Can you advertise your price without the cleaning fee? Total price, extras and tourist tax on your website (2026)

Updated: 9 November 2026

Advertising EUR 80 a night and then adding EUR 40 for cleaning and EUR 10 in "service fees" is one of travellers' most common complaints. EU law is clear: the advertised price must include every mandatory charge that can be calculated in advance. This guide sums up what the rules say and how authorities have applied them to the big platforms.

What the EU directives say

Two laws cover it:

Directive 2011/83/EU, Article 6(1)(e): before the contract, the trader must give the total price inclusive of taxes and all additional charges; where they cannot be calculated in advance, the fact that they may be payable.
Same directive, Article 6(6): if the trader did not give that information, the consumer does not bear those charges.
Article 22: extra payments need the consumer's express consent; a pre-ticked box does not count and gives a right to a refund.
Unfair Commercial Practices Directive 2005/29/EC, Article 7(4)(c): in any invitation to purchase, the price inclusive of taxes and additional charges is material information; leaving it out can be a misleading omission (Article 7(1)).

How the Commission applied it to platforms

The EU network of consumer authorities (CPC) acted against the big accommodation platforms:

Airbnb (2018-2019): the Commission explained that under EU consumer law a price quote must include all fixed charges and taxes; Airbnb now shows total prices from the outset, including mandatory charges such as service and cleaning fees.
Booking.com (2019): committed to always show the total price, including unavoidable charges, fees and taxes that can be calculated from the search (service, cleaning and resort fees, local taxes), whether paid at booking or at the accommodation.
Expedia made similar commitments in 2020. These commitments bind those platforms, but they show how the authorities read the law.

In Spain

Spain's General Consumer Protection Law (art. 20(1)(c)) requires the full final price, including taxes and itemising any additional charges, including possible management fees. The European Consumer Centre run by the Spanish Consumer Affairs Ministry says the same for accommodation: the full final price must be given before booking, and extras need express consent.

What to do on your website and channels

Practical rules that follow from the laws above:

Include cleaning and any mandatory extra in the price you show, not just at the last step.
If you show a breakdown, keep the total visible next to the items.
Offer optional items (breakfast, parking, cot) separately and without pre-ticked boxes.
Tourist tax: if it can be calculated from dates and guests, include it or show it next to the total, saying it is paid at the property if so. Andalusia has none today; the Algarve, Florence and the Amalfi Coast do (we have a guide for each).
Keep the price and conditions the same on your website, on platforms and in what AI reads.

Why it matters when an AI books

When an AI assistant books for a traveller, it shows the price it receives. If that price leaves out cleaning or an extra, the traveller gets a surprise on arrival and the review says so. A clear total price is what the assistant can repeat without errors.

How iQuota helps

In iQuota the price AI assistants receive is the total for the stay, and charges paid separately at the property (such as a local tax) are listed apart; the connector asks the assistant to show them and get confirmation before booking. Payment is made at the property, with no commission. It does not guarantee that an AI will recommend you.

Want your property on AI assistants with clear prices, direct booking and no commission? The first 30 hotels join free until 30 June 2027.

See the Founding Hotels programme

Frequently asked questions

Can I advertise the nightly price without the cleaning fee?

Not if cleaning is mandatory and can be calculated in advance: under EU consumer law it must be in the advertised price.

What if the guest was not told about a charge?

Directive 2011/83/EU (Article 6(6)) says they do not have to pay it.

How should I show the tourist tax?

No official rule sets the exact wording; the safest approach is to include it in the total or show it next to it, saying whether it is paid at the property.

Sources

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