You’ve combed the internet for a short-term summer rental that you and your family can use as the home base for your beach vacation. Finally, you settle on the perfect place—a postcard-perfect, four-bedroom, oceanfront bungalow you located on Airbnb.
But, wait a minute. What’s the deal with all of these added costs? Cleaning fees, service charges and taxes make this dreamy beach cottage less than ideal. With the extras tacked on, the nightly cost now exceeds your budget. So, back to the internet you go.
Many travelers feel this fee frustration. In fact, a new Forbes Advisor analysis shows for summer 2023 Airbnb customers face an average of 36% in added fees on top of the nightly rates. So, for a hypothetical $180-a-night beach house, 36% in added fees would push the one-day total to nearly $245. Stretch that out over five days, and you’re looking at a bill topping $1,200.
For this analysis, Forbes Advisor looked at 32,000 listings in the 100 most popular Airbnb markets, ranging from big cities like Chicago and Austin, Texas, to smaller hotspots like Nantucket, Massachusetts, and Aspen, Colorado. For each location, we searched hundreds of properties with listings for July 2023 to establish regional trends for nightly rates, cleaning fees and taxes.
Key Findings for Summer 2023
Customers face an average of 36% in fees on top of nightly rates.
On average, cleaning fees are 11% of the subtotal, service fees are 15% and taxes are 10%.
The average cleaning fee is $160. The lowest cleaning fee is $95 in Cleveland and the highest is $313 in Telluride, Colorado.
On average, Atlanta (48%), Phoenix (47%) and Fort Myers Beach, Florida (46%), have the highest total fees.
Florida cities have five of the top 10 highest cleaning-fee percentages in the country.
Two markets (Nantucket, Massachusetts, and Montauk, New York) have nightly rate averages over $1,000.
Market
Night rate
Rating
Cleaning fee
Service fee
Taxes
Total fees
Atlanta, GA
$192
16%
16%
17%
48%
Phoenix, AZ
$202
20%
16%
10%
47%
Fort Myers Beach, FL
$248
19%
17%
10%
46%
Davenport, FL
$166
19%
16%
10%
45%
Memphis, TN
$215
11%
15%
19%
45%
Park City, UT
$293
16%
16%
12%
45%
Scottsdale, AZ
$253
18%
16%
11%
45%
Houston, TX
$193
15%
15%
15%
45%
New Orleans, LA
$203
13%
15%
17%
45%
Chicago, IL
$257
9%
15%
20%
44%
Salt Lake City, UT
$193
14%
16%
14%
44%
Breckenridge, CO
$297
16%
16%
11%
43%
Raleigh, NC
$199
14%
16%
13%
43%
Kissimmee, FL
$164
18%
16%
8%
42%
Orlando, FL
$168
16%
16%
10%
42%
Tampa, FL
$207
14%
16%
12%
42%
Sarasota, FL
$241
15%
16%
11%
41%
Nashville, TN
$274
11%
15%
15%
41%
Seattle, WA
$308
10%
15%
16%
41%
Fort Lauderdale, FL
$263
14%
15%
11%
41%
Washington, DC
$279
11%
15%
15%
41%
St. Louis, MO
$186
12%
15%
13%
40%
Kauai, HI
$474
13%
15%
12%
40%
Baltimore, MD
$224
11%
15%
13%
40%
Portland, OR
$243
11%
14%
14%
40%
Wilmington, NC
$262
11%
16%
13%
40%
Virginia Beach, VA
$345
9%
15%
16%
40%
Maui, HI
$424
13%
16%
11%
40%
Vail, CO
$342
13%
16%
11%
40%
Asheville, NC
$251
11%
16%
13%
40%
Philadelphia, PA
$242
10%
15%
15%
39%
Louisville, KY
$212
10%
15%
14%
39%
Galveston, TX
$245
12%
15%
12%
39%
Savannah, GA
$262
11%
15%
13%
39%
Big Bear, CA
$217
14%
16%
9%
39%
Sedona, AZ
$320
13%
16%
10%
39%
Pittsburgh, PA
$233
10%
15%
14%
39%
Gatlinburg, TN
$269
11%
15%
12%
38%
Tybee Island, GA
$335
10%
15%
12%
38%
Gulf Shores, AL
$331
11%
15%
11%
38%
Santa Fe, NM
$364
11%
14%
13%
37%
Miami Beach, FL
$239
12%
14%
11%
37%
Joshua Tree, CA
$270
14%
15%
8%
37%
Kansas City, MO
$181
13%
15%
9%
37%
Myrtle Beach, SC
$262
12%
15%
10%
37%
Oahu, HI
$364
12%
15%
9%
37%
San Antonio, TX
$182
15%
15%
7%
37%
Boston, MA
$314
8%
14%
14%
36%
Palm Beach, FL
$292
13%
16%
8%
36%
Killington, VT
$314
11%
15%
10%
36%
San Jose, CA
$294
12%
16%
8%
36%
Flagstaff, AZ
$262
12%
15%
8%
36%
Palm Springs, CA
$396
13%
15%
8%
36%
Jersey City, NJ
$238
11%
15%
10%
36%
Denver, CO
$273
11%
15%
9%
35%
Jackson Hole, WY
$540
9%
15%
11%
35%
