We found it to be hard. If you can find a company that specializes in vacation rental cleaning, then you might be ok to hire out. Extensive research of other listings in my location revealed that most Super Hots and Premier Hosts clean their own units. I reached out to these hosts to ask them how they handle their unit turnovers/cleaning. A handful of people had someone else clean their unit and it usually turned out that it was someone who had other vacation rental clients. We decided to cultivate an in-house team to turn our units. It’s been successful, but it’s not easy. This job entails much more than residential cleaning. The housekeepers must go above and beyond to provide additional services to make guests feel that the place was specially prepared and welcoming for them. For this, our cleaning staff earn the title of “Hospitality Host”.
Here are some differences:
- LAUNDRY: Washing linens and making beds precisely so that guests are confident and comfortable with the cleanliness of their sleeping area and towels that they will be using. The technique for hotel bed making is specific. There are several tutorials on Youtube.
- SANITIZING: Professional cleaning is one thing. The vacation rental upgrade is to clean then sanitize surfaces that other guests have touched. It’s our best defense against spreading germs, thus keeping our guests safe! Refer to CDC Guidelines for the best sanitizing solutions.
- INVENTORY: Inventory such as bath products, cleaning supplies, coffee and more are promised to our guests. Someone must make sure it’s stocked for incoming guests. The hospitality hosts will include any needed items on their clean report and will highlight urgent items. They also take a quick glance to document any missing or damaged items that need to be replaced for the next guest, or damage charged to security deposits.
- MECHANICS: During the turnover, the hospitality hosts check the smoke alarms and do a quick check to note any broken/malfunctioning things at the property. They will take pictures and detail what is needed, and in some cases, will fix it themselves. Like…. if the cabinet door is loose, they will use the screwdriver in the cleaning closet and make it happen without the need for a work order. Quite honestly the people who break the coffee carafes most are the cleaners, but when they do, it gets replaced. This would be another good topic for feedback. I’ll revert later.
- ACCESS: Part of this system is ensuring that the lock boxes work, and that the proper codes are programed for the incoming guests to ensure a smooth check-in.
All in all, this is the hardest job we have, but the most important. One thing vacation rental owners and operators must be able to do is provide a clean place for our guests to stay!
Check out this video from a guest who broke his coffee carafe. He did order a new one on his own and had it sent to our office for replacement. I thought that was very responsible of him! What about a stainless-steel percolator instead of a glass coffee pot? Let me know your thoughts. I just had two delivered to remote units where it’s hard to go the store for new coffee makers.
