What do you provide for longer stay guests?

[Rich2489]

Hello, we just recently opened up our self-contained Airbnb. We've only had guests who've stayed for 2 or 3 nights so far. We recently had someone book for two weeks and we're not sure what we should offer for cleaning, linens, etc. We do leave extra towels and sheets but don't want them to have to have a pile of dirty ones sitting around. What do others offer and how do you arrange access to the space to pickup dirty towels/sheets, empty garbage...?

[Larry339]

Pre-arrival we arrange at their convenience to offer basic cleaning during mid-stay on longer visits. We arrange for garbage to be left in an external container that we can pick up. Also, have lots of extra linens and towels on hand.

We charge $50 for normal cleaning on any stay but wish Airbnb had an option say $25 to offer basic cleaning mid stay

[Jennifer1421]

@Rich2489Welcome to hosting and to the forum!

If I have guests staying for a week, I offer a "linen re-fresh" midway through their stay, for which I change bedding and clean towels and kitchen cloths (and maybe wipe the bathroom/kitchen counters down, depending on their state).

For a 2 week stay I would offer a full on clean (tub/toilets, vacuum, dust etc) at the end of the first week. I figure a week is how often I clean my own house, so it will work for guests, too. With longer stays like this, I offer this as a courtesy but also to make sure that things in the suite are in good order and there is no damage.

Some guests take me up on it, and others prefer their privacy. We have laundry available for guests, so these longer term ones can do their own laundry and cleaning if they wish. We live onsite, so we know if there are any concerns regarding parties, etc., so I'm generally not too worried if the guest prefers privacy.

I arrange the cleaning prior to the stay, and let the guest decide which day would suit them best, then make sure to keep communication about it open, since plans can change once a guest arrives in town and figures out what their schedule looks like.

TBH, I'm not a huge fan of these longer stays. I've found that small bits of damage tend to accumulate with a longer stay - nothing huge generally, but stains on the duvet cover, the carpet, the sofa...that sort of thing. Also, I always block a day or two off after these longer stays, as I like to really deep clean prior to the next guests. It's amazing to me how grimy and greasy the kitchen gets after a week. Your mileage may vary, of course 🙂

[Rich2489]

Thanks for the info Jennifer. So helpful though it raises more questions. Do you discuss this as soon as they book? If not how do you adjust payment to account for the added cleaning?

Thanks also for sharing your thoughts on the longer stays.

[Helen3]

You build it into your weekly rate @Rich2489 

Or offer it as an optional extra.

Your choice.

[Jennifer1421]

@Rich2489 

I offer the "refresh/cleaning" via message prior to their stay, with suggested date(s), and tell the guest that we can firm it up a day or two after their arrival, once they know what their schedule is going to be.

As @Helen3 has shown as an option, it's built into my pricing. I don't charge extra for it. I think it's in my best interest to keep the suite clean, so I see it more as an opportunity to make sure all is well with my asset, and address anything that needs attention, rather than an opportunity to make a bit of money. Maybe a bit of a backwards way of thinking, but "a penny saved is a penny earned", as the saying goes 🙂

[Mark116]

@Rich2489   We offer to change out the towels and linens after a week.  Just arrange a convenient time for someone to come in and get everything and remake the beds.  Also included in this is a LIGHT cleaning...wipe down counters, refluff pillows, put away dishes, remove trash and recycling and put in new bin liners.....generally restage the place with everything back in order...this is also dependent on how messy or not the guests are, no vacuuming no deep cleaning of anything.   If their stuff and clothing is strewn all over the place then I don't do as much because I don't wish to disturb their stuff.

[Beth80]

@Rich2489 

I don't usually ask but more like inform the guest that there will be a weekly cleaning. I change out the towels and sheets, clean the bathroom and the floor. I do this as much for the guest as    for myself. I've learned that it's good to keep an eye on things and a cleaning allows me to inspect the rooms. 

I also block off a day or two at the end of a long stay to do a thorough cleaning.

[Maia29]

We used to have a washer and dryer in the unit just for that purpose. I offer to do laundry for them and i have at least three sets of sheets for each bed and four blankets for each bed in the closet of each bedroom. 

I have a shelf in the bathroom with at least three clean towels folded up in addition to the clean ones hanging. 

