Most guests treat a rental well. Every so often, though, something breaks, stains or walks out the door in a suitcase. When that happens, you want to know quickly and you want good proof. A turnover cleaner is often the first person to see it. Before reading this, it helps to know how much time a turnover takes, so see How Long Does an Airbnb Turnover Clean Take?.
Here is how we spot and report damage at the rentals we clean around Waxahachie, Ennis and the south DFW area.
Why timing matters
Booking platforms generally expect you to report damage soon after checkout, and the next guest arriving can muddy the picture. If a broken chair is not reported until after another stay, it becomes hard to say who broke it. That is why damage checks happen at the start of a turnover, before cleaning, not at the end.
Check your own platform’s current rules for reporting windows. They change, and they are the deadline that matters.
What to check on every turnover
A quick lap through the house catches most problems. We look for:
- Stains on mattresses, carpets, rugs, couches and linens
- Broken dishes, glasses, lamps, blinds or furniture
- Holes, scuffs or marks on walls and doors
- Burns on counters, tables or bedding
- Missing remotes, towels, blankets, kitchen tools or decor
- Signs of smoking, pets or more guests than booked
- Damage outside: patio furniture, grills, hot tub covers, gates
- Anything left running: water, the stove, outdoor lights
Taking photos that actually help
A blurry phone photo of a stain does not tell anyone much. Photos that help a host make a decision look like this:
- A close-up of the problem, in good light, sharp enough to read
- A wider shot of the room, so it is clear where it is
- Something for scale, like a hand or a nearby object, for stains and holes
- The photo taken before cleaning, so it shows exactly how it was left
Turn on the lights and open the blinds first. Take more photos than you think you need. Deleting extras is easy. Recreating a scene after you have cleaned it is impossible.
Counting what can go missing
Missing items are harder to spot than damage because you are looking for something that is not there. A short inventory list helps. Count the things that wander off most:
- Bath towels, hand towels and pool towels
- Throw blankets and decorative pillows
- TV remotes and game controllers
- Kitchen knives, wine openers and coffee mugs
- Board games, books and beach gear
- Hair dryers and phone chargers you provide
Keep the counts on the par list in the owner’s closet. If the bath towel count is two short, the cleaner knows right away.
Left-behind guest items
The opposite happens too: guests leave things behind. Chargers, sunglasses and kids’ toys are the most common. We bag anything left behind, label it with the date, put it in the owner’s closet and tell the host so they can reach out to the guest. Food, opened toiletries and trash do not count as left-behind items. Those just get cleaned up.
How to report it to the host
A good report is short and clear. It should say what was found, where, and whether it affects the next guest. For example: "Red wine stain on the living room rug near the couch, photos attached. Tried spot treating, it lightened but did not come out. Rug is still usable."
Send the report right away, not at the end of the week. If something is unsafe, like broken glass, a loose railing or a leak, call or text the host before moving on.
What a cleaner should and should not do
A cleaner can spot treat stains, sweep up broken glass and move a damaged item out of the way. They should not try to repair furniture, patch walls or replace broken appliances without the host saying so. Fixing things without permission can make a claim harder and can make the damage worse. When in doubt, photograph it, report it and wait. The host may want to show the damage to the platform, a repair person or an insurance company first, and an untouched scene helps with all three. In the meantime, the cleaner can usually work around it and finish the rest of the turnover so the next guest is not held up.
Want a second set of eyes on every turnover?
We check for damage and missing items as part of each turnover and send photos with notes. Get a free quote, usually the same day.
Get a free quoteMake it a habit, not a hunt
When checking for damage is part of every visit, problems get caught early and you always know the state of your property. That is what lets you host from anywhere with confidence. For more about how we document turnovers, see our Airbnb cleaning and turnover page.