How a Holiday-Rental Turnover Clean Works

A turnover is the clean between two guests. One person leaves, the next one arrives, and the property has to look as if nobody has been there. Most of the job is doing the same steps in the same order every time. Keep it simple.

Why a fixed order matters

Hotels write their routines down as standard operating procedures, often shortened to SOPs. An SOP is "a documented step-by-step guide for completing a specific task"¹. You can do the same with a one-page checklist for each property.

A fixed order stops two common mistakes. You don't wipe a bench and then knock dust onto it. And you don't leave a job half done because the phone rang. Simple.

Here's one workable order, shown as a flow.

Step by step

1. Walk through before you touch anything. Go room by room and look for damage, left-behind items and anything that needs a note to the host. Take photos while it's still as the guest left it. Airbnb's damage page tells hosts to record a problem with photos or video². The photo reports page covers this in more detail.
2. Open the windows or doors. Victoria's health department guidance for health services says to increase ventilation by opening doors and windows before cleaning³. It's written for hospitals, but the habit is easy to copy.
3. Strip the beds and gather the rubbish. Put used sheets and towels straight into a bag or basket. Don't shake them. The same Victorian guidance says "do not shake dirty laundry"³. The linen and laundry page covers what happens next.
4. Dust and wipe, working down. Start with high shelves and fittings, then tables and benches. Wipe with a cloth and detergent, not just a dry swipe. The same guidance describes cleaning as "rubbing or scrubbing the surface with warm water and detergent", followed by rinsing and drying³.
5. Do the kitchen, then the bathroom. Use only the products you've been trained on and follow each label. Never mix two cleaning products together.
6. Make the beds and restock. Fresh linen goes on once the dusty work is finished. Then put out the items the host has asked for, such as toilet paper or soap.
7. Floors last. Vacuum or sweep, then mop hard floors, finishing at the door you leave by.
8. Final check and photos. Walk through again as the next guest would. Photograph each room, lock up and note anything the host should know.

Work from top to bottom and from clean to dirty

The Victorian guidance gives two rules for avoiding spreading dirt to areas you've just cleaned. One is to "work from clean to dirty", and the other is to go from high to low³.

In a holiday home, that means the toilet and shower come after the living room, and the floor comes after everything above it. The same cloth shouldn't go from a toilet to a kitchen bench. Use a separate, clearly marked cloth for each.

What counts as part of a normal turnover

Airbnb's damage cover page names laundry, dishes and rubbish removal as normal checkout tasks, and says its cover doesn't pay for them². That tells you how the platform sees it. Treat them as parts of a standard changeover, not extras.

What a host actually expects will differ. That's why the scope page shows how to write the list down.

Standard of finish

The aim is to leave the property as the listing describes it. In New South Wales, hosts must provide the premises in a state that matches their advertising⁴. Check your own state's rules if you work elsewhere. A listing that shows a made-up bed and a clear bench sets the standard you're cleaning to.

Time your own turnovers

Pick one property and time each turnover for a few weeks. A hotel-management guide from EHL suggests tracking the length of each housekeeping turnover, so that the figures can guide decisions¹. Your own times are the only honest basis for a quote and a roster. The pricing page and the tight windows page both depend on them.

Safety on the job

Wear gloves suited to the product, and read each label and safety data sheet before you use anything new. If you need to reach something high, use a ladder that suits the job and don't stand on furniture. Safe Work Australia's ladder video advises moving up and down "with three points of contact"⁵.