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What's the first thing you notice when you step into a hotel or vacation rental yourself? It's probably not the great entertainment system, comfortable couch or hot tub. Instead, you will quickly notice the dirt on the floor, the smell of forgotten garbage or the dishes in the sink. Cleanliness is perhaps the most important facet of Airbnb management and a key to high ratings for your property.
Whether Airbnb cleaning means you doing it yourself or hiring an individual or company to provide the service, here are mistakes to avoid in this oh-so-important area.
1. Waiting Until The CHECK-IN Date
It's easy to wait until the last minute before cleaning up your vacation rentals, especially if you have several of them. Many business and personal priorities creep into our day every day, and if you are not expecting guests for a week, it can seem like a good idea to take care of higher priority items first.
However, trying to clean up an entire house quickly can be a big mistake. You won't know the condition of the property until you can assess the situation from your last guests. In some cases, guests can be very considerate and leave your property basically clean, providing you with a simple transition to the next guests.
However, if you have had problematic guests who have left a large mess or, worse yet, damaged things on the property that need repair or replacement, you may require more than a few hours to take care of these items. Be sure to give yourself plenty of time to take care of all possible problems.
2. Turning Over Cleaning Responsibilities Without Direction
Like delegating anything else, hiring a person or company to handle the cleaning tasks in between your guests still requires direction and management.
Before cleaning services are needed, set up a time to meet with your service or individual to thoroughly review each of your properties. Most professional cleaning companies will have their own checklist of things to ask you as their client, but be sure to explain, in detail, your expectations.
In addition, you may want to point out any extra things such as monitoring a checklist of supplies that might require restocking or being an extra set of eyes for property damage or things that might require occasional replacement like sheets and towels. Work with your cleaning company to establish a process for reporting damages. For instance, professionals may be able to take pictures of damages, specifying dates found, and send those to you electronically so that you can easily file insurance claims.
Before cleaning services are needed, set up a time to meet with your service or individual to thoroughly review each of your properties. Most professional cleaning companies will have their own checklist of things to ask you as their client, but be sure to explain, in detail, your expectations.
In addition, you may want to point out any extra things such as monitoring a checklist of supplies that might require restocking or being an extra set of eyes for property damage or things that might require occasional replacement like sheets and towels. Work with your cleaning company to establish a process for reporting damages. For instance, professionals may be able to take pictures of damages, specifying dates found, and send those to you electronically so that you can easily file insurance claims.
3. Cleaning Without A Checklist
If you are tackling the Airbnb cleaning job yourself, you'll need to create a checklist of all the things you want to do in between guests. Find a basic checklist online to get you started. Then, take the time to walk through each of your properties and add things that are unique to that property. For instance, if you have an outdoor hot tub, you may need to create a mini-checklist of cleaning and maintenance reminders just for that amenity.
Each time you clean your property, use your checklist and add anything else you think of at the bottom so that you create a more comprehensive list as time goes on. In addition, add things to the list if your guests leave complaints or negative feedback to avoid the same in the future.
Besides relying on a checklist, leave yourself plenty of time to take care of unforeseen problems and arrive at the task rested and ready to do a great job. Turn on some music and enjoy transforming your property into a spic-and-span vacation spot for your next guests.
Each time you clean your property, use your checklist and add anything else you think of at the bottom so that you create a more comprehensive list as time goes on. In addition, add things to the list if your guests leave complaints or negative feedback to avoid the same in the future.
Besides relying on a checklist, leave yourself plenty of time to take care of unforeseen problems and arrive at the task rested and ready to do a great job. Turn on some music and enjoy transforming your property into a spic-and-span vacation spot for your next guests.
4. Setting Too High of Expectations For Your Guests
Most vacation rental properties provide guests with check-in and check-out lists to make the transitions between visitors go more smoothly for everyone. Guests appreciate knowing things like how to adjust the temperature and where to find extra blankets upon check-in. On the flip side, it is perfectly acceptable to ask guests to do simple things like place all their dirty towels in a particular location or even strip their used bedding and leave sheets in one spot to make gathering your laundry a bit easier.
However, it's important to recognize where to draw the line on what you expect your guests to do. While it's reasonable to ask guests to wash their dirty dishes, you may not want to ask them to clean the sinks and toilets in your bathrooms. Most people have no problem gathering up garbage and placing it on a nearby garage or shed, but may balk at vacuuming the home before departure.
Asking guests to take on the responsibility of too many cleaning tasks can backfire and result in negative reviews. Most guests have no problem doing some basic tidying tasks; just be reasonable in what you request.
5. Setting Too Low of Expectations For Yourself
Although you want to set lower expectations for your guests to avoid overburdening them with cleaning duties, you want to do the exact opposite for yourself or your cleaning service. Be sure to do an excellent job cleaning in between your guests to garner the highest customer ratings and keep your rental booked.
Besides having a good cleaning checklist for yourself or your cleaning company and paying attention to comments and complaints from previous guests, you can also have family or friends conduct a mock inspection from time to time.
If you have some extra time between guests, do a thorough cleaning job and then ask a particularly detail-oriented friend or family member to come and perform a white-glove test. Ask that person to complain about everything he or she notices, and then add those items to your ongoing checklist.
Remember that as Airbnb management, you have a big responsibility to provide a safe, comfortable and clean vacation spot for your guests. When you raise "clean" to the level of "immaculate," you will quickly be rewarded with high ratings and increased bookings.
Besides having a good cleaning checklist for yourself or your cleaning company and paying attention to comments and complaints from previous guests, you can also have family or friends conduct a mock inspection from time to time.
If you have some extra time between guests, do a thorough cleaning job and then ask a particularly detail-oriented friend or family member to come and perform a white-glove test. Ask that person to complain about everything he or she notices, and then add those items to your ongoing checklist.
Remember that as Airbnb management, you have a big responsibility to provide a safe, comfortable and clean vacation spot for your guests. When you raise "clean" to the level of "immaculate," you will quickly be rewarded with high ratings and increased bookings.
We are a California-based vacation rental management company specializing in handling every aspect of your vacation rental - from optimizing your listing to interacting with your guests and overseeing turnover cleanings after guests depart, reviews, damages, maintenance. If you want to learn more about our services: 