n how to automate scheduling, retain top talent, and maintain 5-star standards in 2026.
TL;DR
- Prioritize staff well-being: Equip your team with better tools and supplies to boost retention and quality.
- Automate scheduling: Use property management software to auto-assign tasks and optimize routes.
- Standardize training: Create video guides and digital checklists to ensure consistency across all units.
- Empower guests: Provide self-sufficiency kits to reduce minor service calls and cleaning workloads.
This is a guest post by Guesty partner, Operto, a leading property automation system for short-term rentals. Intelligent control of smart devices and a powerful integration with Guesty enables property managers to optimize operations and provide an outstanding guest experience.
In an increasingly competitive market, short-term rental guests expect hotel-level cleanliness. But to deliver this, there’s an intricate web of operations that must run smoothly behind the scenes. One missed message or dirty surface can lead to a bad review that sends your listings plummeting down the Online Travel Agencies (OTA) algorithms.
In this article, we explore expert tips to manage your short-term rental cleaning operations as you scale.
1. Prioritize employee experience
Your cleaning staff is the backbone of your operations and, when they’re empowered to carry out their service to a high standard, you’ll have a team of ambassadors looking out for your business.
Optimizing employee experience means ensuring they have access to tools that save them time and effort. For example, consider delivering supplies in advance to the property and choosing lightweight vacuums for comfort during cleaning.
It also means implementing automated tools — somewhere they can quickly check their schedule, report and track maintenance issues, and stay on top of standard requirements. As we explore later in the article, Operto Teams does all of this and more.
2. Ensure easy onboarding for new hires
Retaining great employees and attracting new ones requires a streamlined onboarding process with comprehensive training materials that make it easier for team members to contribute.
It’s important not to rely solely on one person’s memory. Instead, ask your team to document every piece of insider knowledge and turn these into standard operating procedures (SOPs) that you review over time.
You can also create custom checklists and pre-recorded training videos that cover everything from making beds to efficient bathroom cleaning. These lists and videos ensure consistency in your cleaning process.
3. Create training programs and incentives
Pair up new hires with your best cleaners as part of a reward-driven training program. This hands-on approach accelerates learning, builds confidence, and imparts the finer details of your cleaning protocols.
You can then create incentives to reward cleaners for consistently earning 5-star ratings and explain the process to new hires. Consider methods like digital tipping to increase their compensation and ensure job satisfaction.
4. Assign cleaners to specific homes
Build familiarity by assigning cleaners to specific properties. This process allows them to more easily spot damage or wear and tear, and speed up cleaning tasks.
Operto Teams can help accelerate their workload further by providing automated schedules with optimized cleaning routes that make the most sense based on requirements each day. When they arrive at the property, checklists with photos can also help cleaning staff maintain consistent standards.
5. Empower guests to be self-sufficient
Helping guests help themselves reduces pressure on your cleaning team. Stock essentials like light bulbs and batteries for their convenience and include clear instructions in your digital guidebooks on cleaning and quick fixes for common issues.
6. Centralize communications
Cleaning teams can lose hours each month navigating chaotic WhatsApp groups and chatting back and forth around laundry requirements and maintenance issues. With a centralized communication solution, such as Operto Teams, staying on top of these tasks is easy. Operto Teams forecasts when linen will be needed, flags maintenance issues and contains a multi-lingual dashboard where team members can stay up to date.
By elevating your employee experience you can accelerate clean times, and see more efficiency in your operations. Technology that offers automated scheduling, checklists, linen forecasting, and communication tools can reduce your team’s workload and give you back time, allowing you to scale your business.
Manual vs. automated operations
Here’s what changes when you stop juggling spreadsheets and WhatsApp threads:
| Feature | Manual approach | Automated approach |
| Scheduling | Spreadsheets and text messages | Auto-assigned based on booking dates |
| Communication | Fragmented chats (WhatsApp, SMS) | Centralized dashboard with instant alerts |
| Quality control | Random spot checks | Required photo uploads before job completion |
| Maintenance | Notes left on paper or forgotten | Issues flagged and tracked in-app immediately |
FAQs
How can I automate my vacation rental cleaning schedule?
Connect your booking calendar to a task manager — Guesty does this automatically. The second a reservation comes in, the system creates a cleaning task, assigns it to your team or third-party vendor, and updates if the guest changes dates. No texting, no spreadsheets, no missed turnovers.
What should be included in a short-term rental cleaning checklist?
Cover every room with specific tasks: “check under the bed,” “refill coffee pods,” “test smoke detectors.” Digital checklists that require photo verification for key areas work best, especially when you’re managing remotely. You’ll catch issues before guests arrive instead of after they complain.
How do I find reliable cleaners for my Airbnb?
Look for specialized vacation rental cleaning companies instead of general domestic cleaners. They understand quick turnaround requirements and know what guests expect. Use marketplaces integrated with your property management software, or ask for referrals from local host communities. Specialized cleaners cost more upfront but save you money in bad reviews.
Does Guesty Lite help with cleaning operations?
Yes. For smaller portfolios, Guesty Lite offers essential automation without enterprise complexity. It automatically notifies cleaners of new bookings and lets you manage tasks from a mobile-friendly interface. Your properties stay guest-ready without the manual coordination that eats up your day.