Yes, Airbnb hosts must clean their listings to a high standard before every guest check-in, removing health hazards and ensuring the space is fresh and well-maintained, according to Airbnb's official rules, with requirements including laundry, trash removal, and sanitizing surfaces between stays. While guests are expected to leave the place reasonably tidy (like running the dishwasher), hosts handle the deep cleaning, with guests typically responsible for minor tidying and hosts setting fees for professional turnover cleaning.
Airbnb requires that all listings must be clean and free of health hazards (mold, pests, vermin) before guest check-in. Hosts should be sure to clean their rentals between every stay (take the trash, do laundry, vacuum/sweep floors, wipe down surfaces, etc.).
Most hosts charge a cleaning fee to cover professional turnover between guests. That fee implies the host will perform the main cleaning. If guests leave excessive mess or damage beyond normal wear, hosts may file a claim through Airbnb Resolution or security deposit to recoup cleaning or repair costs.
Understanding Host Expectations:
Before diving into cleaning duties, it's essential to understand your host's expectations regarding cleanliness. While some hosts may expect guests to perform basic cleaning tasks before checking out, others may handle all cleaning responsibilities themselves.
Airbnb's "25+ Rule" restricts guests under 25 from booking entire homes locally to prevent parties, but exceptions exist for those with positive reviews (3+ good reviews) or if booking far from home or private/shared rooms; hosts can also set their own 25+ rules in listings, requiring ID verification, but the platform's policy targets specific high-risk local bookings.
Longer minimum stays help maximize earnings during peak seasons and major events, while shorter stays keep bookings flowing during off-season or in hotel-competitive markets.
Hosts typically pay 3% under a split-fee arrangement, while guests are usually charged 12% (sometimes less), depending on location and cancellation policies. For hotels and accommodation providers using the host-only fee model, you pay 14%-16% of the total reservation cost, with no guest service fee.
Treat your host's home like your own
Hosts may not charge guest fees for failing to perform specific cleaning or checkout tasks, but they may leave ratings and reviews based on cleanliness. Litter: Guests should put their trash in designated trash receptacles and be mindful of excessive amounts of trash.
Red Flags When Screening Airbnb Guests
Incomplete profiles. Poor or no reviews. Last-minute bookings. Evasive or inconsistent communication.
The 20-minute cleaning rule (also known as the 20/10 rule) is a simple, time-boxed method to tackle household chores by cleaning with focused intensity for 20 minutes and then taking a 10-minute break, repeating as needed to prevent burnout and keep messes from piling up. It breaks large tasks into manageable sprints, making cleaning less overwhelming by focusing on progress over perfection through short, frequent sessions rather than marathon cleaning days, often tied to the FlyLady system or similar organizing principles.
My colleagues aren't alone. A 2021 study of more than 125,000 Airbnb complaints on Twitter found that 72% of the issues were related to poor customer service and 22% were related to scams.
What are common Airbnb cleaning mistakes?
You can ask the Host to fix the issue, request a refund of the cleaning fee or, for severe issues, you could request to cancel your reservation for a full refund of the remaining nights. Wait for a response: If your Host declines or doesn't respond, you can ask Airbnb to step in to help.
An Airbnb cleaning fee is a one-time charge that hosts can add to help cover the cost of cleaning their short-term rental between guests. This fee goes directly to the host—not Airbnb—and helps pay for things like time and labor, laundry, sanitizing surfaces, and restocking essentials.
The 20/10 cleaning method (or rule) is a time-management technique for tidying and organizing, involving focused work for 20 minutes, followed by a mandatory 10-minute break, and then repeating the cycle, inspired by the Pomodoro Technique. It breaks overwhelming tasks into manageable chunks, preventing burnout by building in rest, making cleaning more approachable and sustainable by focusing on consistency rather than marathon sessions, and encouraging completion by finishing tasks like putting laundry away during breaks.
If your host can't resolve the cleanliness issue, let Airbnb know within 72 hours of discovering the issue. It may be covered under the Rebooking and refund policy for homes—you may be able to receive a full or partial refund, or get help finding a similar place to stay, depending on availability at comparable pricing.
Communication breakdowns top the list of complaints about Airbnb experiences. Guests expect timely responses to their questions, clear check-in instructions, and helpful local recommendations. When an Airbnb host or property owner fails to communicate effectively, frustration builds quickly.
Illegal activity: Airbnb doesn't allow illegal activities, and hosts must always follow all laws and regulations applicable to their service or experience. Drug-related activity, including: Activities where hosts facilitate drug use, regardless of local legality.
The biggest problems with Airbnb involve a mix of guest experience issues like hidden fees (especially cleaning), cleanliness, broken amenities, and difficult hosts/rules, alongside broader community concerns about housing affordability, neighborhood disruption, and increasing competition making it less unique or affordable than hotels. Regulatory crackdowns in some cities also highlight growing tensions over short-term rentals.
It is up to the discretion of each host to determine whether or not to charge a cleaning fee, although it is worth noting that the charging of a cleaning fee is a common practice on Airbnb. However, some hosts prefer not to charge a cleaning fee and instead add the fee to their overall nightly price.
All listings should be clean and free of health hazards before guest check-in. Health and safety: Listings should be free of health hazards (mold, pests, etc.). Cleanliness: Hosts should provide listings that meet a high standard of cleanliness (free of extensive dust, pet dander, dirty dishes, etc.).
Physical intrusions: Hosts and guests must not access or attempt to access private spaces unless they have permission or there is an emergency. In entire-home stays, this applies to the listing itself and its property.
Airbnb is ending its split-fee model for PMS-connected hosts and standardizing a 15.5% host-only fee worldwide (16% in Brazil). For property managers, this raises distribution costs — but margins can stay intact by adjusting rates and increasing PMS markups to about 18.34% to fully offset Airbnb's new fee.
Guests in the US will see a fee-inclusive total price before taxes on all listings. The setting to turn total price display on or off has been disabled for these guests. Taxes which Airbnb collects will be displayed before booking, and the details of the price can still be found in the price breakdown during checkout.