Even now, in the aftermath of a global health crisis, the standards expected of the accommodations industry remain high. Global surveys support this, showing that 70-85% of travelers agree cleanliness measures of housing businesses, like short-term rentals, act as an important decision-making factor in travel planning. Guests want a home away from home, so ensure your environment is comfortable.
Expectations have peaked at an all-time high. With so much competition in the short-term rental industry right now (almost a quarter of Airbnb’s available property supply this year being new listings), property managers can’t afford to let standards slip.
To stay ahead of the curve and provide first-class guest experiences leading to raving reviews, word-of-mouth marketing, and consumer retention – cleaning protocols of short-term rentals must be fine-tuned and seamless.
You may be thinking, ‘I don’t have the time to extend the cleaning processes of my entire portfolio of properties,’ or ‘I don’t know where to start’. Well, what if we told you that there are tech tools designed specifically to support property managers, like you, in streamlining the entire housekeeping schedule from check-out to check-in?
A 3-step checklist for optimizing short-term rental cleaning
1. Hire a reliable team
Before you start thinking about ways to streamline your cleaning turnover process, first you need to have the basics in place to meet high expectations. Hiring a reliable housekeeping team is a huge contributor to a better guest experience.
So ensure when hiring, whether you choose to integrate an external professional team or onboard internally, that housekeeping staff are reliable, trustworthy, and above all work to a high quality.
2. Organize schedules
Short-term rental properties are all different, so ensure you assess each rental’s cleaning needs individually. Have you allocated enough time between guests checking out and new arrivals checking in based on property size? Is there enough time to clean the rental thoroughly to the high standard guests now expect?
Is there a turnover cleaning checklist for all the essential areas like the kitchen, bathroom, living areas, and bedroom? Do you have an ongoing schedule for less frequent property maintenance and cleaning needs such as replacing the filters in your air conditioning unit or unblocking the HVAC machine’s vent?
If the answer is yes, you’re now ready for the final and most important step…
3. Automate processes
In the current climate, mistakes caused by human error, such as missed scheduled cleanings at a rental property are a risk to the business. Not only because these mistakes can be costly (with unhappy guests demanding partial to full refunds), but they can be hugely damaging to your business’s reputation. Especially if bad guest experiences are shared through reviews and social media platforms.
Luckily, with the support of automation technology, property managers can reduce and prevent the risk of such incidents happening. Having team communications synced on your property management platform with integrated tech like the Community Access solution, which you, your cleaning, and inspection teams can access, allows for seamless communication and property entry.
Powered by an IoT-connected smart lock system, you’ll be able to oversee the entire process, receiving notifications for every step. For example, “The housekeeping team accessed the property at 1:20 pm” and later after they’ve completed their tasks “the housekeeping team left the property”. This means you can remotely manage the turnover process without needing to be present or having to spend time organizing the schedule. Property automation tech can help you create efficient operations.
Plus, you’ll have peace of mind with the absolute assurance that your property has been cleaned prior to the next guest’s arrival.
Boost booking rates by communicating your cleaning procedures
If you’ve upped your cleaning protocols based on increasing guest demand to include extra sanitation measures, ensure you communicate these comprehensive processes on property listings. Communicating your cleaning processes can boost guest confidence and trust, encouraging them to take the leap and hit the book button.
This is how quality cleaning can begin to increase short-term rental occupancy levels by pushing conversion rates. And, it doesn’t stop there. Great guest experiences can lead to raving reviews, consumer retention, and organic marketing through word-of-mouth. This is why it’s vital to have an optimized cleaning process.
Now, more than ever, short-term rental property managers must ensure the standards of their accommodations are first-class if they want to attract, satisfy, and retain guests among the increasingly growing supply of competitors. Cleanliness remains one of the most sought-after property aspects for travelers today – so ensure your processes are fine-tuned and seamless.
Intrigued by Community Access solutions and smart lock software? Want to know more about how it can optimize the running of your entire business? Talk to our team, here.
