What No One Admits about Airbnb Cleaners
Along with cohosting, I also have cleaned short term rentals. So I will be sharing some facts that people are hush hush about.
Thank God it is a lot easier to find a cleaner for your short term rental. As the Airbnb industry has recently exploded the last few years, plenty of cleaning companies now advertise cleaning str’s.
That is great for you as a host but remember this when hiring and managing your cleaners:
The best Airbnb cleaner isn’t always the one with the most Airbnb experience.
What matters more is finding a cleaning company who understands they are the eyes and ears of your property.
Here’s the reality:
Airbnbs demand A LOT of care and attention. There’s the basic cleaning checklist: floors mopped, dished washed,furniture wiped, etc. Now add Airbnb cleaning: restocking supplies, linens/towels washed, beds made like a hotel, etc.
NOW add the details that cleaners need to report and/or fix:
The doorlock is audibly saying “can’t close door,”
The cabinet isn’t closing all the way,
The TV’s aren’t connected to the wifi,
The linens and towels are stained but it wasn’t stained last time,
The toilet holder needs to be tightened,
There’s a tear in the window screen, etc.
The list goes on and on.
Not to mention taking the time to upload 20-50 photos on Turno. Trust me-this takes ALOT of time.
And here’s what no one really says out loud:
Your cleaners become borderline property managers, without the title OR pay.
You need them to be. They will be at the property more often than you or guests. Hiring them for small tasks will be MUCH cheaper than hiring a handyman or vendor.
They are first and foremost cleaners.
Cleaners have tunnel vision, one objective only. You guessed it, it’s to clean. They are not fully invested in reporting every single thing to you. Nor are they necessarily always going to know something is worthy of reporting. For example, a toilet water was running for days on end. No one thought to report it since it wasn’t overflowing. Then of course, you may be needing them to do the repair, because as mentioned earlier, cleaners doing tasks are much more cheaper than hiring a tech or handyman.
As much as you need them to be handyman literate, cleaners just aren’t. Unless of course they have a handy person on their team.
Cleaners get jaded.
A lot of housekeepers don’t want to lose the business, they want to provide great service, and sometimes that means they’ll say yes to things more than they probably should. For us hosts, that does benefit us but keep this all in mind when they miss an important detail that is outside of standard cleaning.
Cleaners with lots of experience are most likely used to the odd requests you will have them do, (Anything above standard cleaning falls under the special requests) BUT they may be jaded or at capacity after years of always having to do more than their job description.
What’s important for you to do:
Maintain a great relationship with your cleaners. Be clear with what you’d like them to pay attention to.
Here’s what else you can do:
-Pay per extra task outside of the standard cleaning checklist.
-Pay a flat monthly fee for cleaners to have an official role of helping maintain the home.
- Remember, they are going above and beyond their cleaning duties.
Now please note that some of my best cleaners have zero experience with doing anything handy and don’t do any of the repairs as I have a designated boots on the ground helper. What makes them the best is that they report everything. They pay attention to detail. They understand we rely on them. Because again, they know they are the eyes and ears of the property.
Final thoughts:
Hosts need their housekeepers to do way more than standard cleaning. Cleaners may or may not be capable/or willing to do these things. It’s important to have patience with your cleaners.
As someone who cohosts and has str cleaning experience, I hope this gives you more insight into the real dynamic between hosts and cleaners.
Here at Zabrina’s Homestays, we’ve worked with cleaners across the US and understand the importance of curating and maintaining a great work relationship with them. We are the ones who coordinate with them and communicate with them the most. We maintain partnerships that help provide a smooth operation for your short term rental.
If you’re an owner/host looking for someone to take cleaner coordination off of your plate, we’d love to help. Learn more about my cohosting services at Zabrina’s Homestays. Talk to you soon!
