Property Manager · Chicago, IL · Member since 2026 · 40 posts · 33 votes
Curious what other STR operators are seeing with cleaning costs because mine are all over the place. I have a cleaner in Chicago who does a 3-bedroom unit for $100 per turn and does a great job. Meanwhile, in Southwest Michigan, I'm getting quotes of $400+ per turn for houses that really aren't that much bigger. Both are good cleaners, but a 4x difference feels pretty wild. Are others seeing this much variation between markets? And how much do you worry about the cleaning fee putting guests off??? Airbnb has largely taken it out of the equation by displaying total pricing upfront, but on some other platforms that $300 to $400 cleaning fee is still sitting there bold as brass for the guest to balk at. Wondering if others just accept that cleaning is more expensive in certain vacation markets, subsidize some of it in the nightly rate, or keep shopping around? And what is the best way to shop around for a cleaner? I have been using Turno (mixed results) but always curious about better ways…
Rental Property Investor · Phoenix, AZ and Rehoboth Beach DE · Member since 2019 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
4d
Your $100 rate for a 3 bedroom is extraordinarily low. Since Covid, cleaners and other workers doing lower paid, physical jobs have demanded and gotten higher pay. And $400 seems high, but if multiple cleaners are giving the same quote, maybe the house is time consuming to clean, or there is more outdoor stuff to take care of? I have a 4 bed/3.5 bath 1800 sq ft townhouse in DE and pay $330. I charge the guest $270, and up my nightly rate a bit. Charging under $300 seemed to get more bookings.
Tampa, FL · Member since 2022 · 3k+ posts · 3k+ votes
4d
Im primarily in Tampa but have one active in NJ and have some in other markets in FL. They are all roughly in the same ballpark across the board. Obviously prices vary between markets but with that much of a disparity I would get additional quotes. Additionally you can check and see what other hosts are charging for similar properties in your individual markets and see if they are in line or not.
Rental Property Investor · Bay Area CA | Maui HI · Member since 2018 · 49 posts · 47 votes
4d
Shop around and try a few different cleaners until you settle on the right price/quality balance. It takes some extra time and effort up front but we've always found it to be worthwhile over the long run. I pay $185 for a 2br/2ba cabin (1600sf) in the Sierra foothills near Yosemite and $300 for a 2br/2ba condo (1100sf) on Maui. Surprisingly, our nightly rates are about the same right now, but the cleaning costs are wildly different.
I've always found the best cleaners through local referrals, agents/brokers, and (sometimes) on Craigslist or FB Marketplace. I generally like to source individuals, not services, so I have a specific person to work with instead of playing roulette with whoever the cleaning service happens to send over on any given day. And I don't argue or push back when someone quotes a price. I either pay what they ask or find someone else. We do a lot of same-day turns and I want someone who's motivated to prioritize my calendar and feels fairly compensated.
Rental Property Investor · Phoenix, AZ and Rehoboth Beach DE · Member since 2019 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
4d
Your $100 rate for a 3 bedroom is extraordinarily low. Since Covid, cleaners and other workers doing lower paid, physical jobs have demanded and gotten higher pay. And $400 seems high, but if multiple cleaners are giving the same quote, maybe the house is time consuming to clean, or there is more outdoor stuff to take care of? I have a 4 bed/3.5 bath 1800 sq ft townhouse in DE and pay $330. I charge the guest $270, and up my nightly rate a bit. Charging under $300 seemed to get more bookings.
My cleaning prices are fairly close between 2 properties. I keep my cleaning charge on sites lower than what I am actually paying and adjust the nightly price or LOS. Agree with those who just pay whatever the cleaner quotes or find another because I want them happy. Cleaning makes or breaks a STR in my experience both as a guest and host.
Olympia, WA · Member since 2016 · 8k+ posts · 7k+ votes
3d
Our last cleaner quit early this year, before the season started. So I was forced to find a new one.
I used Turno and found quite a few folks willing to drive down to our lake house (36 miles) and settled on a sister team. They charge less and do a great job!
Rental Property Investor · Minnesota & South Carolina · Member since 2026 · 4 posts · 1 vote
1d
In Myrtle Beach, we have a studio and a one bedroom and pay about $130/turn. In Northern MN, it's about $220 for a 3 bedroom. I called around to a number of cleaners and it was a bit of trial and error to find a good one.
Real Estate Agent · Chicago, IL · Member since 2017 · 324 posts · 192 votes
1d
I would keep shopping around. One time my normal cleaners couldn’t clean one of my units and I posted an ad on various networking sites and I got 50+ replies from different cleaners with all sorts of rates. I feel like there really isn’t a true standard with cleaning rates. I’m on the northside of Chicago by the way.
Real Estate Consultant · Melbourne, FL · Member since 2019 · 185 posts · 107 votes
1d
Are they doing all the laundry onsite? That'd be my first question on the $400 quotes. Waiting on several loads can turn a pretty normal clean into half a day. I'd want the same laundry and restocking expectations in every quote before comparing them.