Q4 2021 National Cleaning Cost Data from Turno
Inflation seems to be a common topic of discussion nowadays, with the prices of everything from gasoline to groceries steadily increasing.
For vacation rental hosts, the elevated costs of maintaining your property are likely top of mind. You may be wondering how much more revenue you’ll have to set aside for things like keeping your Airbnb essentials stocked and professional cleanings in between guests.
Now more than ever, it’s essential to stay updated on the average costs of cleaning for vacation rentals. Anticipating these expenses can help you determine how much to price your listing and can mean the difference between growing your Airbnb business and breaking even.
Below, we’ll discuss the national average cleaning costs for 1-, 2-, and 3-bedroom short-term rentals. The infographics depict data based on completed projects on Turno’s vacation rental cleaning platform between October 1, 2021, and December 31, 2021.
1-Bedroom Average Cleaning Cost
During Q4 2021, the national average cost of cleaning for a 1-bedroom property was $60.68. There was an 18.31% increase in cleaning costs compared to the previous year during the same timeframe.
Just as there were heightened average cleaning costs from Q4 2020 to Q4 2021, individual states also saw substantial increases in cleaning expenses. Below, find the states with the highest and lowest average vacation rental cleaning costs for a 1-bedroom home.
Highest cleaning costs:
- Connecticut – $97.50
- New Jersey – $88.97
- Hawaii – $83.27
Lowest cleaning costs:
- Nevada – $42.32
- Wisconsin – $41.50
- Kentucky – $38.52
In contrast, the state with the highest average cleaning cost in Q4 2020 was New Jersey at $82.38. New Mexico had the lowest cost during that quarter, averaging $38.69 per cleaning service.
2-Bedroom Average Cleaning Cost
The average cleaning cost for 2-bedroom properties nationwide was $78.58 in Q4 2021. This equates to a 12.55% increase from the average cost in Q4 2020, which was $69.82.
The states with the highest and lowest average cleaning costs are listed below.
Highest cleaning costs:
- Hawaii – $149.67
- Maryland – $109.39
- New Jersey – $102.28
Lowest cleaning costs:
- Oklahoma – $55.91
- Kentucky – $55.08
- Wisconsin – $54.25
Looking at the highest and lowest average costs by state in Q4 2020, New Jersey was the most costly at $131.45, and Idaho had the lowest cost at $46.60.
3-Bedroom Average Cleaning Cost
Compared to Q4 2020, the average cleaning cost for a 3-bedroom home increased by 6.32% in Q4 2021. The average cost during the final quarter of 2021 was $106.49, while the average during the same time period in 2020 was $100.16.
Highest cleaning costs:
- Hawaii – $225.04
- Delaware – $198.16
- Washington – $148.13
Lowest cleaning costs:
- Kansas – $72.67
- Kentucky – $68.94
- Mississippi – $65.03
Turno data from Q4 2020 indicates that the state with the highest average was Washington at $160.96. Similarly, the state with the lowest average was New Mexico at $63.18.
Will Vacation Rental Cleaning Costs Continue to Rise?
According to Senior Research Analyst at Skift Research, Seth Borko, the travel industry may benefit from the current inflated state of the economy. This inflation signals that demand for travel is coming back, which means that airfare, lodging, and other travel companies can start re-establishing pricing power.
“The recent rebound in travel inflation is ‘good’ inflation that indicates that demand is returning and travel companies may soon be able to rebuild pricing power.” – Seth Borko
That said, the labor shortage and increased cost of labor are proving to be challenges for large travel companies and small short-term rental businesses alike.
Amazon grew dramatically in 2020 and 2021 during the height of the pandemic. In turn, the company hired hundreds of thousands of individuals, offering desirable pay and benefits. This means that workers in other sectors are looking for similar compensation — but many smaller businesses are unable to match it.
In short, workers are seeking higher pay, which means that vacation rental hosts will generally have to pay more for professional cleaning services.
It’s unknown whether these increasing cleaning costs will slow down or halt any time soon. Given the historic trends, however, and as the pandemic eases, it’s reasonable to expect these costs to continue to rise for the time being.
What Does This Mean for Your Short-Term Rental?
Data compiled by Business.org shows that over 90% of small business owners experienced an increase in the costs of supplies and services needed to run their businesses.
If you’re a vacation rental host, you’ve likely noticed this firsthand. Not only is it more costly to hire professional cleaners, but the price of essentials, such as toilet paper and basic cooking supplies, has also risen. In other words, it costs more money to manage and maintain a short-term rental.
What can you do to combat this issue? One solution is to list your property at a higher price. You can also increase how frequently you host. Both options, however, will require you to be more strategic and zealous in how you market and optimize your short-term rental listing for online search.
Investing more time and energy into gaining new customers will only be sustainable if you simplify and automate other aspects of your business. Learn how Turno can help you put your vacation rental on autopilot so you can focus on the important things — like growing your business.
