We rent condos from a couple of property management companies in Hawaii. Never ever we were asked to strip the bed or do any fridge cleaning or any of that other nonsense. We do take the trash out, load the dishwasher, and make sure there is nothing in the fridge that has been open, but they don’t require this. The property management co has ample supplies of towels and linens (the extras are stored in the condo and are professionally laundered). The cleaning fee more than covers a few hours of cleaners, and I’d rather have that than have to sleep on sheets that some previous renter washed using stinky Tide. 
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Great outcome. We had credit for United that was expiring and my md write a letter telling the airlines she didn’t want me to fly during during Covid pandemic due to high risk to me. United canceled my credits and reissued me new ones that had another 2 year expiration date. United also extended my silver status an extra year, even though we haven’t flown anywhere since 2019!
Getting cash would have been even better, but we were pretty hsppy.
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Every Airbnb and VRBO I’ve stayed in (worldwide) has been different regarding their requests. We’ve had some where they ask us to run the last load of dishes in the dishwasher; some where they ask us to strip the bed(s), put them near/in the washer (or in the case of one, in the bathtub - no washer on site). In a multibedroom home/condo/apartment, the cleaning crew has to clean the entire unit, strip all the linen, and start fresh, as they have no idea who slept where, or touched/didn’t touch. I don’t mind doing the last bit of tidying (I’m a tidy person, and even more so when I travel as I’m also a bit OC and need to know where my things are, just as I do at home – keys, purse always in the same place, etc.). We are also travelers who text through the apps when we’re checking out, and we have asked for (and been granted) early entry. The cleaning fees can be very high, but if I’ve stayed someplace a week-10 days, it’s pretty reasonable. Every location I’ve stayed has had extra linens tucked away (sheets as well as towels).
I’m actually currently scouring Airbnb for 2 overnight stays - one in Paso Robles and another in Sonora (California) as my best friend and I decided on a 2 day white water rafting trip to celebrate my upcoming birthday and along the way we’ll stop to see the Bruce Munro art exhibit Sensorio.
I used to only look at VRBO, but lately my Airbnb experiences have been wonderful.
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Thanks but no thanks, this is one reason I only stay at hotels now. We don’t even cook when we travel. It’s time for my husband and I to really have a break.
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The beach house rental we have this summer with the kids and grandkids has a $450 cleaning fee. For that amount, I don’t plan on doing anything more than I would normally do at home. This means wet towels will be left on the laundry room floor, dishwasher loaded and trash out.
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I don’t mind cooking on vacation, especially making breakfast, because restaurant breakfast food can be too greasy or too sweet for my tastes and usually is too expensive for what you get! But I refuse to do any linen laundry or major cleaning.
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All the AirBNBs and VRBOs we’ve stayed at have had different rules. I believe only a couple asked us to RUN the washer. The one I worried about the most was the one that said, “Do not strip the beds.” 
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We have stayed in AirBnb’s a fair amount, and have had only one ask that sheets and towels be washed and beds remade prior to 10 am check-out. It turned out to be a super hassle because we were traveling with teens and had to get them up early to get this done before we left, which they were NOT happy about. I have no issue stripping the beds and even starting the washer, but having to wait for all the linens to be washed and dried thoroughly is a huge waste of time on check-out day and I will avoid it in the future if possible. I would honestly rather bring my own linens (if we are driving) like we do when renting at the Jersey shore.
To answer your question, though - if I know that is their policy and I still choose to book, I would absolutely comply with the request.
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I wouldn’t worry about this. I don’t get asked to strip the bed in hotels, after all. You’d know right away if the linens were used.
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$450 cleaning fee?! Wow.
We rent a place in Ocean City New Jersey for a week each year. It’s done through a rental agency. We have to bring our own linens…all of them. They do ask us to run the dishwasher as we are leaving. The hosts are very nice, and do ask that we send them a text telling them when we are leaving. We usually just hit the 10:00 check out time, but we do let them know.
We recently stayed at an Airbnb. There was a locked closet there…I’m guessing that had the second set of towels, sheets and blankets in it, as well as cleaning products. All they asked us to do was take the sheets off the bed and leave them on the floor.
If they had asked us to wash the sheets, I would have done so. We got up pretty early the morning we were leaving anyway. It would not have been a problem.
If you had used all four bedrooms (and bathrooms), I’d guess you wouldn’t even be able to fit all the linens in the washer. Are you then supposed to do multiple loads before you check out?
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Thanks for all your thoughts about the sheet washing.
The rental is actually through VRBO and an old family cottage kind of place – they don’t have multiple units so that it makes sense to use a laundry service or the like.
Since it is within an easy drive for us, I also would prefer to take my own sheets rather than do laundry there.
I don’t agree that if it is in the description, one should simply comply. Those renting can’t assume everyone reads every word of a property description.
If they are serious about renters doing these chores, they should require the renter to review and sign a contract – this is actually something we did for a property last spring, which again was an exceptional oceanfront cottage which had been in the family for generations.
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Finding people to clean in a vacation area is not an easy thing to do. You are asking people to give up a weekend day to clean for 6 hours.
$450 cleaning fee, big house. If there is a crew that’s 3 or 4 people who work hard. The company that supplies the crew is taking a 40% cut, 3 people, 6 hours that’s $15 an hour. (That’s my understanding of how these things work).
I live in a vacation area. I wouldn’t give up my weekend for less than a $100. I cleaned a cottage once as a favor. It was hot and physical, there are better ways to make money imo.
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We are going to have to pay for electricity surcharge for AC in Italy. D1 said, “would you prefer no AC?” We are also going to pay for midweek cleaning because none of us feel like cleaning while we are on vacation.
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What I appreciate most is AIRBNB hosts that make it very clear what you are expected to do. We have never had a problem tidying up - a place with space is so enjoyable to us over a hotel that we are happy to chip in a bit and it’s never been that cumbersome.
Give me a step by step of what we have had to do and I’m fine!
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Does anyone actually believe that any Airbnb rental is “cleaned” for 6 hours between guests? If that were the case, the unit would have to be off the market for a day for cleaning.
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We always read what we are expected to do and try to comply as we are leaving. If we are leaving very early, and now how to indicate such, we will. For example, we just went to Hawaii in Feb. I have the cleaning lady’s cell number, so I texted her we had an early flight. Her response was something like “thanks for letting me know. We may get an early start.”
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Since we are talking about what we do when we leave rental places… I will look for people we can give food and drinks to as we are leaving. When we moved between islands, a couple with kids was very happy to have our popsicles, other totally unopened stuff, and when asked, said sure they’d take our 30 buck bottle of liquor that had very little gone. I would much rather stuff get used than throw it away.
When we go to Grand Cayman we know people in the dive shop are happy to get anything you’re giving away as you leave. “Milk and cereal… heck yeah” was one response we got.
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We do the same. What we can’t give away that’s still good we leave either on the table or in the fridge with a note to the cleaning lady that it’s all theirs if they want it, chuck it if they don’t. The couple times we’ve heard feedback they’ve been happy to get it. What we leave is stuff we didn’t use - condiments, drinks, spices, bread, etc. It’s not like we’re leaving yesterday’s leftovers that we half ate.
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