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Cleaning fees exist to charge a fixed fee for a reservation, regardless of the number of days. There's more overhead for a reservation beyond just "cleaning".

Cleaning fees exist to charge a fixed fee for a reservation, regardless of the number of days. There's more overhead for a reservation beyond just "cleaning". The most consumer friendly thing would be for AirBnB to just explicitly have a fixed "stay" fee and a per-day fee. That said, AirBnB's site shows the total cost for a stay when browsing, so I don't really see this as particularly deceptive. I don't care how the host itemizes the bill as long as I know what I'm paying when selecting a place.

EasyMark 3y ago
So put it in the price rather than "fees". That always feels highly dishonest to me.
- matsemann 3y ago
  How would you make that work? I rent out our cabin. If you stay 1 day or 7 days, it's the same amount of work for me and same costs in cleaning. That's impossible to price fairly without having a flat fee. In my market the customer sees the total price up front. I think this is the best solution for all parties.
septic-liqueur 3y ago
I haven't checked the platform lately but from what I remember the first search view did not show the total (plus cleaning) fee and only when you advance to book you would see the final cost. While not a scam, it definitely feels like a dark pattern.
- techcode 3y ago
  AFAIK everyone in e-commerce tries to have consistent pricing throughout the whole flow - otherwise people notice difference between pages and drop off. Stuff that you explained can happen because initially IP-to-Country isn't 100% precise (later in booking/checkout stage you provide country and then it knows for sure). Other case I've seen is that meta (comparison) website you came from showed you prices without including everything even though they should've. And then booking platform tries to transition you into correct pricing in between their pages.
callalex 3y ago
It only shows total price in markets where it is legally required to. Meaning they took the time to implement the feature and actively decided to be shitty to their customers when they are given the choice.
- kibwen 3y ago
  > they took the time to implement the feature and actively decided to be shitty to their customers when they are given the choice Ah, but companies have a fiduciary duty to their shareholders to be as shitty to their customers as they can get away with.
  - tuwtuwtuwtuw 3y ago
    No they don't.
    - dsr_ 3y ago
      Many companies act as though they believe that they have a fiduciary duty to not think further than the next quarter's results. Are you happy now?
      - ghaff 3y ago
        Companies obviously do care (a lot) about their current quarterly results. But if they literally did not care about what happens in the future, they could cut a ton of costs. They probably have a ton of engineering and marketing that isn't essential to the next quarterly earnings.
      - tuwtuwtuwtuw 3y ago
        Such companies would fire all employees directly unless they are required to complete the current quarter. I haven't seen many sustainable businesses completely giving up all revenue for all future quarters just to improve the current quarter. It would be a very poor business decision. It sounds like a meme and I'll name it Enterprise Kamikaze.
    - 3y ago
ghaff 3y ago
Agreed. That said, not that I stay at AirBnbs more than rarely but there's definitely been an ooching in both the per-stay fees and the expectations for cleaning. I suspect some of this is that housekeeping services have probably gone up in cost a lot. I thought my housekeeper was sort of an expensive luxury. It is but after talking to some people, the rates I pay are actually pretty modest. But to many other comments, there's probably at least some element of advertising a relatively low nightly price and tacking on a stay fee that may not be as immediately obvious.
__derek__ 3y ago
Airbnb sellers can charge a fixed fee directly by setting minimum stay lengths or by charging different nightly rates based on the length of stay (e.g., weekly and monthly stay discounts).
- Scoundreller 3y ago
  What if I just want to stay 3 days and I’m willing to pay the fixed fee anyway? What I do see is some booking automation that will dynamically set minimum stay lengths to avoid filling, say, a 3 day gap with a 1 or 2 day booking if it’s far enough out and set minimum stays to the duration of the gap.
  - lucisferre 3y ago
    Simple they just have a minimum fee, book whatever days you want.
- usaar333 3y ago
  Former isn't the same thing and is in fact less efficient. Is latter actually possible on the platform? Edit: At most latter is possible with complex rule sets. But I'm really not sure: https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/2061 https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/2061
Scoundreller 3y ago
> That said, AirBnB's site shows the total cost for a stay when browsing This depends on which site you’re browsing on. I don’t think US does this, but you can browse the AU or Canada version and set your price in $USD because those geographic “editions” have to post the all-in cost up-front.
- bonestamp2 3y ago
  Yes, and I think the only exception might be California where it is now required that prices include previously hidden fees such as "resort fees" (and "landing fees", etc for airlines).
- usaar333 3y ago
  I'm in California and see it

