That's an interesting question, but the thing you're missing is that MFs were often paid. If the MFs don't cover the labor cost then that is the problem. I also wonder if MVC is paying a per task rate or a flat do cleaning fee to the subcontractor? If it's per task, they might save some money by not sending in the maids or risking a maintenance visit from something getting broken / worn out. OTOH, if they're paying for cleaning anyway on a fixed weekly, monthly or yearly rate ... I can't understand saying I don't want 400 or whatever free dollars.
If I was setting it up, I'd go for the fixed rate at some percentage cleaned each week. My WAG is they are setting the cleaning load somewhere to cover 80%ish units needing cleaning in a week, i.e. the 80% occupancy reported for TSs. I would expect to get a discount vs paying per room cleaned each time it's cleaned if I just take out an annual plan.
In my mind, the labor is probably at least 80% already paid for and part of a large purchase yearly.(Could be a subcontractor or could be salaries.) Supplies have to be about as cheap as they can get them, especially the bulk bottles now - maybe $10 a stay for toilet paper and tissues and soap? Electricity and HVAC are the ones that can vary, but if in a week you can bust more than $50 in usage I'd be surprised personally. So we're realistically talking about a floor of maybe $100 to cover transaction costs as well as II fee. IDK, I think this is just - see if people will pay more and leave some otherwise free money in the hope we can get everyone to pay more going forward, nothing to do with actual costs. And if they're still booking their getaways at the higher rate, they're getting MORE free money.
And there's the rub, if they leave 5 units empty out of 50 to fill say, but get $200 more per unit, that's where they make out better than filling those 5 additional rooms but all at $200 less.
