TL;DR: A thorough turnover cleaning process protects your reviews and repeat bookings. Your checklist should cover sanitization of high-touch surfaces, bathroom and kitchen deep-cleaning, linen laundering, outdoor areas, and regular deep-cleaning schedules. Assign specific tasks to team members during high season, and use auto-task tools to trigger cleaning assignments the moment guests check out.
Guests book on trust. They expect spotless spaces, and they’re quick to leave a scathing review when reality falls short. A single hair on the pillow or a sticky countertop can tank your rating faster than any pricing mistake.
Thankfully, cleaning is one of the few things you can fully control. A solid checklist turns every turnover into a repeatable system that protects your reputation and your revenue.
Here’s the full breakdown.
What should your vacation rental cleaning checklist include?
A well-structured turnover checklist hits every surface guests notice, and plenty they don’t. Work through these categories for each turnover:
Sanitize high-touch surfaces
- Doorknobs and handles
- Light switches
- Appliance surfaces (refrigerator, oven, microwave)
- Remote controls
- Tabletops and counters
- Thermostats
Prioritize high-traffic zones
- Bathrooms (toilets, sinks, showers, mirrors)
- Kitchens (stovetop, inside microwave, sink, cabinet fronts)
- Bedrooms (nightstands, headboards, under beds)
Handle floors and soft furniture
- Vacuum all carpets and rugs
- Mop hard floors
- Vacuum upholstered furniture and cushions
- Spot-clean any visible stains
Launder all linens
- Bed sheets and pillowcases
- Towels and washcloths
- Blankets and throws
- Kitchen towels
Don’t skip the details
- Dust ceiling corners and windowsills
- Check for hair in drains and plug holes
- Wipe inside drawers and closets
- Test smoke alarms and safety equipment
Use each turnover to restock cleaning supplies. Running out of disinfectant mid-clean adds 20 minutes to your timeline, and stress you don’t need.
Why does decluttering matter as much as cleaning?
Cleaning removes dirt. Decluttering removes distraction.
Your incoming guests don’t want evidence of the people who stayed before them. During each turnover, check for:
- Items left in drawers and under beds
- Food in the refrigerator
- Toiletries left in bathrooms
- Chargers plugged into outlets
- Forgotten items on balconies or patios
A minimal space also cleans faster. Fewer decorative items mean fewer surfaces to dust and fewer objects to arrange.
How do you handle outdoor areas?
Outdoor spaces shape first impressions before guests even walk through the door. If your property includes a balcony, patio, or garden:
- Sweep leaves and debris
- Wipe down outdoor furniture
- Check cushions for stains or mildew
- Pull visible weeds
- Clear cobwebs from corners and railings
- Empty and clean ashtrays if smoking is permitted
Even if guests never use the outdoor space, they’ll see it and judge it.
When should you schedule deep cleaning?
Regular turnovers keep things presentable. Deep cleaning keeps them that way long-term.
| Task | Frequency | Notes |
| Change HVAC filters | Quarterly | Monthly during peak season or dusty climates |
| Shampoo carpets | Quarterly | More often for pet-friendly properties |
| Detail light fixtures and ceiling fans | Quarterly | Dust buildup affects air quality |
| Defrost and scrub freezers | Biannually | Schedule between longer booking gaps |
| Wash windows (inside and out) | Biannually | Spring and fall typically |
| Clean drains and gutters | Biannually | Before rainy season in your region |
| Clean doors and baseboards | Biannually | High-traffic properties may need quarterly |
| Deep-clean oven interior | Biannually | Or after any smoking/burning incidents |
| Flip or rotate mattresses | Annually | Extends mattress lifespan 2–3 years |
| Steam-clean upholstery | Annually | More often for high-turnover units |
How can you streamline cleaning during high season?
When back-to-back bookings leave two-hour turnover windows, efficiency isn’t optional.
Assign dedicated roles: One team member handles bathrooms, another handles linens, a third handles kitchens. Specialized roles complete faster than having everyone tackle everything.
Run parallel tasks: Start laundry and dishwasher cycles first. These run while your team handles other work.
Stage supplies in advance: Pre-stock cleaning caddies for each room. Walking back to a supply closet adds minutes that compound across properties.
Use digital task management: Auto-tasks triggered by checkout eliminate manual scheduling. The cleaning assignment appears on your team member’s phone the moment the guest leaves, no text chain required.
For hosts managing 1–4 properties, Guesty Lite includes task management with automated triggers. Assign cleaners to specific properties, set tasks to fire on checkout, and track completion status without spreadsheets or group messages.
What tools make cleaning operations easier to manage?
Digital task management transforms cleaning from a scramble into a system. Look for tools that:
- Create team calendars visible to all members
- Generate step-by-step cleaning checklists
- Allow photo documentation of completed tasks
- Send automatic reminders before scheduled turnovers
- Log completion timestamps for accountability
Guesty’s task management feature connects directly to your reservation calendar. When a booking ends, the system auto-generates cleaning tasks with flexible time windows, so your cleaner knows both when they can start and when they must finish before the next arrival.
For larger operations, marketplace integrations like Properly add layer-by-layer inspection workflows with photo verification.
Should you offer mid-stay cleaning?
Longer stays often warrant mid-booking housekeeping. Some guests request it; others appreciate the option.
Set clear expectations:
- Add it as an optional paid service at booking
- Price it to cover actual cleaning costs plus margin
- Build the scheduled time into your calendar to prevent conflicts
Mid-stay cleaning also gives you eyes on the property before checkout. Catching potential damage early rather than discovering it during turnover.
How does this work if you’re managing one or two properties?
Small-scale hosting doesn’t mean small-scale standards. Guests expect the same cleanliness whether you manage two listings or two hundred.
The difference is how you systematize:
- Create a reusable checklist (digital or laminated) for each property
- Block adequate turnover time between bookings (rushing creates oversights)
- Build a reliable cleaner relationship for backup when you can’t do it yourself
- Use auto-tasks to prompt cleaning the moment checkout occurs
Guesty Lite gives hosts with 1–4 listings access to auto-task templates, team assignments, and calendar-based scheduling without the complexity or cost of enterprise tools.
Frequently asked questions
Budget 2–3 hours for a standard one-bedroom unit, longer for larger properties or post-checkout deep cleaning. Properties with tight booking gaps benefit from dedicated cleaning teams who specialize in fast, thorough turnovers.
Stock disinfectant (EPA-approved for pathogens), all-purpose cleaner, glass cleaner, toilet bowl cleaner, microfiber cloths, a vacuum with attachments, a mop system, trash bags, and rubber gloves. Keep backup supplies on-site.
Many hosts with 1–2 properties clean themselves initially. Beyond three properties (or with same-day turnovers) professional cleaners typically deliver more consistent results and reclaim hours for revenue-generating work.
Respond within one hour. Apologize, offer to send a cleaner immediately, and consider a partial refund or future discount. Then investigate the root cause. Was it a missed step, time pressure, or a personnel issue?
Yes. Property management platforms auto-generate cleaning tasks based on checkout events. Set flexible time windows, assign team members, and track completion without manual coordination.
Cleaning is the backbone of guest satisfaction, and consistent cleaning comes from consistent systems. Build your checklist, automate your scheduling, and let your five-star reviews do the marketing.