Short-term rental cleaning checklist

The most useful checklists combine three things:

• tasks that must be completed after every stay
• property-specific instructions that explain exactly how things should be done
• periodic tasks that only need attention every few turnovers or at set intervals

Below is a practical checklist you can use as a starting point and adapt to your own property.

Before starting the turnover

Before cleaning begins, check anything that may affect the work required.

• Check whether the guest has fully checked out
• Open curtains or blinds and turn on lights where needed
• Check the property for damage or unusual mess
• Collect any belongings left behind by guests
• Check whether anything needs maintenance or replacement
• Make a note of low supplies before restocking
• Ventilate the property where appropriate

If something unusual is found, it is usually best to report it before cleaning continues. Photos can be useful when documenting damage, missing items or unusually heavy cleaning needs.

Kitchen cleaning checklist

The kitchen is one of the areas where small details are particularly noticeable to guests.

Surfaces

• Wipe and disinfect worktops
• Clean the dining table and chairs
• Wipe cabinet and drawer handles
• Remove crumbs and debris from visible surfaces
• Clean backsplashes where needed
• Wipe light switches and other frequently touched surfaces

Sink and appliances

• Clean and polish the sink and tap
• Empty and clean the dishwasher if needed
• Check that the dishwasher is empty
• Clean the hob
• Wipe the outside of the oven
• Clean the microwave inside and outside
• Wipe the refrigerator handles and exterior
• Check the refrigerator for food left by previous guests
• Clean the coffee maker or kettle
• Empty the toaster crumb tray where applicable

Kitchen supplies

Check and restock items provided to guests, for example:

• coffee
• tea
• sugar
• dishwasher tablets
• washing-up liquid
• kitchen roll
• bin bags
• sponges or cleaning cloths

The exact restocking level should be defined for each property rather than left to the cleaner to guess.

Floors and waste

• Empty all bins
• Replace bin liners
• Vacuum or sweep the floor
• Mop the floor
• Check corners and areas underneath movable furniture

Bathroom cleaning checklist

Bathrooms need both visible cleanliness and good hygiene.

Shower and bath

• Clean the shower or bath
• Remove hair from drains
• Clean shower screens or curtains
• Remove visible limescale and soap residue
• Check that the drain is running normally

Toilet and sink

• Clean and disinfect the toilet
• Clean the toilet seat, lid and flush area
• Clean and polish the sink and tap
• Wipe bathroom surfaces
• Clean mirrors
• Wipe frequently touched surfaces

Towels and supplies

• Remove used towels
• Put out the correct number of clean towels
• Replace bath mats if required
• Restock toilet paper
• Restock soap, shampoo or other guest supplies
• Check that spare supplies are available where intended

Final bathroom check

• Empty the bin
• Vacuum or sweep
• Mop the floor
• Check for hair on surfaces or floors
• Check that the bathroom smells fresh and clean
• Arrange towels and amenities according to the property's standard

Bedroom cleaning checklist

A clean bedroom should look intentionally prepared for the next guest, not simply cleaned.

Bed and linen

• Remove used bed linen
• Check the mattress and mattress protector
• Make the bed with clean linen
• Arrange pillows according to the property's standard
• Check the bed for hair or marks
• Replace decorative cushions or throws correctly

If the bed needs to be made in a specific way, a reference photo is often clearer than a written description.

Bedroom surfaces

• Dust bedside tables
• Wipe lamps and frequently touched surfaces
• Clean mirrors
• Check drawers and wardrobes for forgotten items
• Dust visible shelves and furniture
• Check underneath the bed

Floors and final setup

• Vacuum or sweep
• Mop where appropriate
• Position furniture correctly
• Close or arrange curtains and blinds as required
• Check lighting
• Confirm that the room looks guest-ready from the doorway

Living room and common areas

• Dust visible surfaces
• Wipe tables
• Arrange cushions
• Fold blankets or throws
• Clean mirrors and glass surfaces where necessary
• Check underneath sofas and chairs
• Remove rubbish
• Check for guest belongings
• Vacuum rugs and floors
• Mop hard floors
• Return furniture and decorative items to their correct positions
• Check that remote controls are present
• Check that lamps and essential equipment work

If your property has a defined appearance for furniture, cushions or decorative items, include reference photos in the instructions.

Entrance and hallway

The entrance creates the guest's first impression of the property.

• Vacuum or clean the entrance area
• Wipe visible marks from doors
• Clean handles
• Check mirrors
• Remove dirt, leaves or debris
• Arrange shoes, mats or other items correctly
• Check that keys or access items are where they should be
• Check that guest information is present and tidy

Laundry and linen

The exact process depends on whether linen is washed onsite or handled separately. Typical tasks include:

• collect all used linen
• separate towels and bed linen where required
• check linen for stains or damage
• prepare clean linen for each bedroom
• count linen if inventory is tracked
• store spare linen correctly
• report damaged or missing items

If linen quantities matter, define the expected number for each property. For example:

• 2 bath towels
• 2 hand towels
• 1 bath mat
• 2 pillowcases per double bed
• 1 spare linen set in storage

Clear quantities reduce unnecessary decisions during the turnover.

