Managing Vacation Rental Cleaning: An Essential Guide

One of the key aspects of running a successful vacation rental is ensuring cleanliness is top notch. You can do this yourself, or outsource cleaning services to help. In this guide, we’ll take you through why cleaning is so important and what you need to know for maintaining cleanliness standards.

Scheduling and frequency of vacation rental cleaning

So, how often do you need to schedule a vacation rental cleaning service to come and look after your property? Well, that depends on various factors:

Booking turnover

How often you have guests in your short term rentals plays a big part in how often you need cleaning. If you have back-to-back bookings, you'll obviously need more regular cleanings. However, spending money on this service is less necessary if there are longer gaps. But you might need to book a deep clean before your next guests arrive.

Guest expectations

You can't read the mind of all your vacation rental guests, but you should still consider their expectations. Think about the type of guests that stay in your location and type of property. How often will they want the property cleaned? Every day while they're staying there? Or maybe they are fine with a clean before and after. This can help you determine the frequency.

Property size and complexity

More cleaning tasks are required with bigger properties, so it will take longer if you book a few deep cleans throughout the year. It can also become a hassle for the team members looking after the cleaning process. Therefore, you might want to book more regular cleanings if the job is more complex and your vacation home is bigger.

Peak and off-peak seasons

This is similar to the booking turnover consideration. In peak seasons, you will likely have more bookings so you will need more regular cleaning. However, there might be longer gaps in off-peak seasons, so a deep clean every now and then might be all you need.

Property condition and cleanliness standards

When starting up your vacation home and rental business, you should keep an eye out on the property's condition after the first few guests' stay. It will give you a good idea of the property's condition, which can help you determine the services needed by the cleaning staff and how often you need them.

Pricing and cost considerations for vacation rental cleaning

While you might want to avoid considering the cleaning fee that comes with owning and managing rental properties, you need to address it. Here are some of the factors that might affect how much you have to pay:

Property size and complexity

Vacation rentals come in all shapes and sizes, and there isn't a set cleaning price for them all. Of course, if your property is bigger, team members will need to spend more time cleaning it. This will contribute to the overall cleaning fee.

Level of cleaning required

Turnover cleaning will cost less than deep cleaning because they require different cleaning levels. The type of service you opt for will affect the price too, so you need to determine whether you need a basic clean or a higher level of attention.

Additional services

If you need the cleaning staff to go above and beyond by completing additional tasks often done by a property manager, they will undoubtedly charge you extra. This could be shopping for supplies or inspecting the property.

Frequency of cleaning

The more you need the cleaning team to handle your property, the more they will charge you. However, if you are considering booking them regularly and for the long term, you might be able to negotiate a discounted rate.

Local market rates

If you have a property in one state and another further away, you might notice that the professional vacation rental cleaning fees differ. This is because of the local market rates, so you might want to research them beforehand to get a good idea of the pricing.
 

Tips for building a long-term relationship with a cleaning service provider

Owning and managing a vacation rental property isn't a short-term job, so you want to ensure a solid long-term relationship with the cleaning staff. Here are a few ways you can guarantee this:

• Be in constant communication with the cleaning business and clearly state your expectations.
• Provide the cleaning staff with accurate booking information, clear instructions, guidelines, and timely payments.
• Display a high level of respect for the cleaning staff by displaying appreciation for their hard work and customer service.
• Offer regular feedback and constructive criticism to the team while also encouraging them to give you feedback on improvements.
• Consider signing a long-term contract with the cleaning service once you are happy they are the option for you.
• Maintain a degree of flexibility with the cleaning service provider and be aware that unforeseen circumstances might lead to schedule adjustments.

DIY cleaning vs. professional cleaning: Pros and cons

If you're still on the cusp of deciding whether you want to hire a professional service for turnover cleaning or more, it's always a good idea to compare it to DIY cleaning.

DIY cleaning

Pros:

• Opting to clean the rental properties yourself is much less expensive as you don't have to pay any fees, which can increase your overall profit.
• There won't be set times in place for services, meaning you can choose the schedule and handle the cleaning tasks at your own pace.
• You know your property best, so you will know how you want it cleaned. With your intimate knowledge of the rental, you can clean it according to your preferences.

Cons:

• Cleaning vacation rentals can take up a large portion of your time, especially when you have a property manager's tasks to handle as well. This can decrease your efficiency and affect the stay of your rental guest.
• You most likely don't have the same specialized training as professional vacation rental cleaners, so you might be unable to complete the job at the same level. If you want to do it yourself, you should build experience and purchase the right products before starting.
• Spending hours going through a cleaning checklist, purchasing toilet paper, and making improvements to the property can put a lot of strain on a person. The job also comes with safety risks and heavy lifting, which could harm you in the long term.

Professional cleaning

Pros:

• Professional cleaning staff specialize in looking after vacation rentals due to their years of training and expertise. They work using the highest standards, providing you with the ultimate result for your vacation rental guests.
• Putting the task of turnover cleaning and deep cleaning on others will save you a lot of time. You don't have to worry about whether the property is clean but rather focus on other tasks that will improve the efficiency of your business.
• All cleaning team members come with their own equipment and supplies, which puts a lot less on you. You can also rest assured that they will use the best products to help achieve the highest level of cleanliness and hygiene.

Cons:

• These services come with a cleaning fee, which will add to the overall expenses of your vacation property. The price is not always the same, as it can change depending on the service and location.
• You can't expect the cleaning staff to turn up with the snap of your fingers whenever you want. You have to schedule the services in advance, which means it might be difficult if you need an emergency cleaning.
• Professional cleaning services require access to your property, so you must trust them. It might take longer to secure a good company as you have to go through various hurdles like background checks and insurance.