A great guest experience starts before the guest walks in the door.
The moment your previous guests check out, the clock starts. You have a fixed window — usually 3–5 hours — to transform the space from “used” to “immaculate.” One missed task in that window can mean the difference between a 5-star review and a complaint.
This is the complete turnover checklist used by hosts managing high-occupancy properties. It’s organized by room, timed, and designed to be handed directly to your cleaner.
Why a Written Checklist Matters
“My cleaner is really good — they know what to do.”
This is the most common thing hosts say before they get their first cleanliness complaint.
The issue isn’t your cleaner’s skill. It’s cognitive load. A cleaner doing their 200th turnover is running on pattern recognition, not active attention. Pattern recognition is fast, but it skips edge cases — the inside of the microwave, the fingerprints on the sliding door glass, the soap scum in the corner of the shower.
A checklist converts “things you remember to do” into “things you verify you did.” That’s the difference between a 4.7 and a 4.9 cleanliness score.
What Happens When a Turnover Goes Wrong
Let’s be concrete about the stakes.
A single 3-star cleanliness review on Airbnb affects:
- Your overall rating (which affects your search placement)
- Your Superhost status (which affects your visibility and booking rate)
- Future guests reading the review (which affects conversion)
Hosts with 4.9 cleanliness scores earn an average of 18% more per year than hosts with 4.7 — mostly through better search placement and higher booking rates at the same price point.
The turnover checklist is one of the cheapest interventions in Airbnb hosting. The cost is 5 minutes to set up. The return is measured in occupancy rate.
The Complete Short-Term Rental Turnover Checklist
On Arrival (10–15 min)
Before your cleaner starts, this step catches damage and items left behind.
- Walk through the property noting damage or unusual mess
- Photograph any damage (timestamp important for Airbnb claims)
- Collect any guest items left behind (bag and label for storage)
- Start first load of laundry (sheets and towels)
- Text host with arrival photo + any issues found
- Check supply levels (toilet paper, soap, coffee, etc.) and note what needs restocking
Kitchen (30–35 min)
Guests judge kitchen cleanliness harder than anywhere else in the unit.
- Wash and completely dry all dishes, put away in correct locations
- Clean inside microwave — including turntable, walls, and door
- Wipe stovetop (lift grates if gas, remove drip pans if coil)
- Wipe oven exterior and handle
- Check inside refrigerator — remove leftover food, wipe shelves
- Clean sink, faucet, and drain area
- Wipe all countertops and backsplash
- Clean toaster (remove and empty crumb tray)
- Wipe coffee maker exterior, clean carafe
- Restock: paper towels, dish soap, sponge (replace if used), coffee/tea/sugar
- Empty trash and recycling, replace liners
- Sweep and mop floor
Common misses: inside the microwave, under the burners on gas stoves, the refrigerator water dispenser.
Primary Bathroom (20–25 min)
- Clean toilet: under rim, inside bowl, outside tank, base, floor around
- Scrub shower and/or tub — remove soap scum from walls, doors, and drain
- Clean showerhead (remove mineral buildup if visible)
- Clean mirror (streak-free — use a dry microfiber last)
- Wipe vanity, sink, and faucet
- Restock: toilet paper (minimum 3 rolls visible), hand soap, shampoo/conditioner if provided
- Hang fresh towels in hotel-style fold
- Empty trash and replace liner
- Sweep and mop floor
Common misses: soap scum on shower door tracks, toilet base and floor around it, exhaust fan grille.
Additional Bathrooms (15–20 min each)
Use the same checklist as the primary bathroom.
- Toilet (full clean including base and floor)
- Shower/tub
- Mirror
- Sink and vanity
- Restock consumables
- Fresh towels
- Trash
- Floor
Bedrooms (15 min each)
- Strip all bedding — sheets, pillowcases, mattress cover if needed
- Inspect mattress for stains
- Make bed with fresh linens — hospital corners or hotel fold
- Arrange pillows (4 pillows minimum for a queen or king)
- Wipe nightstands and lamps
- Dust ceiling fan blades (top side)
- Wipe baseboards if visibly dusty
- Check under bed (dust, items left behind)
- Check closet — ensure it’s clear of guest items, organize hangers
- Wipe windows, especially at hand height
- Vacuum carpets; sweep and mop hard floors
Common misses: under the bed, ceiling fan tops, inside the closet.
Living Spaces (25–30 min)
- Vacuum all upholstered surfaces — sofa cushions (remove and flip), chairs
- Wipe all hard surfaces: coffee table, end tables, TV stand
- Clean TV screen with appropriate cloth (no glass cleaner)
- Wipe down remotes
- Straighten decorative items, throw pillows, and blankets
- Clean windows and sliding doors at fingerprint height
- Dust shelves and any art frames
- Vacuum or sweep floors and mop hard floors
Outdoor Spaces (if applicable — 20 min)
- Wipe down patio furniture
- Clean grill (if present) — grates, exterior, drip tray
- Check for personal items left by guests
- Sweep patio or deck
- Check for damage
- Restock: lighter/matches, fire pit wood (if applicable)
Laundry
- Complete all loads during the turnover (sheets and towels)
- Dry thoroughly — damp linens left in the machine cause mildew smell
- Fold and return to correct rooms or linen closet
- Wipe down washer and dryer exterior
Final Walkthrough (15 min)
This is the most important step. Do it after everything else is done, before locking up.
- Turn on every light and check for burned-out bulbs
- Walk through each room as a guest would — look for anything out of place
- Open and close all windows and doors — ensure they latch properly
- Check thermostat setting
- Verify TV and WiFi instructions are visible
- Check that all welcome items are in place (welcome note, snacks if provided)
- Photograph each room for your records (dated)
- Lock all doors and windows
- Text host: “Done, photos sent” with a photo of the front entrance
Setting Turnover Timing by Property Size
| Property | Minimum Time | Buffer Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| Studio | 90 min | 30 min |
| 1-bedroom | 1.5–2 hours | 30–45 min |
| 2-bedroom | 2.5–3 hours | 45–60 min |
| 3-bedroom | 3.5–4 hours | 60 min |
| 4+ bedrooms | 5+ hours | 60+ min |
| Properties with pools/hot tubs | Add 30–45 min | — |
Schedule checkout at least 3 hours before checkin for all but the smallest units. Same-day turnovers with tight windows are the single biggest source of cleanliness complaints.
Download the Free Printable Playbook
📋 The STR Turnover Day Playbook — Free PDF
All four phases on one printable page: cleaner briefing, room-by-room inspection, supply restock triggers with par levels, and a guest-ready sign-off form. Print it, hand it to your cleaner, and check off as you go.
How to Give This Checklist to Your Cleaner
Printing and handing over a paper checklist works, but it has limits:
- No confirmation the checklist was followed
- No photos of the completed work
- No timestamp showing when they arrived and left
- Hard to update when you add a new property or change a task
A digital checklist solves all of these. Your cleaner accesses it via a link on their phone, checks off tasks as they go, and optionally uploads a photo of each room. You see the completion status in real time.
StayReady sends the checklist automatically when a turnover is scheduled — no manual forwarding required. Start free →