I got a lot of heat for saying there's no drama in STR cleaning. Here's why I said it and why I still think it’s true
(For context, I run an STR cleaning business. In the last 3 years we've brought in $1.5M from cleaning.)
The first reason we don't have drama is because of the systems we use. We use Same Day Turn to manage all of our cleans. Cleans come into our calendar directly from the hosts' Airbnb/VRBO or PMS (guesty, hostaway, hospitable, etc.). We assign cleans, communicate with hosts, bill hosts, and pay cleaners all from the platform. We also find and hire new cleaners by posting jobs to the free marketplace
The second reason is the SOPs and policies we have in place that we never deviate from.
1. We keep all host credit cards on file. We never send invoices. If the CC is declined, we cancel all future cleans until the host updates their card
2. We do not allow same day turns after stays of +14 days. This gives our team the time we need to complete the clean well
3. Hosts pay us to restock supplies, do laundry offsite, and minor handyman work. We own all these operations in house (except for laundry since we use a 3PL)
4. We don't do extra tasks without billing for it. Lots of cleaners are worn down because they keep saying "yes" to every task. We say "Yes, and it'll cost $X. Do you still want us to do it?"
5. We don't tolerate bad guests, pets in the bed, party cleanups, etc. If the clean takes longer than expected, the host gets an increased bill. No question. This trains our hosts to not accept bad guests or they're going to have to pay for us to clean up the mess.
6. We don't allow early check-ins or late check-outs on same-day turns. It doesn't give our team enough time. If a host violates this policy, they get an increased bill from us
7. If a guest is more than 15 minutes late checking out and our team is already there, we start the clock. The host is on the hook for extra time because they can't draw a hard line with their guests
8. If a cleaner that we have assigned cancels their job last minute, they're fired. No questions asked. We don't tolerate cleaners who don't respect our business or value their jobs. There are plenty of great cleaners out there who want work and want to get paid. We prioritize them
In summary, it all comes down to having the right systems in place to manage the business and firm SOPs for your customers and staff. If you can't implement the right systems or create clear standards with your customers and staff, then yes, this business is a complete nightmare and total chaos. But if you do run this business and want to get rid of the stress and chaos, I hope this helped!
Here's a link to easily manage your cleaning business on Same Day Turn https://samedayturn.com/cleaner/signup
Here's a link to our departure clean checklist:
Here's a link to our job costing template:
Until next time!
Logan
