One of the most important decisions you'll make as a cleaning business owner is how you classify your staff. And the right answer depends entirely on what you're trying to build.
I've run our operation with both 1099 contractors and W2 employees, and the model that works best comes down to what service you're delivering.
For Airbnb cleaning, 1099 makes sense. You pay per job, skip supply and transportation obligations, and carry no scheduling liability. This is hugely important during both the busy and slow seasons. The tradeoff: you can't control their process, their schedule, or build any real culture around them.
For residential, W2 is the right call (supplementing with 1099s when needed). Recurring clients expect the same cleaner, at the same time, in uniform, following your system. That level of control requires employment. And it costs accordingly (FICA, insurance, supplies).
The harder problem is seasonality and consistency. Airbnb demand swings, and W2 employees expect consistent hours.
What we're doing to solve it: new hires rotate between residential and Airbnb cleanings depending on demand keeping the same residential cleaners on the same residential properties. When we have a busy STR rush, those same cleaners are covering Airbnbs.
In terms of pay, even with W-2 and 1099, I still like paying commission (a % of the job). This ensures you aren’t paying for down time and you know exactly what your margins will be on each job. This is the best way to run a cleaning business from our experience.
What would you change? What have you tried that has worked well?
Until next time!
Logan
