Jan 2
Local Airbnb owner charges $250 cleaning fee; asks guests to clean before they leave
One local Airbnb owner is getting pushback for what some say is an exorbitant — and perhaps even ironic — charge on their already inflated nightly guest rate: a $250 cleaning fee.
Renee and Douglas Furtree were scheduled guests at the “The Zenner Den Cabin Experience” this past week. The couple, residents of Santa Barbara, say they did what any responsible Airbnb guests would do when they arrived at their carefully chosen Big Bear location: they took a moment to review the lengthy guest check-in/check-out instructions. It was then that they got the surprise of a lifetime.
“They literally wanted us to prep the place for the next guest!” Renee says. “Plowing snow, putting chocolates on pillows, gathering wood. Like — am I on Candid Camera right now? This is not the ‘Cabin Experience’ I signed up for!”
A partial list of the actual instructions appears below:
The Furtrees say they immediately attempted to call the owner for clarification on the cleaning fee but were told that if they canceled their reservation, they’d lose 100% of payment. They told Big Bear Outsider they felt like indentured servants — lured by the forest, then put to work in the trees.
“They probably won’t even hire a cleaner when we leave,” Renee says. “Who am I kidding, WE WERE THE CLEANERS!”(Shaking head.) “We were almost late checking out because it took so long to complete their check-out requirements. Do you have any idea how long it takes to plow a driveway?”
The owner of the Zenner Den Experience issued an email indicating it is common practice to request guests to “clean up after themselves” after every stay. They continued to explain that because they live in Huntington Beach, it would be impossible to make it up the mountain to prep the cabin for every guest. Besides that, they’re barely making their mortgage charging $300/night on their cabin because they bought it when the market was high.
“We need to get the money back somehow,” the owner said (speaking on condition of anonymity). “Honestly, those Furbees are lucky the cleaning fee was only $250. We had talked about making it $275 just to get some wiggle room. It’s a holiday week, for God’s sake! What do they expect?”
Editor’s note: There is literally nothing you can do about the charges or check-out instructions issued by private STR owners. Be sure to request a copy of all owner rules before booking your stay to ensure they are reasonable. Or, book a hotel/motel to avoid the drama altogether.
