Cleaning agency vs independent cleaner for Airbnb: what I actually pay per turnover across four properties

How I got to this comparison

When I listed my first Edinburgh property, I didn't know any independent cleaners in the city. So I went through an agency. Dedicated STR cleaning team, handled all the turnover booking, charged £90 per turnover for a 2-bed. That sounded manageable until I actually ran the numbers.

At 87 turnovers a year, I was paying £7,830/year just in agency cleaning fees. About £640/month. They were reliable — I'll give them that. But the cost was a significant drag, and I had no ability to negotiate because they were the single point of supply.

The switch to independent

A host in the Edinburgh STR Facebook group pointed me towards a woman who'd been cleaning short-term lets in the Old Town for years. She and her sister operate as a two-person team and charged £65 for the same 2-bed.

That's a saving of £25 per turnover. Across 87 turnovers a year, that's £2,175/year. On one property. The switch was not seamless — but it wasn't a disaster either.

What you give up going independent

Independence on my side means dependency on theirs. You're reliant on one or two people. When they take a holiday, get ill, or have a bad morning and can't make a turnover, it's your problem to solve.

My Edinburgh cleaner took a two-week holiday in June without much notice. Three turnovers during that period. I managed — I found a cover cleaner through another host — but the cover charged me £78 because she knew I was in a bind. Agency cleaners have backup coverage built in. They're slower to respond and they cost more, but they rarely leave you without options.

What I actually pay per turnover now

Here's my current breakdown across four properties:

• Edinburgh 2-bed, Old Town: Independent, £65/turnover. She also runs the laundry pile at the property and changes the linen. Charges £10 extra if she has to wait for the previous guest to leave.
• Brighton 2-bed, Kemptown: Independent, £68/turnover. Brighton rates are slightly higher in my experience. She covers the flat and the outdoor patio furniture wipe-down.
• Brighton 1-bed, Hove: Agency, £72. My independent contact doesn't cover Hove and I haven't found anyone reliable out there. The agency is worth the premium for the coverage guarantee.
• Lake District cottage (3-bed): Specialist STR cleaning contractor, £95/turnover. Rural, no access to the city pool. She also handles waste management and does a brief post-check-in inspection.

Average across all four: £75 per turnover.

The employment question nobody talks about

If you have a sole independent cleaner who works exclusively for you, cleans to your specification, on your schedule, with your supplies — HMRC may treat that relationship as employment rather than self-employment. The distinction matters.

If they're employed by you rather than genuinely self-employed, you're responsible for PAYE, employer's National Insurance, and holiday pay. From April 2025, employer's NI sits at 15% on earnings above the secondary threshold of £5,000/year. That's a meaningful cost if you're paying someone £65 × 90 turnovers = £5,850 annually and they work exclusively for you.

I pay all my cleaners through invoices. They work for multiple hosts. They set their own schedules. That keeps the relationship clearly in contractor territory. If you have any doubt about your specific arrangement, get it checked with an accountant. The National Living Wage for workers aged 21 and over is £12.71/hour as of April 2026. Even a casual arrangement where you're directing someone's hours creates obligation risk.

What I'd do starting again

Go independent and invest the saved agency fees into two things. First: a strong relationship with your cleaner. Pay on time, tip occasionally (I do Christmas and Easter), and be flexible about changeover timing when they need it. That goodwill pays back. Second: a backup list. Keep at least two other cleaners in your phone who've confirmed they can take ad-hoc work. I have three contacts in Edinburgh and two in Brighton who've said they're available for cover. That list is worth almost as much as my main cleaner.

And for any property where the logistics are complex — rural, very high-turnover frequency, or where a missed changeover has serious consequences — I'd keep the agency. The premium buys peace of mind that has genuine operational value.