As an Airbnb host, setting the right cleaning fee is crucial for both your profitability and guest satisfaction. A well-calculated fee ensures you cover your costs, compensate your cleaning staff fairly, and present a clean, welcoming space to every guest. This calculator helps you determine a fair and accurate cleaning fee based on several key factors.
How the Cleaning Fee is Calculated
The core of the cleaning fee calculation involves estimating the total time required for cleaning and then converting that time into a monetary value based on your hourly rate. Here's a breakdown of the components:
Property Size (sq ft): Larger properties naturally take longer to clean. This is a primary driver of the cleaning time.
Number of Bedrooms & Bathrooms: More rooms, especially bathrooms, often require more detailed attention and cleaning effort.
Cleaning Time per Square Foot (minutes): This accounts for the general efficiency of your cleaning process. Factors like the type of flooring, presence of many surfaces, and general upkeep can influence this.
Extra Tasks Time (minutes): This is a buffer for specific, time-consuming tasks that aren't directly tied to square footage, such as deep cleaning an oven, washing windows, or organizing specific areas.
Travel Time to Property (minutes): If you or your cleaner travels to the property, this time should also be factored into the overall cost associated with each booking.
Your Hourly Cleaning Rate ($/hour): This is the rate you pay yourself or your cleaning staff for their time and expertise. It should reflect local labor costs and the quality of service provided.
The Formula
The calculator uses the following logic:
Base Cleaning Time: (Property Size in sq ft) * (Cleaning Time per Square Foot in minutes)
Total Cleaning Time (minutes): Base Cleaning Time + Extra Tasks Time
Total Billable Time (minutes): Total Cleaning Time + Travel Time to Property
Total Cleaning Time (hours): Total Billable Time (minutes) / 60
Estimated Cleaning Fee ($): Total Cleaning Time (hours) * Your Hourly Cleaning Rate ($/hour)
The calculator then formats this final figure to two decimal places to represent a monetary value.
Factors to Consider Beyond the Calculator:
Market Rates: Research what other Airbnb hosts in your area charge for cleaning.
Guest Expectations: Ensure your fee aligns with the perceived value and the overall guest experience.
Cleaning Supplies: While not directly in this calculation, remember to factor in the cost of cleaning products and equipment.
Turnover Frequency: If you have very short stays with frequent turnovers, you might need to be more efficient or adjust your fee.
Airbnb Service Fees: Airbnb may charge service fees on top of the cleaning fee, so ensure your calculation is clear for guests.
By using this calculator and considering these additional factors, you can confidently set an Airbnb cleaning fee that is both profitable and fair.
Example Calculation:
Let's say you have a 900 sq ft property with 2 bedrooms and 1.5 bathrooms. Your cleaning process takes approximately 0.7 minutes per square foot. You typically spend 45 minutes on extra tasks (like deep cleaning the kitchen) and your travel time to the property is 20 minutes. Your hourly cleaning rate is $30.
Base Cleaning Time: 900 sq ft * 0.7 min/sq ft = 630 minutes
Total Cleaning Time (minutes): 630 minutes + 45 minutes (extra tasks) = 675 minutes
Total Billable Time (minutes): 675 minutes + 20 minutes (travel) = 695 minutes
Total Cleaning Time (hours): 695 minutes / 60 minutes/hour ≈ 11.58 hours
In this example, the estimated cleaning fee would be $347.40. Remember to adjust this based on your specific circumstances and market.
function calculateCleaningFee() {
var propertySizeSqFt = parseFloat(document.getElementById("propertySizeSqFt").value);
var bedrooms = parseFloat(document.getElementById("bedrooms").value);
var bathrooms = parseFloat(document.getElementById("bathrooms").value);
var hourlyRate = parseFloat(document.getElementById("hourlyRate").value);
var cleaningTimePerSqFt = parseFloat(document.getElementById("cleaningTimePerSqFt").value);
var extraTasksTime = parseFloat(document.getElementById("extraTasksTime").value);
var travelTime = parseFloat(document.getElementById("travelTime").value);
var baseCleaningTimeMinutes = 0;
var totalCleaningTimeMinutes = 0;
var totalBillableTimeMinutes = 0;
var totalCleaningTimeHours = 0;
var estimatedCleaningFee = 0;
// Input validation
if (isNaN(propertySizeSqFt) || propertySizeSqFt <= 0) {
alert("Please enter a valid Property Size.");
return;
}
if (isNaN(bedrooms) || bedrooms < 0) {
alert("Please enter a valid Number of Bedrooms.");
return;
}
if (isNaN(bathrooms) || bathrooms < 0) {
alert("Please enter a valid Number of Bathrooms.");
return;
}
if (isNaN(hourlyRate) || hourlyRate <= 0) {
alert("Please enter a valid Hourly Cleaning Rate.");
return;
}
if (isNaN(cleaningTimePerSqFt) || cleaningTimePerSqFt < 0) {
alert("Please enter a valid Cleaning Time per Square Foot.");
return;
}
if (isNaN(extraTasksTime) || extraTasksTime < 0) {
alert("Please enter a valid Extra Tasks Time.");
return;
}
if (isNaN(travelTime) || travelTime < 0) {
alert("Please enter a valid Travel Time.");
return;
}
// Calculations
baseCleaningTimeMinutes = propertySizeSqFt * cleaningTimePerSqFt;
// Add a small buffer for bathrooms/bedrooms if desired, though primarily driven by sqft
// For simplicity here, we're keeping it sqft-driven but you could add:
// baseCleaningTimeMinutes += bedrooms * 15; // e.g., 15 mins per bedroom
// baseCleaningTimeMinutes += bathrooms * 20; // e.g., 20 mins per bathroom
totalCleaningTimeMinutes = baseCleaningTimeMinutes + extraTasksTime;
totalBillableTimeMinutes = totalCleaningTimeMinutes + travelTime;
totalCleaningTimeHours = totalBillableTimeMinutes / 60;
estimatedCleaningFee = totalCleaningTimeHours * hourlyRate;
// Display the result
document.getElementById("finalFee").innerText = "$" + estimatedCleaningFee.toFixed(2);
}