STR Cleaning Cost %

It shows how much of each booking dollar pays for cleaners, laundry, and supplies between guests.

Formal definition

Cleaning cost percentage equals total cleaning and turnover spend divided by gross short-term rental revenue, expressed as a percentage.

Why it matters

Turnover costs scale with bookings; if cleaning exceeds about 15% of revenue, net yield collapses even at high nightly rates.

Where you see it

• Airbnb host P&L spreadsheets
• Property manager fee proposals
• STR investment pro formas
• Vacation rental podcasts
• Hospitality ops courses

Worked example

1. Gross STR revenue: $60,000.
2. Cleaning spend: $7,200.
3. Cleaning % = ($7,200 ÷ $60,000) × 100 = 12%.
4. Interpretation: 12¢ of each dollar covers turnover — within a healthy band.

How Business metrics calculates it

Cleaning spend ÷ Revenue × 100.

The range we use for status labels

On Business metrics, the status band for this KPI is roughly 0 to 15. Lower values are generally healthier in this band. Your niche can sit outside it honestly — the label is a prompt to read the coaching, not a certificate.

Where people fool themselves

Cleaning % on a 30-day stay vs. a 2-night stay should not be compared as a moral score. Short stays cost more per dollar of payout. Change minimum stay before you fire the cleaners.

Run it on your own numbers: the Short-Term Rental calculator.