How do you organise cleaning between bookings?

HostStack Team · Team discussion starter

HostStack Team — Team discussion starter. General information, not legal, tax or financial advice.

Treat a changeover as a handover with clear responsibility, not simply a calendar entry saying 'clean'. Confirm departure and arrival times, beds required, agreed tasks and who can authorise extra work. Give the cleaner a reliable way to flag a late departure before it consumes the available window.

Use one room-by-room checklist and a separate exception log. Start with an arrival inspection for damage, missing items and maintenance concerns; then complete cleaning, laundry, replenishment and final presentation checks. Agree who handles waste, outdoor areas and occasional deep-clean tasks so they do not fall between responsibilities.

Laundry can become the bottleneck. Plan enough clean linen for the beds being prepared, a spare set for problems and a route for taking used linen away. Keep clean and used stock separate. Record shortages early, rather than discovering them when the next guest is due.

Agree proportionate completion evidence: selected dated photographs and a checklist sign-off can help the host inspect the result remotely. Avoid photographing guest documents or belongings, restrict access to images and follow your retention policy. Photos are not a substitute for checking that equipment works or escalating a safety concern.

Have a contingency for sickness, access failure, missing linen and a property needing more time than expected. A backup cleaner needs the actual checklist and secure access arrangements. If readiness is uncertain, the responsible host should make the decision about guest communication and arrival timing. Review repeated exceptions together and adjust the plan rather than silently squeezing the clean.

Where does your changeover handover most often break down, and what practical change helped? Please share real experience without identifying guests or cleaners.