How to Turn Over a Vacation Rental Between Guests

A turnover is the few hours between one guest leaving and the next one arriving. Here is how to get every room guest ready in that window, every time.

By JueliaSuperhost for 5 years. Hosted in Tennessee, California and Oregon.

When you host, the turnover is where your reviews are won or lost. Guests decide how they feel about the whole stay in the first minute after they walk in. If the bathroom has hair in it or the bed looks tired, nothing else you do will fully make up for it.

I have hosted short term rentals in Tennessee, California and Oregon, and I learned a lot of this the hard way. What works is simple: the same checklist, in the same order, every single time, even when the home already looks clean.

Know your window

Most rentals have checkout around 11:00 AM and check in around 4:00 PM. That gives your cleaner about five hours. A clear order of work matters more than speed, because it stops steps from being skipped when time gets tight.

1. Arrival and prep

• Log the arrival time so pay is easy to track.
• Walk every room and photograph any damage before touching anything. This protects you and your cleaner.
• Open windows or turn on fans to air the space out.
• Strip every bed and start the first load of laundry right away, since laundry is usually the slowest step.
• Collect trash from every room and bag anything guests left behind.

2. Kitchen

• Unload the dishwasher, then run any dirty dishes.
• Wipe counters, backsplash, cabinet fronts, stovetop and microwave.
• Empty the fridge of guest food and wipe the shelves.
• Count plates, glasses and utensils so missing items get replaced before the next guests.
• Restock dish soap, sponges, paper towels and trash bags.

3. Bathrooms

Bathrooms are where guests look hardest. Remove every hair from drains, floors and surfaces, polish mirrors and fixtures until there are no streaks, set fresh towels for the next guest count, and leave a roll of toilet paper out plus spares. Check for leaks or a running toilet while you are there.

4. Bedrooms and living areas

• Check pillows and mattress protectors for stains before making the beds.
• Make beds tight with fresh linens and fluffed pillows.
• Look under beds and inside drawers and closets.
• Sanitize remotes, light switches and door handles.
• Reset furniture and pillows so the room matches your listing photos.

5. Final walkthrough

Before leaving, the cleaner should set the thermostat for arrival, put the welcome book out, test the door code, take a photo of every room and report anything that is running low. Final photos give you proof the home was ready if a guest ever says otherwise.

Make it stick

A checklist only works if it is used. Give every new cleaner the same list on day one, ask for photos at the end of every turnover, and keep supplies stocked so the cleaner is never stuck. When something gets missed, add it to the list instead of just reminding them once.