Charleston, SC
$316
10%
15%
10%
35%
Panama City, FL
$292
12%
16%
7%
35%
San Francisco, CA
$378
10%
15%
11%
35%
Pensacola Beach, FL
$350
11%
15%
8%
34%
Santa Cruz, CA
$489
8%
15%
11%
34%
Cleveland, OH
$198
11%
15%
7%
34%
Bend, OR
$382
9%
15%
10%
34%
Destin, FL
$397
10%
15%
9%
34%
Ocean City, MD
$396
9%
15%
10%
34%
Las Vegas, NV
$233
15%
15%
4%
34%
Dallas, TX
$229
13%
15%
6%
34%
Telluride, CO
$825
8%
14%
11%
34%
South Padre Island, TX
$284
10%
15%
9%
34%
Hilton Head Island, SC
$320
10%
15%
8%
33%
Austin, TX
$244
12%
15%
7%
33%
Lake Tahoe, CA
$501
10%
15%
9%
33%
Martha’s Vineyard, MA
$521
7%
15%
11%
33%
Key Largo, FL
$367
9%
15%
9%
33%
Detroit, MI
$208
12%
15%
5%
33%
Santa Monica, CA
$391
9%
15%
8%
33%
Fort Worth, TX
$225
12%
15%
5%
33%
San Diego, CA
$369
9%
15%
8%
32%
Aspen, CO
$652
7%
15%
11%
32%
Key West, FL
$640
7%
15%
9%
31%
Atlantic City, NJ
$395
7%
14%
10%
31%
Cincinnati, OH
$210
11%
15%
5%
31%
Malibu, CA
$730
8%
15%
7%
31%
Bar Harbor, ME
$435
7%
15%
9%
31%
Anaheim, CA
$274
11%
15%
4%
31%
Lake Geneva, WI
$479
7%
14%
9%
30%
Carlsbad, CA
$420
9%
15%
6%
30%
Nantucket, MA
$1,280
4%
12%
13%
29%
Encinitas, CA
$604
8%
15%
5%
29%
Napa, CA
$608
7%
15%
6%
28%
South Haven, MI
$403
8%
15%
5%
28%
Newport, RI
$597
6%
14%
7%
28%
Carmel by the Sea, CA
$513
8%
14%
5%
28%
Laguna Beach, CA
$490
8%
15%
4%
27%
Saugatuck, MI
$520
7%
15%
6%
27%
Columbus, OH
$213
11%
14%
2%
27%
Big Sur, CA
$912
6%
14%
5%
25%
Hamptons, NY
$687
6%
15%
4%
25%
Montauk, NY
$1,019
5%
15%
5%
25%
Newport Beach, CA
$661
7%
15%
2%
25%
Santa Barbara, CA
$674
7%
15%
2%
24%
New York City, NY
$319
8%
15%
0%
23%
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Airbnb Fees Increase Costs by 45% in Some Markets
Some folks shopping for a short-term rental on Airbnb may be stunned by the added costs, such as cleaning fees, service charges and taxes. These tacked-on expenses bump up the nightly tab by an average of 36%, our analysis found. In the markets with the highest fees, the average is 44% to 48%.
Service fees are relatively stable across U.S. markets, but average cleaning fees range from 4% to 20% and taxes from 0% to 20%. Note that in some regions, such as New York and Santa Barbara, California, taxes may be rolled into the price of the rental as they are paid directly by the homeowners and passed along to consumers rather than separated as a line item. In those cases a tax may not be evident but is definitely part of the price customers pay.
In response to requests from customers, Airbnb in December 2022 started rolling out the ability to view the nightly cost of a rental including fees (but excluding taxes). A separate online breakdown includes taxes. The company says that in search results, it now prioritizes the total cost rather than just the nightly rate.
Even with the added fees, Airbnb continues to tout the value that renters enjoy from properties listed on its site.
“When compared to a hotel, Airbnb often provides more space and more amenities: Travelers can get an Airbnb with two bedrooms and two bathrooms for approximately the price of one hotel room at a major chain,” company spokeswoman Cristina Calzadilla said.
Dustin Abney, CEO of Portoro, which manages vacation rentals, praises any effort to add transparency to Airbnb listings so that renters gain a better understanding of how fees are tied to operating expenses.
“Most guests are charged fees when they book a stay, but they don’t know what those fees are actually going toward. Most guests also assume that property managers or hosts are trying to price-gouge them, when this usually is not the case,” Abney said. “In reality, there are many hidden costs that go into running a short-term rental, and these costs fall on property managers to pay.”
Average Airbnb Cleaning Fee Is $32 per Day for a Five-Night Summer 2023 Stay
For some Airbnb renters, “cleaning fee” may be a dirty term. And it’s easy to see why.
