Just as a grocery list can help make your weekly shopping trip more efficient, having a checklist for cleaning vacation rentals can save you time and money. As a host, you can create a custom checklist unique to your property so you get a consistent clean every time. Learn the top to-dos to include on your Airbnb cleaning checklist with TurnoverBnb and how lists can help you increase your revenue.
What Is an Airbnb Cleaning Checklist?
An Airbnb cleaning checklist is an interactive list of tasks required to make your vacation rental property spick and span after every turnover.
These tools have become especially handy in the wake of the recent pandemic, when Airbnb upped their cleaning protocols. While you can find the official COVID-19 cleaning and disinfecting checklist on the company’s website, curating your own checklist for your unique property will ensure no tasks are missed.
You can design your own vacation rental cleaning checklist in a physical or digital format. Many cleaners find that carrying around a printed checklist while they work is inconvenient and instead opt for an online version.
Search the web for customizable turnover cleaning checklists and start adding the tasks needed to make your vacation rental not just guest ready, but guest perfect.
What Should a Cleaning Checklist Include?
Above all, your vacation rental cleaning checklist should include tasks specific to your property. Does your rental have a patio or lanai? If so, your checklist should contain to-dos for tidying, cleaning, and disinfecting that area.
In houses and rentals alike, there are numerous areas commonly overlooked when cleaning. These include ceiling fans, baseboards, and underneath the sofa cushions. Help yourself or your cleaners remember to address these often forgotten spots by adding them to your vacation rental cleaning checklist.
Other common tasks on a rental cleaning checklist include:
- Change out all sheets and towels
- Wipe down countertops in the kitchen and bathrooms
- Vacuum carpets and sweep and mop floors
- Make the beds using clean linens
- Clean toilets, showers, and tubs
- Take out the garbage
- Restock consumables, such as toilet paper and paper towels
For hosts who don’t currently use a turnover cleaning checklist, it’s not too late to get started. The next time you clean your rental property, take note of each task you perform. Similarly, if you use a professional cleaning service, shadow one of the cleaners and jot down their routine. Then, you can compile these items into a custom checklist to use during every turnover.
Money-Saving Benefits of an Airbnb Cleaning Checklist
Not only does an Airbnb cleaning checklist help you stay organized and efficient — it can also save, and make, you money. Learn about these benefits below.
Saves You Valuable Time (and money)
If you’re a host who does all the cleaning themselves, kudos to you. Or maybe you’re looking to hire a cleaning service but don’t want to leave your perfect 5-star rating streak in the hands of outside help, either way, an Airbnb cleaning checklist is a great solution.
Once you get your rental cleaning checklist up to your specifications, you can delegate your turnover tasks to a professional cleaning company and feel confident that they’ll know exactly what to do to make your property look rental ready. Even if you choose not to hire professional cleaners, a checklist will help you to become more efficient with each cleaning.
Without having to do each turnover yourself, or being more efficient, you’ll have ample time to implement new business strategies, expand your marketing efforts, and grow your customer base. What’s more, these lists also allow you to better tailor your cleaning fees so set expectations for staff and save money.
Allows for Consistent Cleanings
The perfect chocolate chip cookie recipe has clear directions to ensure you get the same result with each bake. Similarly, a checklist can be used to make sure each turnover cleaning ends in the same way: with a germ-free, spotless and welcoming property.
In addition to consistent cleanings, an Airbnb cleaning checklist will also take the guesswork out of your cleanings. No matter who cleans your property, a checklist will allow the cleaner to follow an organized list of tasks, moving from one to the next until the job is done. With your list of to-dos right in front of you, you’ll never miss a spot.
Cleanliness is at the forefront of every vacation rental guest’s mind when they check in. In fact, 22% of 5 star reviews contain the word ‘clean’. Consistent cleanings will help keep your guests happy and make them more likely to rent your property again in the future. Crucially, you reduce risk to your ratings and reviews which directly impact occupancy and revenue.
Helps You Track Crucial Data
As if saving you time and money, and making your cleanings more consistent wasn’t enough, a vacation rental cleaning checklist also allows you to track data vital to your business’s success.
With a checklist, you can keep track of:
- Inventory
- When your cleanings take place
- How long your cleanings take
- Who’s performing your turnovers
- How many cleanings you have in a designated span of time
This information can then be used to help you make strategic decisions about your business in the future.
If you’re just dipping your toes into the world of vacation rental data analysis, tracking your key metrics using a checklist is a great place to start. A checklist can also be a beneficial supplement to any data you’re already using.
Use a Turnover Cleaning Checklist for Your Next Stay
Whether you’re wanting to increase your free time, streamline your cleaning process, save more money, or all of the above, an Airbnb cleaning checklist can help give you an edge in a competitive industry. Why not try it next time?
For more tips on managing and growing your vacation rental business, visit our other resources.
About TurnoverBnB
Founded in 2016, TurnoverBnB provides a centralized platform for listing, sourcing, and managing cleaning services and maintenance providers for vacation rental properties worldwide.
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