How to Price Airbnb Turnover Cleaning (For Cleaners)

Short-term rental turnovers look like small house cleans, but they run on a tight clock and a long checklist. Price them like a standard clean and the laundry, restocking, and same-day rush eat the job. This guide is for the cleaner pricing the work for a host.

Two different numbers

On Airbnb, the host sets the fees guests see, including the cleaning fee. Airbnb's Resource Center page on setting your pricing strategy explains that hosts set their own nightly price and fees.

The cleaner sets what they charge the host. That is your number. It may be higher, lower, or the same as the fee the guest sees. They are agreed separately, and only one of them is built from your costs.

If a host or anyone else asks for the average Airbnb cleaning fee, the honest answer is that fees vary by listing and market. As a cleaner, the only number that matters is your own cost-based price per turnover.

What a turnover includes

• Strip and remake beds. Every bed, with fresh linens, to the host's standard.
• Laundry. On site in the unit, or off site at your place or a laundromat.
• Bathrooms. Full clean, fresh towels set out the way the host wants.
• Kitchen reset. Dishes, counters, appliances wiped, fridge cleared of guest food.
• Restock consumables. Toilet paper, soap, coffee, trash bags, whatever the host provides.
• Trash. Emptied, bins relined, taken out per the building rules.
• Quick inspection. Check for damage, missing items, and anything that needs maintenance.
• Photos and damage report. Sent to the host on the schedule you agree.

What drives the time

• Beds and bathrooms. The biggest single drivers. Each bed and bath adds fixed time.
• Laundry handling. Washing on site can mean waiting for the dryer. Off site means pickup, drop-off, and folding time.
• Same-day check-in windows. A tight gap between check-out and check-in may need a bigger crew.
• Travel between units. Count drive time and parking for every unit, not just the first.
• Restocking. Counting, refilling, and noting what runs low.
• Hot tub or outdoor areas. Patios, grills, and hot tubs add time and sometimes special products.
• Condition after the stay. Some guests leave a unit tidy, some do not.

The formula

1. Time per turnover (crew size times hours).
2. Times your loaded labor cost per hour.
3. Plus laundry cost per turnover.
4. Plus consumables, if you supply them.
5. Plus travel to and from the unit.
6. Plus your overhead share.
7. That is break-even per turnover. Then add the margin you choose. That is your call.

The guide to how much to charge for house cleaning explains the loaded labor cost line in detail.

Example: one turnover

Example only, placeholder numbers, not market data or a suggested price.

Swap in your own numbers. Time three or four real turnovers of the same unit before you settle on the hours.

Flat price per turnover vs hourly

A flat price per turnover is easy for the host to plan and compare. It works well once you know the unit and the turnovers are steady. Hourly fits a unit that is new to you, or one where condition swings a lot between guests. Some cleaners start hourly for the first few turnovers, then move to a flat price built from the timings. Either way, the price should come from your break-even plus your margin.

Extras and surcharges to define in writing

Decide what counts as extra and write it down before the first turnover. The amounts are your call:

• Same-day rush. What window counts as rush, and the added charge.
• Extra guests. More beds used or more towels than the base scope.
• Heavy mess. What condition goes beyond a normal turnover, and how you report it with photos first.
• Linens. Who owns them, who replaces stained or damaged items, and at whose cost.
• Deep cleans. A scheduled deeper clean every so often, priced on its own.
• Last-minute cancellations. What happens if a turnover is cancelled after you are on the way.

Your working agreement with the host

A short written agreement saves most arguments. Cover:

• Scope. The turnover checklist, attached.
• Schedule source. How you learn about bookings: a shared calendar, a message per booking, or a weekly list.
• Access codes. How codes are shared and changed, and who holds keys.
• Supplies. Who supplies cleaning products, linens, and guest consumables.
• Damage reporting. Photos, how fast, and by what method.
• Payment terms. Per turnover or monthly, due when, and how.

The cleaning contract template has each of these clauses in a layout you can copy. Have a local lawyer review your version.

Airbnb turnover cleaning checklist

Arrive and assess

• Check the time window and the next check-in
• Walk the unit and photograph any damage or heavy mess before you start
• Open windows if allowed, and start the first laundry load

Bedrooms

• Strip all beds, check mattress protectors and pillows
• Remake beds with fresh linens to the host's standard
• Dust surfaces, check drawers and closets for left items
• Vacuum or mop floors, under beds where reachable

Bathrooms

• Clean shower or tub, toilet, sink, and mirror
• Wipe counters and fixtures
• Set out fresh towels and restock toilet paper and soap
• Empty trash and mop the floor

Kitchen

• Run or put away dishes, wipe counters and sink
• Wipe appliances, inside the microwave, and the stovetop
• Clear the fridge of guest food
• Restock coffee, tea, dish soap, and paper towels as the host provides

Living areas and outside

• Reset furniture, cushions, and throws
• Dust surfaces and wipe remotes and switches
• Vacuum and mop floors
• Sweep patio, wipe outdoor furniture, check grill and hot tub as agreed

Finish

• Finish and fold laundry, or bag it for off-site washing
• Empty all trash and take it out per building rules
• Note low supplies for the host
• Photograph each room and send the report
• Lock up and confirm access is secure

Put it on your price list

Once you have timed a few turnovers, add a turnover line to your cleaning service price list, by unit size, with your extras listed beside it. The house cleaning price calculator runs the labor, supplies, and driving math on the page with your own numbers.

Send the host a quote

Binderlane organizes your pricing math: answer a few questions, see your break-even and your price, then text the host a branded quote with your logo. It does not set or recommend rates. First 3 quotes are free to send, no card.