Our analysis found that the average cleaning fee is $160 for a five-night stay or $32 per day. The lowest average is $95 in Cleveland and the highest is $313 in Telluride, Colorado.
Cleaning fees let hosts advertise lower nightly rates to be competitive but collect a higher rate in the end. However, customers may be frustrated by the fact that cleaning fees don’t always align with the length of stay. Some even end up paying a cleaning fee that’s higher than their nightly rate for a short visit.
Phoenix (15%), Atlanta (12%) and Orlando (12%) have the highest average cleaning fees as a percentage of the subtotal.
Tracy Lamourie, a publicist who has stayed at Airbnb rentals in the U.S., Canada, France, Malta and other countries, believes it’s “disingenuous” for Airbnb hosts and property managers to charge exorbitant cleaning fees. “I’m old enough to remember when Airbnb was a more wallet-friendly alternative to hotels. That’s only rarely true these days,” she added.
How Common Are Cleaning Fees?
Fortunately, not all properties listed on Airbnb and one of its competitors, Vrbo, charge cleaning fees. In the U.S., 15% of these properties don’t impose a cleaning fee, according to AirDNA, a provider of data about short-term rentals. By contrast, more than half (52%) of the United Kingdom properties advertised on Airbnb and Vrbo don’t assess a cleaning fee.
“Nonetheless, it is true that cleaning fees have gone up,” AirDNA spokeswoman Madeleine Parkin says. “In fact, they’ve increased 28% since 2019 due to a number of factors, including increased cleaning protocols due to Covid-19, higher labor costs, and the preference for larger properties—which are, of course, more work to clean.”
Most Exclusive Airbnb Markets Average Over $1,000 Nightly Rates in Summer 2023
Not surprisingly, it isn’t cheap to rent properties in some of the country’s most luxurious vacation markets.
The Forbes Advisor analysis shows that in two markets—Nantucket, an island off the coast of Massachusetts, and Montauk, a beach community at the east end of New York’s Long Island—daily rates average more than $1,000. In all, daily rates average more than $500 in 18 markets.
With fees included, 33 markets average more than $500 per day and four markets over $1,000 per day. Including fees, Nantucket’s average nightly rate is $1,651.
As for taxes, the markets with the highest rates for Airbnb rentals are Chicago (20%), Memphis, Tennessee (19%), and Atlanta (17%).
Räder, the Hostaway CEO, said that in many cases, Airbnb properties in places like Nantucket and Montauk provide benefits that hotels don’t. This may help account for higher rates in such locales.
“Most vacation rental trips are booked for unique properties in unique locations where there are few hotels and by groups looking for amenities that hotels seldom offer.” he said. “I’ve yet to stay in a hotel offering me a private backyard, a private pool and hot tub, a fire pit and a fully equipped kitchen with an outdoor barbecue.”
Lamourie, the publicist and regular Airbnb renter, echoed Räder’s insight. “I am usually choosing Airbnbs for a unique aspect I wouldn’t get at hotels, and sometimes those benefits can outweigh negativity regarding fees,” she said.
Midwest and Florida Home to the Best-Value Markets on Airbnb During Summer 2023
Looking for the Airbnb properties with the best value? Look at the Midwest and the Sunshine State. Missouri and Ohio account for five of the top 10 value markets, while Florida accounts for three.
So, if you’re hunting for a low-cost Airbnb rental, you might want to expand your search. For instance, if you were plotting a trip to higher-rate, higher-fee Gulf Shores, Alabama, you might change gears and consider a stay in the lower-rate, lower-fee Panama City, Florida.
Bottom Line
To avoid sticker shock, be prepared for added fees when you’re booking a short-term rental. You can, however, ease the impact of fees by being flexible and considering destinations that offer more value.
Furthermore, consider renting an Airbnb property using reward points from a credit card to offset the fees and relying on the best Airbnb credit cards to use this trip to help you earn rewards for your next one.
In the end, some experts maintain that the added Airbnb fees can be worth the extra cost.
“Ten to 20 years ago, it was common to bring your own sheets and towels to a rental and to clean the place to the same standard as it was when you arrived. I personally prefer today’s higher standards,” Räder said. “Our data shows consumers prefer that, too, and are willing to pay the extra cost associated with a full-service stay.”
Methodology
In February 2023, we analyzed more than 32,000 listings in 102 Airbnb markets. The seed list of markets was developed by cross-checking data on total listings, highest occupancy rates, and highest average nightly rates across hundreds of cities.
In each market, we analyzed between 70 and 360 listings, with an average of 322 listings analyzed per market. To gather our data, we searched for properties available from July 14 to July 19, 2023 (five nights), to be occupied by four guests, with no other search parameters other than location.
For each listing, our analysis returned data on nightly rate, service fees, cleaning fees, taxes and star ratings Percentages for service fees and cleaning fees were calculated from a subtotal of only the nightly rate, while tax percentages were calculated from a subtotal that included service and cleaning fees.