Secrets to Mastering Short-Term Rental Cleaning

At Breezeway, we understand the challenges of vacation rental operations and the many aspects of a turnover. Whether it’s a broken appliance, late check-in, or a perceived cleaning issue, each sets the tone for the entire guest stay upon arrival.

We sat down with experienced cleaning professionals Lenise Byrd, Operations Manager, at Bonnie and a Broom, and Logan Robison, Owner of Bonnie and a Broom and SameDayTurn.com on our ELEVATE webinar “Secrets to Mastering Short-Term Rental Cleaning” to address one of the key areas of operations: cleaning. Bryd and Robison bring years of experience in the cleaning industry, both of them starting as cleaners themselves.

Finding good cleaners

Cleaners play an integral part in the success of any rental operation. Having confidence in their work is essential, but property managers and hosts alike know that hiring the wrong people can have big implications. How can you vet prospective cleaners to ensure you’re working with the right partners?

Robison and Byrd shared a few of the questions they ask which have contributed to their success working with great talent:

• Does the individual have experience cleaning, specifically short-term rentals (STRs)?
  Why is it important for cleaners to have experience specifically in the STR industry? Cleaners who have experience in hotel or residential cleaning may feel overwhelmed by the short turnover windows and high expectations of an STR clean. For example, residential cleaners aren’t required to open drawers or clean out the fridge; but in vacation rentals, not doing these tasks could have significant repercussions. Working with cleaners who are accustomed to the nuances of STR cleaning will likely be a better match for understanding your requirements and limitations.
  
• Does the cleaner have their own insurance?
  This is important because they are being hired as a contractor. Robison explains that Airbnb host insurance does not cover damage caused by cleaners. As such, it’s important for each cleaner and cleaning company to carry General Liability Insurance to protect against damages. Insurance is relatively inexpensive for cleaners and can cost as little as $18/mo.
  
• Can they provide references?
  PReferences can speak to the cleaner's reliability and willingness to receive feedback, both of which are essential to building a successful working relationship.
  
• Can they send links to rentals they are cleaning?
  This allows the operator to see what guests are saying about their work. If there are mentions of cleaning issues or poor cleaning ratings, you know this isn’t your partner. At Bonnie and a Broom, the team is looking for cleanliness ratings of 4.9 or higher! Remember: the goal is to make it look like no one has ever stayed at a property when the next guest arrives. Plus, guests value cleanliness so if they see a low rating, they will choose to stay elsewhere so poor cleaning may impact future bookings. Robison recommends that you use caution as this is not a perfect indicator of that cleaner’s talent. Many times, properties will have multiple cleaners. However, using these ratings still gives a high level of understanding of the quality of each clean.
  
• Does the individual receive feedback well?
  No one will be perfect the first time they clean a property. But openness to correction is key to every cleaner’s success.
  

Incorporate hands-on training and inspections to ensure 5-star cleans

Once the right cleaners are in place, it’s important to ensure they are properly trained for success. Our experts agree that hands-on training is the way to go. Schedule new hires on a clean with a seasoned cleaner and have them work together on their first clean. This way the veteran cleaner can provide feedback to the new cleaner as they go, answer any questions, and provide guidance throughout the day.

Once the new cleaner is ready to tackle their first solo clean, here are a few tips to instill confidence, while setting the cleaner up for success.

• Set expectations that you understand the first clean likely won’t be perfect.
  
• Provide a checklist so the cleaner understands what is expected of them.
• Walk the property and identify what is most important to your brand.
• Leave the property while they are cleaning to give them space to work, but let them know when you’ll be returning to review their work and give feedback.
  
• Upon your return, walk through the property together and highlight the positives you see while providing specific feedback on what needs to be addressed or could be improved on the next clean.

Adding inspections or quality assurance measures as part of your operational process is another way to ensure brand standards are met and increase confidence in property readiness. Inspectors provide another set of eyes on the property, verify the cleaner’s work, and prepare the property for arrival (think turning lights on, opening curtains, etc). If issues are found, the inspector can resolve them on their own or if it’s more substantial, the cleaner can be called back for resolution, but in either scenario, the issue has been resolved before the guest arrives thus reducing guest issues. When quality control measures are being taken, operators can rest assured their team is taking care of everything.

To learn more about the value of inspectors, register for our ELEVATE webinar on October 24th, “Transforming Vacation Rental Operations with Effective Inspections.”

The critical role checklists play in the success of both cleaners and property managers

Checklists offer guidance on what to do while in a property for a turnover. These step-by-step instructions ensure expectations are aligned and reduce confusion while serving as a training tool for onboarding new cleaners. Byrd shared that they include photos that cleaners can reference so their team knows how each property should look upon completion. This ensures guests’ expectations are met upon arrival and sets the tone for a positive stay.

Additionally, Byrd mentioned she incorporates property specific requirements into checklists to accommodate requests of the individual owner or host that go above and beyond their standard process. While Bonnie and a Broom does try to limit the number of property-specific requirements they allow, Robison recognizes the unique amenities of rental homes is one of the many reasons travelers choose STRs, and being able to efficiently track and service these requests is an important part of their business. That said, Robison suggests consistency in presentation whenever possible, specifically across large portfolios of homes. It’s important to avoid leaving 3 rolls of toilet paper in Bathroom A and 2 rolls in Bathroom B. If a cleaner knows that every bathroom in your portfolio gets 2 rolls of toilet paper, 1 bar of soap, etc that will allow them to be more efficient and reduce error, even though they’re working off of checklists.

Another benefit of checklists is that your team can document the work they do. Byrd recommends cleaners submit photos post-clean for quality control and reminds the cleaners that this is insurance for them as well! In the event of guest complaints or insurance claims, operators can easily access and review the clean report to confirm the work that was done (and more often than not, the work that was done correctly!) to dispute claims.

Cleaning is hard work and often goes unappreciated so giving recognition is essential. Happy employees work harder, so don’t shy away from giving credit where it’s due. At Bonnie and a Broom, they give praise regularly and publicly, and we think that’s pretty impressive! Clean properties can make or break the profitability of your rental business, so selecting the right partners, training them well, and ensuring they have the tools for success is critical.

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