We expect hosts to provide guests with a clean car. In turn, guests must return the car in the same condition in which they received it or as close to clean as possible. If a guest does not want to accept a car because they find it to be unacceptably dirty, they should not begin their trip. Instead, they should contact Customer Support so we can help them address the issue. If a host receives a dirty car from a guest, they can charge the guest for cleaning fees in two ways.
If the host wishes to charge less than $50 for cleaning, they can use the Reimbursement tool. If the request is more than $50, the host will have to contact Customer Support.
How do I document the car’s condition?
We advise hosts and guests to take multiple photos of the car inside and out and upload them directly to the Trip Photos in the trip page. We suggest taking interior photos of the middle console, front seats and floor, and the back seats and floor. We also suggest taking exterior photos of the driver side, passenger side, front, and back of the car as well. The more photos you take, the better. Be sure to capture the same views of the car in both the pre- and post-trip photos so that it’s easy to compare the two.
The best way to capture and save these photos is to use the trip check-in and checkout feature in the Turo app. We strongly suggest downloading the Turo app on iOS or Android to your phone or device before your first trip. The app will guide you through each photo you need to take and place a timestamp on the photos. These photos are stored in Trip photos and can be easily accessed by Customer Support.
Why are photos important?
In the event of a dispute, Turo uses photos to determine if a host is eligible for reimbursement of cleaning costs and if a guest should be charged a cleaning fee. Hosts and guests who take multiple, clear, consistent view photos of a car’s condition have verifiable proof of the car’s condition at the start and end of a trip.
How do hosts file for a cleaning reimbursement?
To file a cleaning reimbursement, hosts must submit pre- and post-trip photos within 24 hours of the trip end by uploading them to the Trip Photos. The pre-trip photos must have been taken no more than 24 hours before the scheduled start of the trip. The post-trip photos must have been taken no later than 24 hours after the scheduled end of the trip. Within 72 hours, submit your reimbursement request via the Reimbursement tool. Your guest will then be able to accept or dispute your claim. If they choose to dispute it, Turo will review the photos and determine the amount to be paid to the host based on the cleaning level, as outlined below. If we determine that the guest is responsible for the car’s dirty condition, we’ll charge them in line with this policy.
Cleaning Fees and Fines
The levels of cleaning and the eligible reimbursement amounts are as follows:
Ineligible for reimbursement
- Minimal amounts of trash.
- Small amounts of crumbs, sand, or dirt on floor mats that can be shaken off or vacuumed out.
- Small marks that can be cleaned off easily by hand.
Moderate cleaning - Up to $50
- Car exterior is returned significantly* dirtier than it was received (e.g. dirt on car body, wheels, or windows).
- Floor mats or upholstery are returned significantly* dirtier than they were received (e.g. requires more than a shake-out to be restored to original condition).
- Large amounts of food, dirt, or mud that cannot be shaken out and must be heavily vacuumed to remove.
- Light stains or residue on hard surfaces (e.g. liquid spills or sticky substances).
*In the event of a dispute, Turo will use its discretion to determine the amount of the reimbursement.
Heavy cleaning - $100
- Major stains or residue on seat fabric or other hard-to-clean surfaces.
Severe cleaning - $150
- Situations in which a car contains the aforementioned violations on an egregious level that would require steam cleaning or a full detail.
Pet hair - $150
- If a pet enters a vehicle at any time without a host’s consent, the guest will be held responsible for having the car cleaned.
- Hosts may still charge cleaning fees if they give consent and the car is returned with significant amounts of pet hair.
- Service animals are not excluded from this policy.
Smoking - $50 or $150
- $50 for smoke scent removal only.
- $150 for smoke scent removal and physical remnants of smoking (e.g. ash, cigarette butts). If there is damage to your car (e.g. a burn mark), you should submit a damage claim, not a cleaning reimbursement.
Maximum - $250
- If a car is returned with multiple cleanliness issues (such as a combination of severe cleaning and smoking remnants), the maximum fee that will be assessed is $250.