I totally disagree. If you choose to do the cleaning yourself or pay for someone else to do it, thatâs your choice. When you are doing reciprcocal exchanges with peopleâs homes, it makes sense. In my case I do almost all for GPs, and it is my choice that I require my property to be set up in a professional manner for the next guest who could just as easily be a paying guest via AirBnB or another HE guest - the one thing they have in common is that they expect the place to be properly cleaned and set up for them to enjoy as if they were in paying accommodation. In such circumstance, guests should be willing to cover the relatively minor cost of an outside cleaner, thereby ensuring that they need not worry about spending their precious time cleaning. I do not expect gifts nor particularly want them, I just expect my cost to be covered, thatâs all. To me that still nicely embraces the HE spirit of exchange.
If you read carefully, I was clearly talking about reciprocal exchanges 
What is also blatlantly clear to me is that you are running a business, nothing wrong with that, but a different ethos all the same (hence the âcost-neutralâ and offloading costs.)
What grows tiresome in these cases are the countless members who use the argument âit is because we are absentâ it is a matter of convenience/logistics. No, it is because it is a business, it is not a home, it is a rental property.
What I prefer is when the profile is very transparent in that regard.
Ok we leave the conversation there. Please note that my properties are not businesses, they are second homes cum investments that need to cover their running costs, which extend far beyond the cost of cleaningâŠ
Bonjour Jasper
Je vais rĂ©pondre en Français et je nâai pas trouvĂ© lâoutil traduction sur le forum
Je comprends trÚs bien la mentalité des échanges et ce que vous voulez dire
Quand notre maison est disponible pour les Ă©changes, nous ne sommes pas lĂ ni Ă lâarrivĂ©e ni au dĂ©part des invitĂ©s
Nous avons une personne de confiance qui accueille, explique, va mĂȘme parfois chercher Ă lâaĂ©roport.
Pour ce service nous devons la rĂ©munĂ©rer. Au dĂ©part des vacanciers, elle doit changer 4 lits, faire lâentretien dâune trĂšs grande maison, presque 6 h de mĂ©nage ( et sur la Cote dâAzur, les heures de mĂ©nage sont couteuses).
Je pense que les personnes qui sont venues chez nous ont apprecié à leur arrivée de trouver une maison propre et rangée.
Nous sommes dâaccord de payer des frais quand nous sommes invitĂ©s car nous savons que cela nest pas payĂ© par notre hĂŽte.
Bonne journée
Hello. It would be fairer if the host ALWAYS paid the cleaning fees. Because that host receives POINTS for the exchange. And with those POINTS, the host might go to a house where the owner does not charge cleaning fees.
Hello SerialTraveller
"If you choose to do the cleaning yourself or pay for someone else to do it, thatâs your choice. "
As it is the hostâs choice , the guest should not be obliged to pay because it is not HIS choice.
As the others said, if the guest ask for a paying cleaning service, it is different.
Hey! I totally get your frustration about the cleaning fees and points system. From my own exchanges, Iâve found that budget cleaning services are actually pretty reasonable. You could also try splitting costs with your exchange partner or look for hosts who include cleaning in their deal.