456. Hosting Hotline: Should I Bake My Airbnb Cleaning Fee Into the Nightly Rate?

This week on the Hosting Hotline, we're digging into a question from Penny, a host of two jaw-dropping luxury rentals in Hocking Hills, Ohio. With properties clocking in at over 10,000 and 13,000 square feet, a saltwater pool, and four separate apartments, Penny’s homes are stunning — but she's stuck on one big question: how should she charge her cleaning fee?

Should she bake the fee into the nightly rate or break it out as a separate line item? What’s the “right” way to do this, especially when hosting large groups or events?

In this episode, we walk through:

Why understanding your actual cost to clean is step one
How to assess guest perception of your fee and reduce sticker shock
Ways to use dynamic pricing software (like PriceLabs) to stay competitive and track market cleaning fees
Why breaking down booking feedback and sales data is critical
When it makes sense to blend cleaning fees into your nightly rate

Plus, we revisit a real-world case study from Episode 321 with Monique from PriceLabs, where she adjusted her pricing to recover cleaning costs and stay competitive in her market.

Whether you’re hosting luxury travelers or managing smaller STRs, this is a must-listen if you’ve ever wrestled with how to present your cleaning fee to guests.

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