Do You Tip Your Airbnb Cleaner? Here’s Why You May Want To…

Picture this: you just spent the last 80 hours on the road, sleeping in your car at different Walmart parking lots. You’re exhausted, dirty, and in dire need of a hot shower and a good night’s sleep. You finally book a place on Airbnb when you notice an empty envelope sitting on the counter, intended for the housekeeper. “Do I tip the Airbnb cleaner?” you think to yourself, but realize you already paid a $50 cleaning fee to book the place.

What should you do?

Whether or not to tip your Airbnb cleaner is a question that many guests and hosts face. After all, you’re paying them for their services, so why should you tip them on top of that?

In this blog post, we’ll discuss the history of tipping and explain why Airbnb cleaners typically get tipped. We’ll also consider how much you should tip your cleaner and whether or not it’s mandatory. By the end of this post, you’ll have a better understanding of the etiquette surrounding tipping Airbnb cleaners.

So, let’s get started!

What Is Tipping, and Why Do people Do It?

Tipping is a practice that is common in many parts of the world, but its origins are actually quite mysterious. There are many theories about why people began tipping, but the most likely explanation is that it started as a way to reward good service.

In ancient Rome, for example, it was common for diners to leave a small coin on their plate if they were happy with the meal. Similarly, in medieval England, it became customary to give a tip to innkeepers and other service workers.

Today, tipping is still seen as a way of showing appreciation for good service, but it has also become a way of making sure that workers receive a fair wage. In many countries, including the United States, tip workers are not paid the minimum wage, so tips make up a significant part of their income.

Why doesn’t the establishment simply pay the worker more per hour, you might ask? Well, that’s a complicated question with no easy answer. In some cases, it’s because the law allows businesses to pay tip workers less than the minimum wage. In other cases, it’s because businesses say they can’t afford to pay their workers more.

Whatever the reason, the reality is that many tip workers rely on tips to make ends meet.

For this reason, it is important to be thoughtful about how much you tip. A general rule of thumb is to tip 10-20% of the total bill, but you may want to tip more or less depending on the level of service you received.

Whether you decide to tip or not, remember that behind every service worker is a human being who deserves to be treated with dignity and respect.

Airbnb’s Living Wage Pledge

When it comes to Airbnb cleaners, it’s important to remember that they are not employees of Airbnb. They are usually independent contractors who work for cleaning companies that have been hired by Airbnb hosts, or they are hired by the host directly.

However, in 2017, Airbnb made a commitment to ensure that all of their service providers (including cleaners) are paid a fair wage. As part of this commitment, they created the Airbnb Living Wage Pledge, which is a set of standards that cleaning companies must meet in order to work with Airbnb.

Under the Airbnb Living Wage Pledge, cleaners must be paid at least $15 an hour (or the equivalent in their local currency) if working under a cleaning agency, or $25 an hour if hired by the host directly. This is significantly higher than the minimum wage in most countries, so it’s safe to say that Airbnb cleaners are fairly compensated for their work.

However, this doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t tip your cleaner. Tipping is still a common practice, and it’s a great way to show your appreciation for a job well done.

How Much Hosts Tip Airbnb Cleaners

When booking an Airbnb, the guest is typically charged a cleaning fee. This fee goes towards the cost of cleaning the rental unit between guests.

The amount of the cleaning fee varies from rental to rental, but it is generally around $50-100. Some hosts choose to tip their cleaner out of this fee, while others add an additional tip on top of the cleaning fee.

Because the Airbnb cleaner is already paid a living wage, hosts generally do not feel the need to tip as generously as they would for other service workers. However, if you’ve been hosting for a while then you probably know just how difficult it is to find good, reliable cleaners.

This is why hosts may want to consider tipping their cleaner a little extra, especially if they have been doing a great job. Not only will it help retain good cleaners, but it will also encourage your cleaner to go the extra mile due to the Law of Reciprocity, which is the psychological principle that says people are more likely to do something for you if you’ve done something for them first.

A good rule of thumb is to tip $20-30 for a job well done. This may seem like a lot, but remember that it’s coming out of the cleaning fee that the guest has already paid.

In our experience, the best way to offer extra tips is by tying it to incentives, explained below.

Tipping For Incentives

Incentivized tipping is when hosts offer their cleaners a bonus for meeting certain criteria, such as cleaning the rental unit to a high standard or leaving it in tip-top shape for the next guest.

This is an effective way to get your cleaner to go the extra mile and receive better service. However, if you do this too often then the cleaner can start expecting a tip every time they do a good job and may even start lowering their standards, which can get expensive.

One way of creating a performance based incentive is by tipping an additional amount for each five-star review the rental unit receives in the “Cleanliness” category, or if the guest mentions how clean the place was in their review. This way, the cleaner knows that they will only receive a tip if they do a good enough job to warrant a five-star review from the guest.

How Much Guests Tip Airbnb Cleaners

If you’re a guest, your story is a little different. When you book an Airbnb, the host is responsible for hiring a cleaner and ensuring that the rental unit is clean prior to your arrival.

As a guest, you are not typically expected to tip the Airbnb cleaner. This is particularly true if you paid a cleaning fee for the booking, as the fee should already cover the cost of cleaning.

However, some hosts don’t charge a cleaning fee or they include it in the booking fee in order to get your booking, which means that the cleaner is being paid entirely out of the host’s own pocket. In this case, you may want to consider leaving a tip for the cleaner, since they may not be getting paid a living wage.

A good rule of thumb is to tip $10-20, or the equivalent in your local currency. This will show your appreciation for a job well done, and it may even help the host retain good cleaners.

Final Thoughts

Tipping your Airbnb cleaner is a great way to show your appreciation for a job well done. Not only will it help retain good cleaners, but it can also encourage them to go the extra mile, especially if you tie it to incentives.

If you’re a guest, you are not typically expected to tip the Airbnb cleaner, even if the host has chosen not to charge a cleaning fee. However, that might mean the cleaner isn’t getting paid a living wage. In this case, a tip of $10-20 is appreciated.

Do you tip your Airbnb cleaner? Let us know in the comments below!