Cleaning fees and extras: how should I charge them for a vacation rental?

Cleaning fees and additional services (linen, cot, pet, breakfast, firewood, etc.) are charged using the method that reflects their real cost: a flat amount per stay for the end-of-stay clean, an amount per night, per person or per person per night for the rest. The key is to state clearly, before payment, the mandatory fees and the price of the options. In GDA Kraft Booking, these items are created as services (also called extras) and are added automatically to the calculated price.

What is an extra?

An extra is a line added to the price of the nights. It can be:

• mandatory: added automatically to every booking (for example the end-of-stay clean);
• optional: offered to the guest, who ticks it or not in the form (for example a cot).

You create an extra in the accommodation's "Services" tab ("Services, fees and taxes"): name, "Fee / service", calculation "Per stay", "Per night", "Per guest" or "Percentage", "Amount", "Mandatory" and "Included in the price" boxes, then "Add". The "Per person per night" calculation (breakfast) is chosen in Kraft Console › "Rates". The procedure is described in Seasons and rates. This article is about choosing the calculation method and the amount.

Which calculation method for which service?

The right calculation method is the one that follows the way the cost varies.

A fictional calculation example: 4 people, 5 nights, mandatory cleaning and breakfast chosen.

Mandatory or optional?

Make mandatory what every guest necessarily uses: in practice, the end-of-stay clean if you do not give guests the option of doing it themselves. Everything else is better as an option.

Two questions to ask yourself:

1. Can the guest reasonably do without it? If so, offer it as an option.
2. Is the cost the same for everyone? If so, you can also include it in the nightly price and remove the line.

Should cleaning be included in the nightly price?

Both approaches can be defended:

If your stays are short (one to three nights), including it avoids the surprise effect. If your stays are long, a per-stay extra is fairer. A suitable minimum stay also limits the weight of cleaning on very short stays (see Minimum stay and orphan nights).

How do I stay transparent about price?

A price that goes up at every step puts guests off and fuels complaints. A few rules:

• State mandatory fees on the property page: “€120 a night, end-of-stay clean €80”.
• Name extras clearly: “Bed linen and towels (per person)” rather than “Comfort pack”.
• Do not charge twice for the same thing: if linen is included, do not create a mandatory linen extra.
• Show the total: GDA Kraft Booking displays the line-by-line breakdown (nights, extras, tourist tax, service fee where applicable) before confirmation.

How do extras appear on the invoice?

Each extra appears on a separate line of the invoice issued from the booking. The applicable VAT rate may differ depending on the service and your status: have your invoicing settings checked by your accountant, as recommended in Guest portal and invoices. The tourist tax, where it applies, always stays on a separate line (for France, see How do I calculate the French tourist tax?).

GDA Kraft Booking is the booking plugin published by Global Digital Agency; its extras are available for each accommodation, which allows different prices from one property to another.

Frequently asked questions

Can I charge cleaning only for short stays?

The cleaning extra applies according to the chosen method, with no condition on length. To lighten long stays, build the equivalent into a length-of-stay discount instead (Kraft Booking › Promotions), and check the result in the "Quote simulator" in Kraft Console › "Rates".

Can an optional extra be added after booking?

The guest chooses their extras in the booking form. For a later request, agree it with them and record the corresponding payment; an offline payment recorded manually carries no service fee.

Are extras included in the deposit?

Yes. The deposit is a percentage of the stay total, services included (as well as taxes and the service fee). The "Quote simulator" in Kraft Console › "Rates" shows the split between deposit and balance for mandatory services; for an optional service, make a test booking.

Can I offer a service unrelated to the property, such as a massage?

A massage or a service at a set time belongs instead in the plugin's appointment mode, which handles slots and staff members. See Accommodation or appointments: which mode should I choose?.