← All posts · September 27, 2026 · 9 min read

How to start an Airbnb cleaning business (turnover checklist + pricing)

An Airbnb cleaning business resets short-term rentals between guests: new linens, restocked supplies, a spotless kitchen and bathroom, and a quick report to the host. To start one, set a flat price per turnover by the size of the rental, build a turnover checklist your cleaners follow every time, and win your first hosts through people you already know. Hosts book again after every checkout, so a few good properties can fill your week.

This guide covers what a turnover clean includes, how tight the timing is, how to price it, where to find Airbnb cleaning jobs, and how to handle keys, codes and damage. If you're starting from zero, read how to start a cleaning business first for the registration, insurance and setup basics.

How Airbnb turnover cleaning is different

A turnover clean is a standard clean with a hotel job on top. You clean the home, and you also get it ready for the next guest to walk in and feel like nobody stayed there before them. Three things set it apart from regular house cleaning:

• A hard deadline. The next guest arrives at check-in time whether you're done or not. Late means a bad review for the host, and a host who stops booking you.
• Staging and restocking. Beds made to the host's standard, towels folded the same way every time, coffee, soap and toilet paper topped up.
• Reporting. The host usually isn't there. You're their eyes: damage, missing items, things left behind, supplies running low.

The upside: turnovers repeat every time a guest checks out. A host with a busy listing needs you again and again, which makes vacation rental cleaning one of the steadiest kinds of work in the business.

Short-term rental cleaning checklist (room by room)

Write one checklist per property, because every host has their own setup. Start from this and add the host's specifics: where the spare linens live, how the towels are folded, what goes on the welcome table. Our free house cleaning checklist covers the room-by-room cleaning. The list below adds the turnover-specific steps.

On arrival

• Walk through every room before you clean. Photograph any damage, stains or missing items straight away, before anything gets moved.
• Check for lost items: phone chargers, jewelry, clothes, kids' toys. Bag and label them.
• Strip every bed that was used, and collect all used towels, bath mats and kitchen towels.
• Start the first load of laundry if you're washing on site. It sets the pace for the whole clean.

Kitchen reset

• Empty the dishwasher or wash, dry and put away any dishes. Put every item back where the host keeps it.
• Clear the fridge of guest food (follow the host's rule on unopened items), and wipe the shelves.
• Wipe counters, the stovetop, the microwave inside and out, the coffee maker and the sink.
• Restock coffee, tea, dish soap, sponges, paper towels and trash bags to the host's par levels.

Bathrooms

• Clean and disinfect the toilet, shower, tub, sink and counters. Check the drains for hair.
• Polish mirrors and fixtures. Guests notice water spots.
• Hang fresh towels and a fresh bath mat, folded the same way every time.
• Restock toilet paper, shampoo, conditioner, body wash and hand soap.

Bedrooms and living areas

• Make every bed with fresh linens. Check the mattress protector and pillows for stains.
• Dust surfaces, nightstands, lamps and the TV. Wipe light switches, door handles and remotes.
• Check under beds and couches, in drawers and closets for trash and left-behind items.
• Reset furniture, pillows and throws to match the listing photos.

Trash, floors and the finish

• Empty every trash can and recycling bin, and take it out following the building or city rules.
• Vacuum, then mop hard floors, working toward the door.
• Stage the welcome items: guidebook, Wi-Fi card, any welcome treat the host provides.
• Set the thermostat and lights the way the host wants, lock up, and check the lock or keypad works.

Report to the host

• Text the host that the unit is ready.
• Send photos of any damage, lost items and supplies that are running low.
• Note anything that needs a repair: a dripping tap, a dead bulb, a broken hanger.

Timing between checkout and check-in

Hosts set their own checkout and check-in times, and a common pattern is checkout late morning and check-in mid-afternoon. That leaves a window of a few hours, and on busy weekends you may have several units with the same window. A few rules keep you on time:

• Get the calendar, not just the job. Ask each host to send upcoming checkouts as soon as they're booked. Many hosts can add you as a co-host or share their calendar, so you see new bookings without chasing.
• Time your first few turnovers at each property. A studio and a four-bedroom house are different jobs. Once you know the real time, you know how many units one cleaner can handle in one window.
• Plan laundry around the window. Laundry is usually the slowest part. Either keep a second set of linens at each property so you swap and wash later, or take linens with you and bring them back clean next time.
• Keep a backup cleaner. Guests don't wait. When someone is sick, you need a second person who already knows the property.

How to price Airbnb cleaning

Charge a flat price per turnover, by the size of the rental. Don't quote hosts by the hour. They want one number they can build into their cleaning fee, and a flat price rewards you for getting faster at each property.

A turnover is a standard clean plus restocking, staging and reporting, so the standard (recurring) column of the price table is a sensible starting point. Here it is, from our free Road to 10K guide:

Rules that keep turnovers profitable:

• Never go below $150. That's the standard-clean minimum. A small studio still needs travel time, restocking and a report.
• First visit is a deep clean. A property that hasn't had a professional clean takes much longer the first time. After that, move to the turnover price.
• Charge laundry separately. $25 a load if you wash the linens and towels. A two-bedroom rental is often two or three loads.
• Price the extras. Inside the oven $50, inside the fridge $50, a sink of dishes left by guests $25, pet hair $25 per pet. Agree with the host up front which ones apply.
• Hold the price when the checkout days are irregular. The recurring discounts in the guide (5%, 15%, 20%) are for fixed schedules. A host who books you after every checkout isn't a fixed weekly client, so quote the standard price.
• Price very messy checkouts as heavy duty. Agree in writing what counts as a party or extra-mess clean, so you're not arguing about it on the day.

