What’s the first thing you do when a guest checks out? 🧹✨

[Paula]

Hello everyone,

Once a guest checks out, the key moment begins: managing their departure and organizing the arrival of the next guests.

Some hosts mention that the first thing they do is enter the property for a quick inspection: check that everything is in order, look for any possible damage, and confirm that nothing has been left behind. After that, they coordinate the cleaning and prepare the space to welcome the next guest. 

What about you? What’s the first thing you do when a guest leaves? 🧹✨

I believe those first few minutes after checkout are essential for maintaining quality and catching any details in time. Wouldn’t you say so? 😊

See you in the comments,

[Benjamin73]

Hi. We check the house for any issues and to see what kind of review we will leave.  If a guest followed our very basic check out rules affects our review. Then we always take linens and the trash out.  

[Paula]

Thank you, @Benjamin73, for sharing your experience. 😊

Do you use a checklist to review everything after a guest checks out so you can leave an honest review? Do you handle this inspection yourself, or do you have a team that supports you with it?

Regards,

[Ahmed570]

Send the cleaners to clean and take photos.

[Paula]

Hello @Ahmed570, Thank you so much for sharing your experience.

Does your cleaning crew have a checklist for each cleaning session? How do you ensure they don’t forget any details?

Looking forward to hearing from you.

[Pamela1660]

Good morning @Paula,

I am a Host and I would like to ask for advice

Has it ever happened to you that an unexpected technical important issue in the property made it impossible to accommodate confirmed guests?

In such situations, how did you handle it with the guest and with Airbnb?

Did you receive any penalties, or was the platform understanding once you provided documentation of the issue?

Thank you in advance to anyone willing to share their experience.

[Paula]

Hello @Pamela1660, thank you for sharing these great questions. I see that you’ve started a new post in the community asking this, and some hosts have offered their advice there.

Have you had the chance to read their comments?

Regards,

[Saki153]

Hi @Paula,

checklist are the best , I do cleaning myself and having a list helps a lot if you doing quick turnovers. Keep sharing those brilliant tips. Cheers, Saki 

[Paula]

Glad to hear you found the tips helpful @Saki153. I look forward to seeing you in the community and continuing to share more learnings and experiences 😊

Regards,

[Chione0]

First thing I do is a fast “red flag” walk-through before cleaning starts and before I touch anything. I usually do this myself.

My 10-minute order of operations:

1. Scan for damage + safety issues: floors, walls, furniture, windows/locks, appliances on/off, leaks, smells, smoke evidence.

2. Photo/video everything quickly (wide shots + any issue close-ups) so there’s a timestamped record before the reset.

3. Check the “high-risk” zones: bathroom (towels, stains, hair, water), kitchen (trash, fridge spills), beds/linens (makeup, blood, odor), living room (spills, missing items).

4. Lost & found sweep: drawers/closets, under beds, outlets/chargers, fridge/freezer.

5. Confirm checkout basics: thermostat temp, windows closed, lights off, doors locked, trash situation.

6. Then I green-light the cleaner with a quick note: “No issues / here are the issues + priority list.”

Those first minutes are everything and they’re when you catch what matters while evidence is clean and before the next turnover clock starts. 😄

[Paula]

Hello @Chione0, Great strategy! When you’re unable to walk through the property yourself due to other commitments, do you have a co-host who helps with this, or do you skip this step?

Regards,

[Chione0]

@Paula i send my husband 😊

[Paula]

That's the real teamwork 😊 Thanks for sharing @Chione0 

[Jennifer5127]

Hi Paula! Thanks for the add 🙂 I think damage inspection and inventory are always the 1st things. The next step for me is cleaning a toilet, in case I have to go, lol! Then laundry, bc it takes the longest. There's also a level of inspection and counting while sorting and stripping towels/beds/pillows. After that, it can depend on what day it is.

[Paula]

Thank you so much for sharing this, @Jennifer5127 . Do you use a document for your inventory? Do you count glasses and cutlery, or do you focus only on the larger items?

Kind regards,