Move in Fees: What Hosts Need to Know

What is a move-in fee?

A move-in fee is a one-time charge a host sets to help cover the cost of preparing a room for a new Member — things like cleaning, minor repairs, and turning the room over between occupancies. Most Hosts set their move-in fees at about $100, but the exact amount is up to each Host, and can vary by room.

Move-in fees are capped at $500

PadSplit caps move-in fees at a maximum of $500 per room. Hosts can set a move-in fee anywhere up to that amount, but fees above $500 are not permitted.

Why we cap move-in fees

Move-in fees are meant to cover the real cost of getting a room ready for a new member — not to serve as an extra source of revenue. Capping Move-in fees at $500 helps us:

• Keep pricing fair and transparent - Members should be able to trust that a move-in fee reflects the actual cost of turning a room, not an inflated charge.
• Protect housing affordability - High move-in fees can put housing out of reach for members who are already budgeting carefully, which runs counter to PadSplit's mission.
• Support a healthy marketplace - Predictable, reasonable move-in fees help members compare rooms confidently and make PadSplit a more trustworthy option for everyone.

At the same time, $500 is set high enough to give hosts, including those in higher cost-of-living markets, room to cover legitimate turn costs.

What this means for your listings

When setting or updating pricing for a room, make sure your move-in fee does not exceed $500. If you have further questions about this, please reach out at support@padsplit.com.