Start from what the turnover actually costs you, which for a Calgary unit begins at $95 plus GST for a studio or one bedroom. Set the fee at or near that cost, check it against comparable listings in your area, and watch what it does to the total price on a two night stay.
Start with Your Real Cost
The cleaning fee exists to cover the turnover, not to pad the nightly rate. Take the rate for your unit size, add GST and anything you buy per stay such as consumables, and you have the floor.
| Unit size | Turnover from | Deep clean from |
|---|---|---|
| Studio or 1 bed | $95 | $210 |
| 2 bed | $139 | $260 |
| 3 bed | $189 | $325 |
| 4 bed | $239 | $390 |
| 5+ bedrooms | $299+ | $450+ |
Then Look at the Guest’s Total
Guests compare the total price, not the nightly rate. A high cleaning fee hits short stays hardest, which is why a fee that looks fine on a week long booking can cost you two night bookings entirely. Run your own numbers on a two night stay before you set it.
Three Ways Hosts Handle It
- Fee at cost: the simplest and the easiest to defend in a review.
- Fee slightly under cost, with the difference in the nightly rate: better for short stay conversion.
- No fee at all, everything in the nightly rate: clean on the listing, but it prices you higher on long stays.
Keep It Current
Platform fee display rules change, and so do rates. Check your fee against your invoices a couple of times a year, and check the current fee settings on Airbnb and VRBO before you assume yours still shows the way you set it.
Hand Off Your Turnovers to CleanStays
CleanStays cleans Airbnb and VRBO properties across Calgary to a 33 point cleaning checklist, with photo proof after every clean. Read about turnover cleaning, deep cleaning and portfolio cleaning for property managers.
