Pricing Turnovers: Per Clean, Per Hour or Per Bedroom

Pricing a turnover looks easy until the first month of invoices. The quote covered the cleaning, but not the drive, the laundry run or the bin liners. This page walks through three ways to charge and the costs that tend to go missing.

Three ways to charge

Per clean. One fixed price for each turnover at a property. The host knows the cost in advance. You carry the risk if a guest leaves a mess.

Per hour. You charge for the time you're there. It's fair when the work varies, but hosts may worry about the clock running. Business.gov.au says people who earn money by doing work for customers "often use this method", and that you should "Calculate all business costs at an hourly rate"¹. The costs it lists are wages, superannuation, leave entitlements and taxes¹.

Per bedroom. A set price by the number of bedrooms, perhaps with a bathroom add-on. It's easy to explain on a price list. It can miss a big living area or an extra-large kitchen, so many cleaners add a note about when the price changes.

Which should you pick? The diagram below is a prompt.

It's not a rule, not a rule. You can also mix styles, such as a per-clean price with an hourly rate for extras.

Start from your own costs

Business.gov.au describes cost-plus pricing this way: "Calculate the total cost of making and supplying your product or service" and then add a mark-up or margin¹. It says to include materials, labour, overheads and taxes, including GST¹.

For a turnover business, those headings can hold a lot. Under materials, think of cloths, sprays, bin liners and the soap or toilet paper you leave behind. Under labour, think of your own time as well as anyone you pay. Overheads include insurance, phone, software and the car.

The most useful input is real time. Time several turnovers at the same property, as the process page suggests, before you quote.

Costs that get missed

• Travel between jobs. Driving time is unpaid unless the price covers it.
• Laundry. Washing, drying, folding and carrying take time, even if a machine does the washing. The linen page breaks down the options.
• Consumables you restock. If you buy them for the host, add the cost.
• Cancelled or short-notice bookings. If a booking drops off the calendar, you may still have set the day aside.
• Insurance. Business.gov.au lists "public liability insurance, which some states and territories need for certain occupations" and "workers compensation insurance, if you have employees" among the covers you may need by law². It also says to get professional advice on which ones apply².
• Admin. Invoicing, messaging hosts and keeping records are part of the job.

GST

If your business is below the threshold, you don't have to register. The ATO says registration is needed when a business "has a GST turnover (gross income from all businesses minus GST) of $75,000 or more"³. Once you're required to register, "you need to do so within 21 days"³. Check the ATO's page for the full rules and for how turnover is worked out, because your situation may differ.

Wages if you take on staff

If you employ cleaners, an award may set minimum pay. The Fair Work Ombudsman says its Cleaning Award covers examples such as "house and apartment cleaners employed by a contract cleaning business"⁴. The same page says the information is "general in nature"⁴. Use the Fair Work Ombudsman's pay tools or call its Infoline to check pay for your own staff. This site can't tell you what to pay.

Cleaning fees and what they mean

Hosts can add a cleaning fee to what guests pay. Airbnb's page on damage cover says such fees "are meant to cover expected costs"⁵. That fits the idea of a standard turnover with a fixed list of tasks. Extra work, such as removing a stain, is a separate matter and should have its own price in your agreement. The scope page explains how to write that down.

Check your price against the market

Business.gov.au says to use competitors' prices "as a guide" and not copy them exactly¹. Ask two or three local cleaners or property managers what they pay. Don't agree prices with other cleaners. The same page lists price fixing among the practices that are illegal¹.

Review the price

Business.gov.au says to "review your prices at least once a year" or when costs change¹. Put a review date in your calendar, and tell hosts about increases in writing, with notice.