Great cleaners are the backbone of short term rental guest satisfaction and review quality
Hiring a cleaner is only the first step, because retention and consistency over time matter just as much
Strong communication and clear expectations between you and your cleaning staff will reduce turnover issues
Every host remembers the scramble of an early turnover. You’re halfway through wiping the counters when the next guest messages to say they’ve arrived early. The bins aren’t out, the towels are still in the wash, and you’re wondering if this is really sustainable.
A reliable cleaner changes everything. When someone shows up on time, follows a consistent process, and takes pride in the final result, turnovers stop being stressful. Still, finding that kind of support for a great guest experience isn’t always straightforward. Missed cleans, inconsistent staging, and last-minute cancellations can quickly derail operations.
In this blog, we’ll walk through five practical tips to help you find, train, and retain quality Airbnb cleaners.
Cleaners are often the last people in before a guest walks through the door. They’re resetting the space, spotting damage, refilling supplies, and making sure everything looks and feels guest-ready. When something gets missed, you deal with the fallout.
Many hosts don't realise till it's too late that missed details aren’t minor. In fact, they’re expensive.
One hair in the shower or a sticky fridge handle can lead to a refund, a public complaint, or a drop in your listing’s visibility. Guests notice everything, and booking platforms do too. Vetting Airbnb cleaners carefully keeps your turnover routine tight and your standards consistent. So, here are five things to consider when you're hiring new cleaners.
Automated guest messages keep your guest informed from booking through to check-out. They’re designed to answer questions before they arise, saving you time whilst keeping your guests happy.
Before posting a job or asking around, get specific. Not every cleaner is ready for the pace and pressure of short-term rentals. You’re hiring someone to reset a guest-ready space under tight timelines, not just wipe down surfaces. A clear picture of the role keeps your expectations in check and helps you avoid slow-downs later.
Cleaning companies bring structure, backup coverage, and set schedules. They work well when you’re managing multiple properties and can’t babysit availability. But they often cost more, and you don’t always get the same person at each property. Independent cleaners give you more control over who shows up and how they work, but if someone cancels last-minute, you could be scrambling.
Think about the setup. If your listings are close to each other and bookings are steady, a solo cleaner or small team might be enough. For properties spread across cities or calendars packed with quick turnovers, a larger team with built-in backup can save hours of stress.
Short-term rental turnover isn’t the same as standard house cleaning. Cleaners with STR experience already know the expectations, like fast turnarounds, high attention to detail, and no room for missed spots. Many act as a second set of eyes between guests, catching damage, restocking supplies, or flagging problems before guests ever notice.
Hotel or hospitality backgrounds are a bonus. They’re familiar with the level of polish guests expect and already work well with checklists, timelines, and inspections.
You’re not hiring for one spotless clean. You’re hiring for a reliable process that repeats itself across every property, every time. When vetting Airbnb cleaners, focus on the ability to perform well under pressure, follow a system, and maintain the same standards week after week.
Look for someone who can:
Work fast without cutting corners: With 11 a.m. checkouts and 3 p.m. check-ins, speed matters, but so does doing the job right.
Stick to the checklist: No guessing, no missed steps. A consistent routine protects your reviews.
Speak up when something’s off: If supplies run low or a guest damages furniture, you need to know before the next check-in.
The right cleaner becomes part of your operations, not just someone who shows up on turnover day, so it's worth getting clear on expectations in advance.
Cleaners notice how they're treated. A flat rate with a long checklist isn’t much of an incentive, especially when every guest expects hotel-level polish in four hours or less. When vetting Airbnb cleaners, you’re also signaling how you run your operation, and fair pay and clear expectations go a long way.
Flat fees only hold up when the workload stays consistent. Quick touch-ups after a single-night stay aren’t the same as deep scrubs after a two-week booking with kids, pets, and five bags of trash. Back-to-backs come with extra pressure, especially when laundry, staging, and supply restocking all need to happen by check-in. Paying more for heavier jobs keeps the work flowing and the quality consistent.
Cleaners remember who respects their time and effort. Offering bonuses for last-minute availability or five-star cleaning reviews gives them a reason to bump your listing to the top of their schedule. It also builds trust, when they know you’ll pay fairly and communicate clearly, they’re more likely to call out damage, report missing items, or ask smart questions instead of guessing.
Manage short-term rentals & bookings, message guests, take payment, and so much more. All in one easy-to-use platform (that never double-books).
Even the most reliable cleaner can’t meet standards they’ve never seen. When you’re running multiple rentals and every hour matters, vague instructions cost time, reviews, and trust.
Start with a detailed checklist for each room in every property. Write clear, specific steps based on the layout, guest count, and quirks of each space. If the downstairs bathroom fan needs to stay on after every clean, or the top bunk needs extra safety checks, include that too. Assume nothing’s obvious.
