With Airbnb now including cleaning fees in the final price of accommodation globally, the dialogue around transparency in short-term rentals has taken a new turn. This change addresses a long-standing user complaint – surprise extra charges at the completion of the booking. However, as transparency increases, so does the debate: are the cleaning charges imposed by landlords really justified?
Analyzing data from Airbnb and Vrbo, AirDNA found that 89% of listings in the US charge cleaning fees. They are followed by Aruba (88.6%) and Curacao (86.7%) as of April 1, 2025.
Among the countries with the lowest percentage of cleaning fees on short-term rental properties are Kazakhstan (15.3%), Sri Lanka (17.9%) and Madagascar (20.5%).
The geographical analysis shows that North America and the Caribbean are at the top in terms of the imposition of such fees. Experts attribute the discrepancies to cultural differences, hospitality patterns and the way competition in local markets works.
The change in Airbnb’s transparency policy may boost guest confidence, but the debate doesn’t end there. What is the threshold for justifiable billing? Is there a need to regulate cleaning fees or should they be left to the discretion of the host?
At a time when travellers are looking not only for experiences but also for clear costs, cleaning fees are moving from a detail to a factor that can affect the overall perception of the tourism product.
What is happening in Greece with the cleaning fees
In Greece, cleaning fees for short-term rentals, such as those through Airbnb, are not uniform and vary depending on the location, size and level of services provided. There are no officially published statistics on the average cleaning fees in Greece. However, property owners often set cleaning fees based on their own estimates of the cost of cleaning and maintenance of the property.
How the new safety and hygiene standards will impact
In addition, from 1 October 2025, new regulations for short-term rentals in Greece will come into force, imposing stricter safety and hygiene standards for properties. These requirements include, among others, mandatory liability insurance, the installation of fire extinguishers and smoke detectors, as well as the provision of fumigation and first aid certificates. Compliance with these requirements may increase operating costs for owners, which may be passed on to guests through increased cleaning fees.