Example (your numbers will be different): a 1,000 sq ft, two-bedroom condo. Turnover $150, plus two loads of laundry at $25 each, is $200 per checkout. If the job takes your cleaner about 2.5 hours and you pay per job at around $35 for each hour of work, that's roughly $88 to the cleaner, before supplies and travel. Our cleaning price calculator gives you the base price for any size, and how much to charge for house cleaning explains the cost floor behind these numbers.

How to find Airbnb cleaning jobs and hosts

Start warm, then go wider. Your first hosts should come from people who already trust you.

1. People you already know. Send a short personal video or message to everyone in your phone and on your social accounts: you're starting a turnover cleaning business, and you'd love an introduction to anyone who hosts. Friends of hosts are the fastest way in.
2. Local host groups. Most cities have Facebook groups and meetups for short-term rental hosts. Hosts post there when their cleaner quits. Join, be helpful, and answer those posts quickly.
3. Co-hosts and property managers. One co-host or manager may run five, ten or more listings. They care about reliability above everything. Show up with your checklist, your insurance certificate and a clear price per unit size.
4. Hosts in your area directly. Look at listings near you. Many list a co-host or management company in the listing. Contact the company, not the guest-facing inbox.
5. Realtors and small landlords. Investors buying rentals to list on Airbnb need a cleaner before their first guest.

When you talk to a host, sell reliability first. Hosts live and die by their reviews, and "cleanliness" is one of the ratings guests leave. Offer to do the first turnover, send the report, and let the result speak. For more ways to fill your calendar, see how to get clients for a cleaning business.

Recurring schedules and steady turnover work

Turnover work comes in two shapes. Some hosts have a steady pattern, like every Sunday checkout, and you can hold a regular slot for them. Others book at random, and you clean after every checkout they send you.

• Agree on notice. Ask for checkout dates as soon as a guest books, and set a cut-off for same-day requests.
• Hold slots for your biggest hosts. A property manager with several units is worth protecting. Keep their busy days open.
• Mix in regular house cleaning. Turnovers peak on weekends and in the travel season. Recurring house cleaning clients fill the weekdays and the slow months.
• Stay in touch in slow months. A quick check-in text before the season starts keeps you top of mind when bookings pick up.

Keys, codes and damage reporting

You're trusted with access to someone else's property. Treat it that way:

• Keys and codes. Most rentals use a smart lock or a lockbox. Share codes only with the cleaner assigned to that job, never in a group chat. If there's a physical key, label it with a code, not the address.
• Put the rules in writing. A short agreement with each host: what's included, the price, laundry, the extras, how much notice you need, and what happens with same-day requests.
• Report damage by text with photos. Have your cleaner take photos on their phone during the first walk-through and text them to you or the host the same day. Airbnb's damage claims have deadlines, so a fast report helps the host.
• Track lost-and-found items. Bag and label them, photograph them, and tell the host. Agree who ships them and who pays for postage.
• Get insured. Hosts and property managers often ask for proof of liability insurance before your first job. Requirements vary, so see cleaning business insurance and check your local rules.

Hiring cleaners for turnovers

Turnovers need people who are reliable, fast and detail-minded. Pay per job, aiming for your cleaners to earn $30–40 for every hour the job takes. Many cleaning businesses work with cleaners as independent contractors, with a signed cleaner agreement and a W-9. Train each cleaner at every property once, with the host's checklist, before they go alone.

Running it on BookedEZ

Hosts can book each turnover on your online booking page, see the price for their unit size and add-ons like laundry straight away, and save their card. It's charged after the clean, through your own Stripe account. Your cleaners see their jobs, addresses and checklists in the cleaner portal, and hosts get automatic reminders. Photos and damage reports still go by text from the cleaner's phone. See cleaning business software for what else to look for.

Common questions

How much should I charge for an Airbnb turnover clean?

A flat price per turnover by the size of the rental, starting from your standard-clean price for that square footage and never below $150. Add laundry at $25 a load if you wash the linens, and price the first visit as a deep clean.

How long does an Airbnb turnover clean take?

It depends on the size of the rental, how the guests left it and whether you do laundry on site. Time your first few turnovers at each property, then build your schedule and your cleaner's pay around the real numbers.

Do I need special insurance or a license to clean Airbnbs?

You need the same business registration and liability insurance as any cleaning business, and many property managers will ask for proof of insurance. Rules vary by state and city, so check with your Secretary of State and local licensing office. Our cleaning business license guide walks through it.

How do I find Airbnb cleaning jobs?

Start with people you already know who host or know hosts, then join local host groups, and contact co-hosts and property managers who run several listings. One property manager can fill several days of your week.

What should a cleaner report to the host after a turnover?

A short text when the unit is ready, with photos of any damage, missing items, lost-and-found items and supplies that are running low. Photos from the cleaner's phone, sent the same day, protect both you and the host.