Airbnb Host Checklist

Looking for an Airbnb Host Checklist? – this article will help you plan this aspect of your vacation rental operations.

Streamlining your property care and operations eliminates the pain points and challenges of vacation rental property care, takes the guess work out of your cleaning and maintenance tasks and fine-tunes your processes to ensure smooth operations and meet rising guest expectations with ease.

Travelers are taking to the road again, yet with stronger caution and a new set of expectations when it comes to cleanliness, safety and the prevention of Covid. Cleanliness is now a top priority for travelers selecting vacation accommodation and offering your guests a safe and sanitized stay is sure to give your brand a competitive advantage.

Take the guess work out your cleaning process by creating a detailed, fine-tuned housekeeping checklist template that allows you to set clear expectations for your cleaning crew, establish and maintain consistent standards across your portfolio, eliminate human error, ensure all essential tasks are completed and get you five-star cleanliness reviews!

You may be charging a cleaning fee, but it’s still reasonable to request your guests do a certain amount of clean up prior to departure. Provide your guests with a departure checklist letting them know that while tidying up is appreciated, no cleaning is necessary. This sets a fair expectation between the guest and property manager. Below are examples you can reasonably request from your guests.

• Wash dishes and run the dishwasher
• Dispose of all garbage in the allocated area
• Remove all used bedding
• Place dirty linen and towels in laundry room/bathroom
• Return all furniture to its original location
• Turn off appliances, lights and gas outlets
• Check for personal items
• Close and lock all doors

This is the most important aspect of your cleaning process. Your cleaning team need to be trained thoroughly to follow all approved cleaning and sanitization protocols. The departure clean includes not only a deep clean and sanitizing but laundering all linens, tracking inventory, restocking essentials, basic maintenance checks of smoke detectors, air filters and smart devices, photographing and reporting damages, and preparing the home for the next guest. This should be a key part of your Airbnb host checklist.

Your team should work their way through the home room by room, covering every square foot of the property, airing out the home and sanitizing all high-touch surfaces with extra care. Providing your team with a departure cleaning check list ensures “no stone is left unturned” and a consistent standard is maintained throughout your portfolio of properties.

Kitchen:

Living Areas:

• Empty, clean and sanitize refrigerator
• Load, run, empty and clean dishwasher
• Ensure all cooking utensils and dishware are clean
• Clean inside, outside, under and behind all appliances
• Ensure all appliances are in working order
• Take inventory and restock supplies
• Remove all trash and sanitize trash can
• Sanitize and freshen drains
• Sanitize all countertops, tables and cabinets
• Sanitize all high-touch surfaces (handles, light switches)
• Sweep, mop and disinfect floors

• Wash throw pillow covers, blankets, tablecloths, napkins
• Dust all surfaces, windowsills, picture frames, bookshelves
• Sanitize all surfaces and high-touch areas
• Vacuum floors, area rugs and sofas
• Sweep, mop and disinfect floors
• Clean and check fireplaces

Bedrooms & Bathrooms:

Laundry:

• Clean washer and dryer
• Sanitize all surfaces
• Replenish laundry detergent
• Organize linen closet

• Clean swimming pool and hot tub
• Clean and check gas on BBQ grill
• Check all exterior safety equipment
• Clean and store outdoor furniture
• Attend to yard work

Exterior:

Maintenance Tasks (as required):

• Clean swimming pool and hot tub
• Clean and check gas on BBQ grill
• Check all exterior safety equipment
• Clean and store outdoor furniture
• Attend to yard work

• Check window blinds and cords and wash windows
• Safety checks on extinguishers, carbon monoxide detectors, smoke alarms, noise detectors, security cameras, door locks, alarm systems and light sensors
• Exterior maintenance on gutters, roof, sprinklers and irrigation
• Replace heating and AC filters, check fireplaces and furnaces

If it’s a quick turnover, the pre-arrival inspection can be done at the time of the departure cleaning. If time has lapsed between reservations, it’s always sensible to do a quick pre-arrival inspection, spot clean and air the home prior to guest arrival, make sure the home is guest ready (seasonal décor, outdoor furniture, beach gear, gift baskets) and create a warm, welcoming atmosphere and excellent first impression for your guests.

Recent research shows that 70% of travelers look at reviews on cleanliness before booking a stay, up from 40% prior to Covid. Cleanliness is a top priority for travelers and should now be a top priority for property managers to remain competitive. Managing your property care and operations doesn’t need to be time consuming or laborious! Implementing a simple property care solution allows you to assign cleaning and maintenance tasks, monitor inventory in each home, interact with your team, report damages with images and stay up to date with the cleaning status of each property in real-time.

Find out how PropertyCare.com can help streamline your vacation rental property care process with the award-winning vacation rental Property Care & Guest Communication Platform.