How to Keep Your Vacation Rental Property Clean

Running a vacation rental property is a great source of passive income. If the place is nice, in a good location, and desirable to visitors, a vacation rental property can quickly turn into a money tree. Rental properties do require upkeep and attention, though. Neglecting your property can lead to decreased traffic, negative reviews, and significant loss of income. You could have the most updated property in the world, but if it’s dirty, that’s all your guests will remember. Here’s a guide on how to keep your vacation rental property clean.

Protect and clean your furniture

Furniture is a large investment, so keeping your existing furniture nice and usable for as long as possible would be wise. Try to invest in dark-colored or patterned furniture to help hide any potential stains. Another way to avoid wear and stains is to get slipcovers to fit your couches, chairs, ottomans, and other upholstered surfaces. These are great for protecting your furniture from stains and dirt.

Hire a professional cleaning service

This may seem like a frivolous luxury, but hiring a cleaning service is the best option to keep your vacation rental clean and sparkling for your guests. Remember, maintaining your space is more economical than having to fix it after a long period of neglect. Have a cleaning service come every two weeks for longer-term stays and in between all short-term stays. A professional cleaning service will also have access to equipment you would have to rent or purchase yourself. They can shampoo your carpets and rugs and steam your wooden flooring using powerful cleaners. Unless you plan to set out on cleaning adventures at your properties every week, it typically makes more financial sense to simply hire a service.

Do a walk-though before and after every guest stay

Between every guest stay, you or someone you trust—whether it’s an employee or another individual—should do a walk-through of the place. Keep a checklist of essentials to double-check with these items on it:

• Are there any broken or missing dishes?
• Are there clean sheets on the beds, and are the beds made nicely?
• Do the toilets work, and is there plenty of toilet paper?
• Do the showers get hot?
• Did the previous guests leave anything behind?
• Is the fridge empty and clean?

Pay attention to details

The details can make or break a vacation rental property, so you’ll want to check the incidentals regularly. Make sure you wash your furniture slipcovers every so often as well as anytime they get dirty. Check and replace the hand soap in the bathrooms, and clean the soap dispensers. Wipe down windowsills and baseboards every month or so to ensure mildew and mold don’t build up. Wipe down remote controls and light switches between every guest stay, and remind your cleaning service to do so every time they come, too.