💰 FK: Cleaning and Service Fees

Essential Budgeting: Your Guide to Cleaning and Service Fees

You find a beautiful rental with a great nightly rate, but the final price includes extra charges for a “Service Fee” and a “Cleaning Fee.” Understanding these charges is crucial for smart budgeting and demystifying the total cost. The final breakdown, including all cleaning and service fees, is necessary to compare value. Being prepared for these cleaning and service fees prevents budget shocks.

Here is a clear guide to demystifying the price breakdown.

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1. The Staivo Service Fee: The Cost of Community

The Service Fee is charged by the platform (like Staivo) to the guest. It’s usually calculated as a percentage of the subtotal (nightly rate plus cleaning fee).

What the Fee Pays For:

• 24/7 Customer Support: Having a dedicated team available to assist you if check-in goes wrong, if an emergency happens, or if there is a dispute with a host.
• Platform Operations: The cost of running the website, apps, secure payment processing, and calendar management.
• Trust and Safety: A portion goes towards protecting the community through host and guest verification, insurance programs, and fraud prevention.

Key Takeaway: The Service Fee is non-negotiable and standard across the platform. It’s the cost of booking through a secure, supported platform rather than directly with an individual host.

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2. The Cleaning Fee: Ensuring a 5-Star Experience

The Cleaning Fee is set and collected by the host. Its purpose is to cover the direct costs of getting the property ready for your arrival.

What the Fee Pays For:

• Professional Turnover: Paying a professional cleaning crew or staff to sanitize the space between guests.
• Linens and Laundry: The cost of washing and drying all sheets, duvet covers, and towels.
• Supplies and Restocking: Paying for soap, toilet paper, paper towels, and other consumables you use during your stay.

Important Note: A high cleaning fee doesn’t necessarily mean the host is trying to profit. It usually reflects the actual cost of a quality, professional turnover—especially for large homes that require many hours of work.

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3. The Smart Budgeting Secret: Total Nightly Price

The most common mistake travelers make is only looking at the Base Nightly Rate. To compare listings fairly, you need to look at the Total Nightly Price.

The Formula:

➡️ Example: Comparing Two Listings

Listing	Nightly Rate	Cleaning Fee	Service Fee/Taxes	Total Cost for 5 Nights	Total Nightly Price
A	$100	$150 (High)	$50	$700	$140
B	$120	$50 (Low)	$60	$710	$142

Conclusion: Even though Listing A had a higher cleaning fee, its lower nightly rate made it cheaper overall! Always look at the final cost and divide by your number of nights.

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⭐ Your Takeaway

The shorter your stay, the more the fixed fees (like the Cleaning Fee) impact your Total Nightly Price. If you plan to stay for five nights or more, those fees are spread out, making them less noticeable but at staivo, we did the maths and included it in a smart way as part of the rental price so you don’t have to pay heavy while still delivering the most highly competitive price you can ever have anywhere else.

Always look at the final price breakdown before confirming your booking—it’s the clearest way to compare value and stay within your budget!