What cleaning fee should I charge for a short-term rental in Virginia?

There is no single right cleaning fee for a Virginia short-term rental. The fee that works is the one that covers what a turnover actually costs you: the cleaner's price for your unit, laundry, supplies and restocking, and your own time managing it. Build it from those numbers, then remember two rules that change how the fee behaves. A required cleaning fee has to be included in the total price guests see, and Virginia treats charges made in connection with a stay as part of the taxable room charge.

Build the fee from one turnover

Start with a written per-turnover quote. Ask two or three cleaners to price your exact unit: the number of bedrooms and bathrooms, how many beds get made, whether they do the laundry, whether they restock, and the checklist you expect, such as what should be cleaned between guests. A flat per-turnover price is easier to plan around than an hourly one.

If you employ a cleaner directly rather than hiring a business, wages are your floor. From January 1, 2026, until January 1, 2027, Virginia's minimum wage is $12.77 per hour,^[7] and it rises to $13.75 on January 1, 2027.^[7] Cleaners who run their own business set their own rates, so the quotes you collect are the better guide.

Then add what the quote leaves out:

• Laundry. Count the sheets, pillowcases, duvet covers, bath towels, hand towels, washcloths, bath mats and kitchen towels a full stay uses. Whoever washes them, it is water, power, detergent, time and the wear that has you replacing linens. If laundry is done on site, the U.S. Fire Administration's advice is to clean the lint filter before and after each cycle,^[8] which is part of the time.
• Supplies and restocking. Cleaning products, trash bags, toilet paper, paper towels, hand and dish soap, coffee and anything else the listing promises.
• Management time. Scheduling, checking photos, handling damage reports, and covering when a cleaner cancels on a same-day turnover.
• Extras. Hot tubs, pets, extra beds, very late checkouts and heavy messes cost more. Price them separately rather than raising the base fee for everyone.

What to ask for in a written quote

A turnover quote you can compare should say:

• The flat price per turnover, and whether it changes with the number of guests or beds made.
• Whether laundry, restocking and trash removal are included.
• Whether photos and a damage or supply report come with each visit.
• The price for a same-day turnover, a heavy clean, and a deep clean, listed separately.
• Who supplies products and equipment, and the cancellation terms on both sides.

How much house cleaning costs in Virginia explains what drives cleaning prices more generally.

The fee is part of your price

A cleaning fee is no longer something you can tuck in at the end. The federal Rule on Unfair or Deceptive Fees lists short-term lodging, including temporary sleeping accommodations at a hotel, motel, inn, short-term rental, vacation rental, or other place of lodging,^[1] among the things it covers. It is a violation for any business to offer, display, or advertise any price of a covered good or service without clearly and conspicuously disclosing the total price.^[1] Total price means the maximum total of all fees or charges a consumer must pay,^[1] though government charges, shipping charges and optional extras may be left out.^[1] The rule also makes it unfair and deceptive to misrepresent any fee or charge, including its nature, purpose, amount or refundability.^[1]

In practice, a mandatory cleaning fee belongs in the headline total. That has a pricing effect worth thinking about: on a two-night stay, a large fee makes the total look high next to similar listings. Some hosts handle that with a minimum stay, or by folding part of the cleaning cost into the nightly rate. Calling a charge a cleaning fee when it covers something else is the kind of misrepresentation the rule targets, so keep the fee tied to cleaning.

How the fee is taxed in Virginia

Virginia's sales tax law defines accommodations to include a short-term rental.^[3] Its regulation for lodging says: "Any additional charges made in connection with the rental of a room or other lodging or accommodations are deemed to be a part of the charge for the room and are subject to the tax".^[2] Local lodging tax works the same way: under Virginia Code, a county transient occupancy tax is imposed on the total price paid by the customer for the use or possession of the room or space,^[4] for rooms rented for fewer than 30 consecutive days.^[4]

Rates vary by locality. When we checked on October 27, 2026, Fairfax County listed its total transient occupancy tax as 9%,^[5] or 5% for businesses in the Towns of Clifton, Herndon and Vienna,^[5] based on gross receipts for all accommodations facilitated.^[5] The county also notes that "Third-party accommodation intermediaries are responsible for filing and paying local lodging taxes in Virginia".^[5] Ask your own county or city commissioner of the revenue what applies to bookings you take directly.

Registration is a cost too

Under Virginia Code, any Virginia locality may set up a short-term rental registry and require operators to register annually.^[6] The locality may charge a reasonable fee for such registration related to the actual costs of establishing and maintaining the registry,^[6] and its ordinance may include a penalty not to exceed $500 per violation^[6] for an unregistered rental. Count any registration fee and business licence in your yearly costs; they are overhead, not part of a cleaning fee.

Stop and call a pro if

• You are unsure how sales or lodging tax applies to your listing. Ask Virginia Tax, your commissioner of the revenue or a tax professional before you set prices around it.
• A stay leaves stains, odors or damage beyond a normal turnover. Get a quote for a deep clean or carpet cleaning rather than absorbing it in the regular fee.
• A guest leaves signs of bed bugs, sewage or other biohazards. That is pest control or specialist cleanup, priced on its own.

Getting help

Compare cleaners on short-term rental cleaning, see cleaning businesses near Blacksburg, or read more cleaning answers. To collect written per-turnover quotes, describe your rental on Loclis.