Vacation rentals often seem like great deals with their low nightly rates—until you reach the checkout page and find the price nearly doubles due to added cleaning fees, taxes, and other charges. Unfortunately, some cities are much worse than others when it comes to gouging renters with hefty fees.
To highlight this issue, real estate website KeyCrew analyzed Airbnb listings in 84 cities to identify the worst offenders. Columbia, South Carolina, stands out with the highest fees in the nation, with service fees and cleaning charges adding an extra 40.78 percent to the total cost. For example, a five-night stay priced at $505 will add an additional $207 in fees.
On average, across all cities in the U.S. that were surveyed, the combined service and cleaning fees for a five-night stay amount to about $250.
If you’re looking to minimize fees, consider booking a vacation rental in California, where you’ll find the lowest Airbnb fees as a percentage of the total cost. In Santa Rosa, for example, fees will add on an extra 22.16 percent. However, keep in mind that rental prices in California tend to be higher overall, so you’ll still end up paying quite a bit in fees.
The Worst Cities for Airbnb Fees
| City | State | Average Service Fee | Average Cleaning Fee | Rental Price Per Night | Rental Price 5 Nights (net of fees + taxes) | Fees as % of Rental Price For 5 Nights |
| Columbia | South Carolina | $114 | $93 | $101 | $507 | 40.78% |
| Cape Coral | Florida | $266 | $210 | $234 | $1,172 | 40.67% |
| Clearwater | Florida | $113 | $87 | $99 | $494 | 40.61% |
| Phoenix | Arizona | $125 | $93 | $110 | $549 | 39.79% |
| Scottsdale | Arizona | $179 | $139 | $160 | $798 | 39.73% |
| Honolulu | Hawaii | $171 | $129 | $151 | $754 | 39.73% |
| San Antonio | Texas | $143 | $108 | $126 | $632 | 39.72% |
| Las Vegas | Nevada | $127 | $96 | $114 | $569 | 39.18% |
| Wilmington | North Carolina | $142 | $104 | $126 | $628 | 39.14% |
| Houston | Texas | $93 | $70 | $83 | $416 | 39.12% |
| Baltimore | Maryland | $97 | $67 | $84 | $419 | 39.10% |
| Colorado Springs | Colorado | $124 | $103 | $116 | $581 | 39.03% |
| Raleigh | North Carolina | $127 | $87 | $110 | $548 | 38.98% |
| El Paso | Texas | $97 | $70 | $86 | $431 | 38.95% |
| Detroit | Michigan | $122 | $84 | $106 | $530 | 38.92% |
| Virginia Beach | Virginia | $158 | $121 | $143 | $717 | 38.91% |
| Cleveland | Ohio | $109 | $77 | $96 | $479 | 38.79% |
| Jacksonville | Florida | $140 | $103 | $125 | $627 | 38.75% |
| Atlanta | Georgia | $108 | $81 | $98 | $490 | 38.61% |
| Vancouver | Washington | $131 | $89 | $114 | $570 | 38.52% |
The Cities With the Lowest Airbnb Fees
| City | State | Average Service Fee | Average Cleaning Fee | Rental Price Per Night | Rental Price 5 Nights (net of fees + taxes) | Fees as % of Rental Price For 5 Nights |
| Temecula | California | $306 | $175 | $370 | $1,851 | 25.98% |
| San Francisco | California | $129 | $77 | $161 | $806 | 25.55% |
| San Diego | California | $141 | $90 | $181 | $906 | 25.50% |
| Santa Monica | California | $174 | $89 | $217 | $1,086 | 24.17% |
| Huntington Beach | California | $194 | $132 | $275 | $1,374 | 23.74% |
| Napa | California | $338 | $135 | $408 | $2,040 | 23.19% |
| Santa Rosa | California | $211 | $117 | $296 | $1,481 | 22.16% |
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