guests leaving the place in ruins, dismantling furniture, etc. I don't and will never airbnb, were there always cleaning fees?

I think they could have honestly cleaned a little like the dirty dishes everywhere and the lashes and stuff but other then that, I think it's the owner's job to clean it up

Most people think it is okay how this appartement was left? In which countries is this "normal" and "acceptable" behaviour? Tidying up the place before leaving is totally different from cleaning it - at least in Europe. And yes, depending on size and quality of a place the cleaning fee might be several 100 Euros, Kroner, Franken - and guests are still expected to tidy up or loosing the deposit. To me it seems as if at abnb the cleaning fee often includes a deposit, which at normal holiday homes you just get back if you left the place according to the rental conditions

Maybe it's just me but keeping a tidy space is quite satisfying, comfortable, most importantly good for our mental health and it had nothing to do with cleaning.. leaving dirty dishes in the sink.. come on 🙁

This comment is hidden. Click here to view.

I don't know anything about Airbnb at all, but I do know common sense isn't common. And my common sense says to clean after yourself, especially in another person's house. I mean yeah, they didn't leave much to clean. But they still left a mess, the dishes especially.