Add photos to show exactly what you want. A checklist tells your cleaner what to do, but a visual reference shows how it should look. Include photos of made beds, folded towels, throw pillow placement, stocked coffee stations, and how curtains should hang. Show the fridge empty and wiped down. Show the toilet lid closed. When your cleaner doesn’t have to guess, they’ll move faster and make fewer mistakes.
Timelines should be just as clear. Don’t just say “before check-in.” Be specific about when cleaners can enter, when they need to finish, when to report delays, and what to do if a guest hasn’t left. If you expect post-clean photos or a final walk-through, include that in the routine. Add a sample photo of what that final walkthrough should capture.
Cleaners represent your brand at the most important moment, right before guests walk in. Without a clear way to track performance, standards slip fast, especially across multiple listings. Accountability isn't about micromanaging; it's about giving your team the structure they need to deliver consistent results.
Start with tools that handle task assignments automatically. Using a centralized messaging platform like Uplisting means no back-and-forth texts, no missed jobs, and no guessing who’s responsible for which property. You can also include instructions directly in the job, so cleaners know exactly what to expect before they arrive.
With a reliable VRM solution you can trust, Uplisting can help you grow your business without wasting time on double bookings, unhappy guests, upset clients and worrying what could go wrong next.
Scaling a short-term rental portfolio means handing off more responsibility and expecting others to care about the details as much as you do. Cleaners who show up on time, manage tight turnovers, and still catch a broken lamp or missing remote aren’t just doing a job. Treat them like the operational teammates they are.
Start with direct, respectful communication. Not just instructions or timelines, but actual conversations. Ask what’s working at each property. Ask what’s slowing them down. A lockbox that jams, a faucet that drips, or a cabinet that sticks, cleaners usually notice before anyone else. When their feedback leads to faster fixes, it sends a clear message: they’re part of keeping the business sharp.
When you're still vetting Airbnb cleaners, pay close attention to how they respond when asked for insights or offered consistent shifts. That reaction says a lot about how they'll operate when they’re handling real turnovers. Cleaners who value clear systems and honest communication usually become long-term partners.
And when someone saves a turnover on short notice, restocks without being asked, or catches damage before a guest complains, then say something! A quick thank-you or a small bonus shows you notice the effort. It builds trust, keeps quality high, and makes your operation easier to run at scale.
Hiring the right cleaners is one of the most impactful decisions you can make as a property manager. It’s not just about finding someone who can clean, rather it’s about building a reliable, repeatable system that supports your brand, protects your reviews, and keeps your operations running on schedule. When expectations are clear and communication is strong, your cleaning team becomes a core part of your guest experience.
Attracting and retaining the best cleaners starts with knowing what to look for, offering fair pay, and treating the role with the professionalism it deserves. With the right structure in place, like checklists, centralized messaging, accountability tools, and respectful partnerships, you can scale with confidence, knowing your properties are in good hands every time a guest checks in.
Ready to bring more consistency and control to your STR operations? Sign up for Uplisting to streamline your vacation rental management.
Some of the largest short-term rental operators (with 250+ properties) rely on Uplisting's software to scale their businesses.
Cleaning rates usually land between $60 and $150 per turnover. The final number depends on the property's size, how often it turns over, and where it's located. Larger homes, remote cabins, or deep cleans after long guest stays tend to cost more. In busy cities with tight check-in windows, rates often push higher because demand is constant and expectations are high.
To set a fair rate, look at what nearby listings charge for their cleaning fees. That gives you a starting point to work backwards from when deciding how much to pay your cleaners. If you're managing a growing portfolio, some cleaners will offer better pricing in exchange for regular work and predictable scheduling. Paying well upfront usually saves you from dealing with rushed jobs and unhappy guests later.
Absolutely. A written agreement ensures everyone knows what’s expected and helps avoid messy conversations down the line. Include details like payment terms, task lists, access instructions, and what happens if something gets missed or delayed. If you’re sharing entry codes, guest names, or anything sensitive, add a confidentiality section too.
A contract sets the tone right away. You’re running a professional operation, not winging it between bookings. Cleaners who take their work seriously typically appreciate knowing where they stand, and they’re more likely to stick around when things are clear from day one.
Mistakes happen. What matters is what you do next. If a cleaner forgets to wipe down the fridge, restock supplies, or fully reset the space, you need a plan in place before guests walk in. Ask for a re-clean immediately or send in a backup if the original cleaner can’t return in time. Document the issue so you have a record if a guest complaint follows.
Set clear thresholds for when a missed task becomes a bigger problem. One forgotten trash bin is fixable. Repeated issues across multiple properties? That’s a pattern. Track performance, follow up when you see inconsistencies, and don’t wait for a guest to tell you something’s wrong.
Once you're handling multiple listings, backup cleaners aren't optional. Someone will get sick, miss a message, or hit traffic at the worst time. Having a second cleaner ready to step in keeps your calendar moving and avoids last-minute chaos. Cleaners who know they’re part of a system—not just a one-off hire—tend to stick around and do better work.
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