EasyMark 3y ago

So put it in the price rather than "fees". That always feels highly dishonest to me.

matsemann 3y ago
How would you make that work? I rent out our cabin. If you stay 1 day or 7 days, it's the same amount of work for me and same costs in cleaning. That's impossible to price fairly without having a flat fee. In my market the customer sees the total price up front. I think this is the best solution for all parties.

septic-liqueur 3y ago

I haven't checked the platform lately but from what I remember the first search view did not show the total (plus cleaning) fee and only when you advance to book you would see the final cost. While not a scam, it definitely feels like a dark pattern.

techcode 3y ago
AFAIK everyone in e-commerce tries to have consistent pricing throughout the whole flow - otherwise people notice difference between pages and drop off. Stuff that you explained can happen because initially IP-to-Country isn't 100% precise (later in booking/checkout stage you provide country and then it knows for sure). Other case I've seen is that meta (comparison) website you came from showed you prices without including everything even though they should've. And then booking platform tries to transition you into correct pricing in between their pages.

callalex 3y ago

It only shows total price in markets where it is legally required to. Meaning they took the time to implement the feature and actively decided to be shitty to their customers when they are given the choice.

kibwen 3y ago
> they took the time to implement the feature and actively decided to be shitty to their customers when they are given the choice Ah, but companies have a fiduciary duty to their shareholders to be as shitty to their customers as they can get away with.
- tuwtuwtuwtuw 3y ago
  No they don't.
  - dsr_ 3y ago
    Many companies act as though they believe that they have a fiduciary duty to not think further than the next quarter's results. Are you happy now?
    - ghaff 3y ago
      Companies obviously do care (a lot) about their current quarterly results. But if they literally did not care about what happens in the future, they could cut a ton of costs. They probably have a ton of engineering and marketing that isn't essential to the next quarterly earnings.
    - tuwtuwtuwtuw 3y ago
      Such companies would fire all employees directly unless they are required to complete the current quarter. I haven't seen many sustainable businesses completely giving up all revenue for all future quarters just to improve the current quarter. It would be a very poor business decision. It sounds like a meme and I'll name it Enterprise Kamikaze.
  - 3y ago

ghaff 3y ago

Agreed. That said, not that I stay at AirBnbs more than rarely but there's definitely been an ooching in both the per-stay fees and the expectations for cleaning. I suspect some of this is that housekeeping services have probably gone up in cost a lot. I thought my housekeeper was sort of an expensive luxury. It is but after talking to some people, the rates I pay are actually pretty modest. But to many other comments, there's probably at least some element of advertising a relatively low nightly price and tacking on a stay fee that may not be as immediately obvious.

__derek__ 3y ago

Airbnb sellers can charge a fixed fee directly by setting minimum stay lengths or by charging different nightly rates based on the length of stay (e.g., weekly and monthly stay discounts).

Scoundreller 3y ago
What if I just want to stay 3 days and I’m willing to pay the fixed fee anyway? What I do see is some booking automation that will dynamically set minimum stay lengths to avoid filling, say, a 3 day gap with a 1 or 2 day booking if it’s far enough out and set minimum stays to the duration of the gap.
- lucisferre 3y ago
  Simple they just have a minimum fee, book whatever days you want.
usaar333 3y ago
Former isn't the same thing and is in fact less efficient. Is latter actually possible on the platform? Edit: At most latter is possible with complex rule sets. But I'm really not sure: https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/2061 https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/2061

Scoundreller 3y ago

> That said, AirBnB's site shows the total cost for a stay when browsing This depends on which site you’re browsing on. I don’t think US does this, but you can browse the AU or Canada version and set your price in $USD because those geographic “editions” have to post the all-in cost up-front.

bonestamp2 3y ago
Yes, and I think the only exception might be California where it is now required that prices include previously hidden fees such as "resort fees" (and "landing fees", etc for airlines).
usaar333 3y ago
I'm in California and see it