new to hosting questions : renting out my primary residence

[Mary7359]

Hi everybody, 

I'm new to hosting and will be renting out my primary residence when I travel.  My first guests arrive in two weeks.  first question: is there a special type of "airbnb clean and reset" that you ask of your cleaners?  Are there cleaners who specialize in airbnbs?  How do I find them in Nashville?

thanks!

Mary

[Greystone0]

hi @Mary7359  - here's some general feedback -  I am not in the Nashville area but suspect it applies:

- cleaning for a short term rental is not the same as general house cleaning so you will need to source someone already doing this or at least with a totally open mind to learning this aspect.

- yes, there are cleaners in a lot of markets who just do STR cleaning - assume your market will have that as well.  Our cleaner does mostly STR cleans but she also has some commercial cleans she does that aren't as time sensitive as the STR schedule is re-active in nature so this works out well for her. 

- AIRBNB clean and reset? This will depend on what you are renting out/the type of guests you get/ how hands on you are/ and a whole bunch of other important elements. In our case, we are hands on and manage the supplies and refill of containers and lots of non-guest related cleaning (things that come up but not for every clean if that makes sense).  For example, our window screens need cleaning but this isn't something our STR cleaner does. It absolutely needs to be done several times a year but we as the hosts/homeowner manage this task. 

- finding cleaners - ask around! on facebook! ask other hosts in your area! ask a local real estate agent if they have a recommendation! and so on.

- in our case, we are in our home approx once a month anyway and so we 'do' about 1 in 3 or 4 cleans ourselves (because we are there anyway). In practice this gives us a real close view of things in our home for maintenance and general upkeep. So, you can consider some sort of combo approach or support role, if you are available.

Good luck!

[Mary7359]

thanks @Greystone0 !

[Maureen753]

Hi Mary, welcome to hosting!

Yes, many hosts do have a specific “Airbnb clean and reset” checklist for their cleaners because short-term rentals need more frequent and detailed turnover than normal house cleaning. A typical reset usually includes things like:

• Full bathroom and kitchen sanitation

• Changing and washing all linens and towels

• Checking for guest damage or missing items

• Restocking toiletries, paper towels, coffee, etc.

• Emptying all trash and checking the fridge

• Quick inspection of appliances, lights, and Wi-Fi

• Resetting things like thermostat, remotes, and welcome items

A lot of cleaners actually specialize in Airbnb/short-term rental turnovers, especially in busy tourist cities like Nashville. You can usually find them through local Facebook host groups, Airbnb host communities, or by asking other hosts in your area for referrals.

Another tip: create a written checklist or guide for your cleaner so every turnover is consistent. It saves a lot of stress once bookings start stacking up.

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Good luck with your first guests, those first few bookings are always exciting!

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[Quincy]

Hi @Mary7359, welcome to the Community Center! 

In addition to Greystone's very helpful response, I also wanted to share that we have a dedicated Co-hosting page where you can find Co-hosts who might also be able to help you. Have seen our page here already? https://www.airbnb.com/host/co-hosts 

[Justin2429]

Mary, check-out LAVE. Tech driven Nashville-based company solely focused on STRs. Sync with your booking system for automated cleaning and provides photo verification, etc. - **

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