A good turnover cleaner is one of the most valuable parts of a short-term rental business. They are your eyes on the property, your quality control and the reason guests walk into a clean house. Since cleanliness drives reviews, as we covered in How Cleanliness Shapes Your Airbnb Reviews, finding and keeping a great cleaner matters.
Here is what makes the host and cleaner relationship work, based on turnovers we do around Midlothian, Mansfield and the south DFW area.
Set clear expectations up front
Most problems between hosts and cleaners come from unspoken expectations. Before the first turnover, talk through:
- What a standard turnover includes and what counts as an add-on
- How beds should be made and towels staged
- What to do with leftover guest food
- How you want damage and low supplies reported
- When and how photos should be sent
- What to do if the previous guests are still there
Write it down. A checklist and a set of example photos are worth more than a long phone call. If you can, walk through the property together before the first turnover. Show where the linens live, how you like the beds made, where the trash goes and which closets guests can use. Twenty minutes in person answers questions that would otherwise come up one text at a time.
Share your calendar early
A cleaner can only plan around bookings they know about. Share your booking calendar, or send updates as soon as bookings are made. Same-day turnovers, holiday weekends and long stays all need planning. Last-minute bookings are part of hosting, but the more notice you give, the easier it is to fit you in.
Let your cleaner know right away about early checkouts, late checkouts, early check-in requests and cancellations. Around holidays and busy summer weekends here in North Texas, schedules fill up fast, so book those dates as soon as the reservations come in.
Make the property easy to clean
A well-organized rental is faster and easier to turn over. Help your cleaner by:
- Keeping two or three linen sets per bed, labeled by size
- Stocking a locked owner’s closet with backup supplies
- Taping a par list and a checklist inside the closet door
- Keeping decor simple and consistent
- Fixing broken things quickly, like a washer that leaks or a vacuum that does not suck
A cleaner who spends time hunting for supplies or working around broken equipment cannot spend that time cleaning.
Communicate kindly and specifically
When something is missed, say exactly what it was, with a photo if possible. "There was hair on the bathroom floor behind the toilet" is useful. "The bathroom wasn’t clean" is not. Most cleaners want to get it right, and specific feedback helps them do that.
Give positive feedback too. Pass along good reviews and let them know when a turnover looked great. People who feel appreciated stick around. A short thank-you after a tough turnover, like the morning after a big group or a holiday weekend, goes a long way.
Respect their time
Turnovers run on tight schedules, and cleaners often have several properties in a day. A few ways to respect that:
- Pay promptly
- Do not add big tasks to a turnover at the last minute without asking
- Give notice for cancellations
- Make sure access works before they arrive
- Tell them about heavy messes or special requests ahead of time
If you want extra jobs like inside the oven or interior windows, ask for them as add-ons rather than squeezing them into a normal turnover.
Plan for backup
Even the most reliable cleaner gets sick or takes a vacation. Ask how they handle backup. A company with more than one cleaner can usually cover. If you work with an individual, it helps to know a second person who can step in. Good entry notes and a checklist make it easy for anyone to cover a turnover.
Keep the same cleaner whenever possible
Familiarity makes turnovers better. A cleaner who knows your rental moves faster, notices changes and remembers your preferences. We keep the same cleaner on each property whenever possible for exactly this reason, and keep your entry notes on file so every visit starts the same way.
Looking for a turnover cleaner?
We turn over short-term rentals across Ellis County and south DFW, with checklists, photos and notes after every visit. Get a price, usually the same day.
Get a free quoteA team, not a transaction
The best host and cleaner relationships work like a team. Clear expectations, good communication and mutual respect make the work go well for both sides and for your guests. To see how we work with hosts, visit our Airbnb and rental turnover page.