[Trevor243]

Some of our properties have washing machines. All properties have laundrettes nearby. We leave cleaning products for guests so they can keep the properties clean - it makes no difference to us whether a guest is in for 3 nights or 3 weeks - it's the same service.

We could offer a mid-stay clean and fresh laundry, but I'm not convinced that many guests will pay for it. It takes 1.5 hours to clean the smallest of our properties, and then there's the laundry to do. A mid-stay changeover clean with laundry won't be cheap.

[Joanne---Mike0]

@Trevor243 Nope, ours get nothing either! Lol! I feel like I'm cleaning enough! Extra??  Nope...

[Cathie19]

@Rich2489 We are live on site hosts, but treat the space as NOT OURS when guests are on site.

Good advise and options already listed by @Joanne---Mike0 , @Trevor243 , @Maia29 , @Beth80 .

Be flexible: my space is two bedrooms, up to four people + an infant.

This works for me:

1. I never try and negotiate linen or any form of cleaning prior to the guests being on site.

2. I always have the conversation face to face after they have settled in, by at least a day or two.

I always document / recount the discussion and outcome on the Airbnb message board.

3. If staying a week, I offer clean towels and sheets for after the third day. I’ve never had anyone take up a sheet change for this period. However, they are often grateful for towel and mat changes. 

4. If say ten days, I’ll offer towels after third day, but sheets for fifth day.

5. I wrap the bed linen and mark the sizing with post it notes, so the sheeting is easily sorted. It goes into a large plastic hamper container to distribute, then for them to place the dirty linen in it either on the decking, or on to the laundry floor, where I will do the washing. ( I insist that the linen is my job 😊 as they are in holidays.They do their personal washing if and when they see fit.) 

6. I always swap over full towel sets, washer etc per person, whether they use it or not. (Noted on post it, plus noting for myself the quantity clean/ dirty so you are up to speed if some goes missing.)

Noting, each guest gets already: 1 x pool towel, 2 x bath towels, 2 x face washers, 1 x hand towel. One white thick set, one thinner dark set. I always leave two older towels, a couple of spare hand towels and 2 extra bath mats (making 4) in the space for emergencies.

** I ALWAYS have spare linens in the shared laundry (out of sight - not in their space) for any immediate sickness or emergency. 

** I only leave spare baby linens including waterproofing, in the space, if there is an infant/ baby, as they can have an overnight accident.

*** I leave a stick vacuum and other cleaning items in the laundry, so they are available if they want them. I never offer to clean, unless it seems appropriate. In over four years, this has happened once and was merely a towel changeover, with a light wipe around, bedroom tidy and waste paper bin emptying!   I mainly have family groups, so they are just happy to have the space to themselves. I don’t need to enter.........

** I do allow extra time for cleaning after a longer stay.

* My maximum stay is 21 days. If we get all get on, we can always extend the original reservation, but that for us, is usually long enough.

🌻 It keeps the house rules in place without familiarisation melting them away.🌻

[Fiona243]

I host guests in my home, where they have a bedroom with en-suite shower room. When I have guests staying for longer than a week, I do a weekly change of bed linen, towels and bathmat, as well as a full clean of the guest bathroom. I dust visible surfaces in the bedroom, vacuum the hardwood floors and rug, and steam mop the bathroom floor, and go over all door knobs, light switches and the tea / coffee station with disinfectant surface cleaner.

What I don't do (until the end of their stay) is pull out all furniture from walls to vacuum behind it, dust skirting boards (base boards if you're in the US), clean the windows, polish wooden surfaces, chest of drawers, etc.,  vacuum the undersides of the rugs and polish the wooden floors.

I feel I'd rather do an interim  cleaning each week than wait till the end of the guest stay and have to deal with a huge build-up of dirt and grime. It also gives me a chance to replenish tea/ coffee, TP, etc., and to spot any breakages or damage.

I don't charge "extra" for this interim cleaning, but it's built into my pricing for weekly stays, i.e. they get a small discount for staying longer than 7 days, but they are still paying enough to cover me for the extra laundry, cleaning products and effort.

[Stephanie]

This is a great topic @Rich2489 , and these hosts have some very interesting insights to share. Has your longer term guest arrived yet? Did you implement any of the advice shared here?

[Rich2489]

Stephanie, our two week stay doesn't happen until March but there are some really helpful ideas here that I plan to use.