Airbnb provides an invaluable service to property owners. Needless to say, the service is not entirely priceless and hosts do have to pay Airbnb host fees. There are different Airbnb fees for owners to pay once their property has been booked by guests. Here are the most important fees that hosts need to understand:
What is an Airbnb fee?
Airbnb usually charges hosts a 3% service fee. However, this fee can be more for those who host in Italy or have opted for a Super Strict cancellation policy. This will be taken from the subtotal of the booking (in other words the nightly rate, cleaning fee if the host has opted to charge one and extra guest fee if it applies). It gets subtracted automatically when the payout to the host is made. In some areas, a value-added tax charge can be added to this service fee too.
What is Airbnb’s fee for cleaning?
Hosts can choose whether or not they want to charge a cleaning fee which is a one-time fee. Though, hosts have to bear in mind that this cleaning fee cannot be refunded to guests.
Currently, there is no Airbnb policy regarding cleaning fees in place which means that as a host you get to decide what this amount should be. When deciding on what this amount should be, hosts should give thought to factors such as the size of the property and how many bedrooms (specifically beds too) and bathrooms the property boasts. Also, be sure to ask yourself if there are any amenities, such as a swimming pool, that will need extra cleaning.
Let your local area’s cost of living also serve as a guide so that you can calculate a cleaning fee that is fair for the specific property. Ultimately you want to charge the best price that will allow you to cover the costs incurred with the cleaning of your property, while not discouraging guests from booking your place. So take the time to study similar listings in your neighborhood so that you can get a better idea of what is the average fee that fellow hosts typically charge.
If you are thinking that it is too much effort to charge a cleaning fee, you can rest assured. The price that gets displayed in the search results includes the cleaning fee. This means that your potential guest will have a more accurate idea of what it will cost to book your listing. Then, prior to sending a request to reserve a property, guests will be able to view your nightly rate and cleaning fee separately.
You will most likely find that to charge a cleaning fee is a good idea as it is one of the ways that you can save money with your Airbnb listing. Though, bear in mind that the cleaning fee will not be included in any special offer that you send to a potential guest. So before you send a special offer to a guest, you will need to find a way to include the cleaning cost into the offer that you send.
What is Airbnb’s fee for extra guests?
Charging a fee for an additional guest is a tricky situation. It often happens that guests try to sneak in an extra guest. Let’s be honest, who wants to keep a round-the-clock watch over their property?
Another solution is to charge the same nightly rate irrespective of how many guests are actually staying at your place. Just remember to set a maximum number of guests that your property can accommodate and make sure to stick to that number.
What is Airbnb’s fee for Experiences?
Airbnb currently charges hosts a whopping 20% service fee for providing an Airbnb Experience. This percentage is worked out using the price of the Airbnb Experience and will be taken off the payout that the host will receive automatically. Though, if you choose to take part in a non-profit collaboration to host an Airbnb Experience you will not have to pay this fee.
What is the Airbnb fee’s function you might wonder? In short, it helps to manage the Airbnb platform. So, rest assured that these Airbnb fees to host do serve an all-important function. Without it, this popular platform will not be able to exist, which in some instances serve as the sole income for many property owners.