Restocking checklist

Restocking is easy to overlook because the property can appear perfectly clean even when essential supplies are missing. Depending on the property, check:

Kitchen

• coffee
• tea
• sugar
• salt and pepper
• cooking oil
• dishwasher tablets
• washing-up liquid
• kitchen roll
• bin bags

Bathroom

• toilet paper
• hand soap
• shampoo
• body wash
• tissues

Other supplies

• laundry detergent
• cleaning products
• firewood
• coffee capsules
• bottled water
• guest welcome items

Instead of simply telling the cleaner to “restock supplies”, define what the correct minimum quantity should be. For example:

Leave at least four toilet rolls in the bathroom.

is much clearer than:

Check toilet paper.

Final guest-ready check

A cleaning checklist should end with a final inspection of the property as a guest would see it. Before marking the turnover complete:

• Walk through every room
• Check that no cleaning equipment has been left behind
• Check for visible hair, dust or crumbs
• Check that beds and towels are arranged correctly
• Check that rubbish has been removed
• Confirm that supplies have been restocked
• Check that windows and doors are in the correct position
• Check heating or air conditioning settings where relevant
• Turn lights on or off according to your arrival standard
• Confirm that furniture and decorative items are in place
• Check that access instructions, keys or lockboxes are ready
• Report anything that could affect the next guest

This final check is often more useful when the expected result is clearly defined rather than relying on a general instruction such as “make sure everything looks good”.

Should cleaners take photos after every turnover?

Completion photos can be useful when you do not inspect the property yourself. They can confirm that important areas were ready when the cleaner left. Useful examples include:

• the finished kitchen
• made beds
• bathroom
• living room
• entrance
• any area with a particularly important setup
• specific high-value or frequently problematic items

There is usually no need to request dozens of photos from every turnover. Focus on the areas where a photo actually gives you useful information.

It is also helpful to distinguish between two different types of photos:

• Instruction photos show the cleaner how something should look.
• Completion photos show how it actually looked after the current turnover.

Both can be useful, but they serve different purposes.

Not every cleaning task belongs in every turnover

One common mistake is putting every possible cleaning task into the same checklist. That makes the list unnecessarily long and makes important turnover tasks harder to distinguish from periodic deep-cleaning work.

Some tasks may be required:

• every turnover
• every second or third turnover
• after a certain number of stays
• weekly
• monthly
• seasonally

Examples might include:

There is no universal correct schedule for these tasks. Frequency depends on the property, occupancy, equipment and how guests use the space.

The important point is that periodic work should have a defined schedule instead of relying on someone remembering when it was last done.

Make the checklist property-specific

A generic checklist is useful as a starting point. But the biggest cleaning mistakes often happen because of details that are specific to one property. Examples:

• where spare linen is stored
• which towels belong in which room
• how a sofa bed should be prepared
• where rubbish should be taken
• which coffee capsules should be restocked
• how a sauna should be left after cleaning
• where keys must be returned
• how heating should be set
• which switch controls a particular appliance
• how decorative items should be arranged

These details should be part of the property instructions, not dependent on the cleaner remembering them. A useful rule is:

If you have ever had to explain the same detail twice, it probably belongs in the checklist.

Use photos where words are not enough

Written instructions work well for clear tasks. Photos are better when the result is visual. For example, instead of:

Arrange the sofa cushions neatly.

Use a reference photo showing exactly how the finished sofa should look. Other useful photo instructions include:

• bed setup
• towel placement
• sofa bed preparation
• welcome gifts
• kitchen equipment
• key storage
• coffee station
• children's equipment
• outdoor furniture

Photos can reduce ambiguity without making the written instructions longer.

What should a cleaner report?

A turnover is also an opportunity to notice problems before the next guest arrives. Ask cleaners to report things such as:

• damage
• broken equipment
• missing items
• unusually low supplies
• maintenance problems
• blocked drains
• lights that do not work
• forgotten guest belongings
• stains or damaged linen
• anything that prevented a task from being completed

Where useful, the report should include a photo.

This keeps cleaning instructions and operational observations separate: the checklist defines what should happen, while the report identifies anything that requires attention.

How detailed should a short-term rental cleaning checklist be?

The checklist should be detailed enough that the cleaner does not need to guess, but short enough that it remains practical to use. You usually do not need instructions for obvious professional cleaning tasks. Instead, focus additional detail on:

• property-specific requirements
• things that are frequently forgotten
• tasks where the expected result is subjective
• unusual equipment
• exact quantities
• recurring tasks
• final guest-ready standards

Too vague

Prepare the bedroom.

Better

Make the double bed with the white linen set. Place one bath towel and one hand towel per guest at the foot of the bed.

The second instruction removes uncertainty.

Paper checklist, PDF or digital checklist?

A printable checklist can work perfectly well for a simple property. If you clean the property yourself or work with the same cleaner for a long time, a PDF, spreadsheet or printed list may be all you need.

A digital checklist becomes more useful when:

• someone else does the cleaning
• you manage several properties
• different cleaners work at the same property
• instructions change regularly
• tasks need to repeat at different intervals
• you want cleaners to confirm completed tasks
• you want completion photos
• you need reports of problems or damage
• you want a history of previous turnovers

The right tool depends on how complicated the cleaning operation actually is. See cleaning checklist app vs PDF and WhatsApp for a closer comparison.

Turn your checklist into a repeatable turnover process

A good cleaning checklist should remove uncertainty. The cleaner should know:

• what needs to be done
• how the property should look when finished
• which tasks are due today
• what needs to be reported
• when the turnover is complete

DoTidyDone lets short-term rental hosts and operators turn property-specific cleaning instructions into a simple digital workflow. You can add tasks and photos, schedule recurring jobs, share one link with the cleaner and keep a record of completed turnovers.

The cleaner does not need their own DoTidyDone account or app.