What does an Airbnb cleaning business do?
An Airbnb cleaning business cleans and resets short-term rental homes between guests. Each of these jobs is called a turnover: you bring the home back to the same guest-ready state after every stay, and you tell the host what you found.
A turnover usually includes six jobs:
- Clean. Kitchen, bathrooms, bedrooms, floors and living areas.
- Reset. Put furniture, pillows, remotes and kitchen items back where the listing photos show them.
- Laundry and linens. Strip the beds, wash or swap sheets and towels, and make every bed.
- Restock. Refill toilet paper, soap, coffee, trash bags and the other supplies the host provides.
- Inspect. Check that appliances, lights and locks work and that nothing is broken or missing.
- Report. Send the host photos of the finished home and of any damage, missing items or maintenance problems.
All of this happens in a tight window. One guest checks out, the next one checks in, and the home has to be ready in between. A late turnover means a guest waiting at the door.
The same work applies to homes listed on Vrbo and other platforms, so you may also hear it called a short-term rental cleaning business or a vacation rental cleaning business.
Why hosts care so much about cleaning
Guests on Airbnb rate their stay in several categories, and Cleanliness is one of them, along with accuracy, check-in, communication, location and value. Airbnb also expects homes to be free of health hazards like mold and pests, and free of extensive dust, pet dander and dirty dishes. Part of every host’s rating depends on your work, which is why hosts hold on to a cleaner they can rely on.
How is Airbnb turnover cleaning different from regular house cleaning?
An Airbnb turnover covers the same rooms as a regular clean but adds laundry, restocking, inspection and reporting, all on a deadline set by the next guest. Your client is the host, but the person who judges the result is a stranger who arrives after you leave.
| Regular house cleaning | Airbnb turnover | |
|---|---|---|
| Timing | A day and time window you agree with the client | Between one guest’s check-out and the next guest’s check-in, with little or no flexibility |
| Laundry | Usually not included | Strip and remake every bed, and wash or swap all sheets and towels |
| Restocking | Rarely part of the job | Refill toilet paper, soap, coffee and other supplies the host provides |
| Inspection and reporting | Mention anything unusual | Check for damage, missing items and maintenance problems, and report them with photos |
| Schedule changes and same-day bookings | Mostly fixed recurring visits | New bookings, cancellations and same-day turnovers change your week constantly |
| Communication with the client | With a homeowner who lives there | With a host who may live far away and relies on your messages and photos |
The biggest change is the schedule. A regular client books a fixed day. A host’s calendar fills as guests book, extend and cancel, so your work moves with it. Same-day turnovers, where one guest leaves and another arrives the same day, are the hardest to staff and the ones you should charge more for.
You also become the host’s eyes. Your photos and notes are how they know the home is ready, and how they hear about a broken lamp before a guest does.
How to start an Airbnb cleaning business, step by step
Starting an Airbnb cleaning business means setting up a normal cleaning business, then adding the systems turnovers need: a checklist, a laundry plan, a way to follow host calendars and a written agreement with each host. You can start with a single host and grow from referrals.
- Set up the business. Register it, open a separate bank account and set up simple bookkeeping. Our guide on how to start a cleaning business covers those steps in order.
- Check the licensing rules. Cleaning short-term rentals follows the same licensing rules as any other cleaning business in your city and state. See what licenses are needed to start a cleaning business.
- Get insured. You work alone in homes that are someone else’s business, so hosts and property managers may ask for proof of coverage before you start. Read more about cleaning business insurance.
- Choose a laundry plan. Wash on-site if the property has a reliable washer and dryer and the gap between guests allows it. Otherwise take linens off-site, which means the host needs spare sets so you can swap clean for dirty.
- Write your turnover checklist. Start from the checklist below, then add each property’s details: where spare linens are stored, how the thermostat should be set and how to lock up.
- Set your prices. Work out a flat price per turnover for each property, plus extras, as shown below.
- Write a simple agreement. Put in writing what each turnover includes, who supplies linens, toiletries and cleaning products, how you get in, how much notice you need, what happens when a booking is canceled, and how you report damage. The free cleaning contract template covers most of these clauses; adjust it for turnovers.
- Find your first hosts. Start with local host groups, property managers and cleaner marketplaces, covered below.
- Time a test turnover. Clean each new property once with its checklist and time it from arrival to lock-up. Use that time to confirm your price before you commit to the host’s calendar.
How much should you charge for Airbnb cleaning?
Charge a flat price per turnover, built from the time the clean takes, what you pay your cleaner, supplies, laundry and restocking, plus overhead and profit. Add set extras for same-day turnovers, heavy messes and extra beds so the base price stays simple.
Hosts usually pass your price on to guests through the cleaning fee they set on their listing. A flat price lets them set that fee once, and surprise charges are hard for them to recover, so agree on extras in advance.
What goes into the price
- Cleaner time. Time several turnovers at each property and use your real average. As a baseline for pay, the median wage for maids and housekeeping cleaners was $17.07 an hour in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
- Supplies. Cleaning products, trash bags and anything else you bring.
- Laundry. The paid time to wash on-site, or the time, travel and machine or service cost to wash off-site.
- Restocking. The time to check and refill supplies, plus the cost of any items you buy for the host.
- Overhead and profit. Insurance, driving between properties, software, your phone, and the admin time that schedule changes create.
A hypothetical example
For example, if a two-bedroom turnover takes 3 hours of cleaner time and you pay $20 an hour, labor is $60. Say laundry adds 1 paid hour ($20) and supplies cost $10, for a direct cost of $90. If you want 25% of the price for overhead and 15% for profit, divide $90 by 0.60 to get a turnover price of $150. Use your own timed jobs and costs.
The house cleaning price calculator runs the same math for common home sizes. Add your laundry and restocking time on top.
Extras to price separately
- Same-day turnovers. A premium when check-out and check-in fall on the same day.
- Heavy turnovers. A set fee, agreed in advance, when guests leave the home much dirtier than normal, backed by photos.
- Extra beds and linens. Sofa beds, bunk beds and extra towel sets add laundry and bed-making time.
Send each new host a written quote before the first job. A cleaning estimate template makes that quick.
How to get Airbnb cleaning clients
Go where hosts already talk to each other: local host meetups and Facebook groups, property managers and co-hosts, and marketplaces that connect hosts with cleaners, such as Turno. Once you have a few hosts, most new work comes from their referrals.
- Local host meetups and Facebook groups. Many areas have groups where hosts swap tips and ask for cleaner recommendations. Join them, answer questions, and reply quickly when someone needs a cleaner. Don’t spam.
- Property managers and co-hosts. One manager or co-host can run many listings. A few reliable turnovers can turn into steady work across all of them.
- Cleaner marketplaces. Platforms such as Turno connect hosts with cleaners. They help you land your first hosts and build reviews, though you compete with other cleaners there.
- Referrals from hosts. Hosts know other hosts. Ask happy clients to recommend you, and send them a short message they can forward.
- A Google Business Profile. It is free to create and helps hosts searching for local cleaners find you. Mention turnovers, vacation rentals and the towns you serve.
- A booking page with a turnover option. Give hosts a page where they can see your turnover price and request a clean, with a separate Airbnb turnover service so they don’t have to explain what they need.
Whichever channel you use, hosts choose cleaners on reliability. Show up on time, send photos after every turnover and answer messages fast.
For marketing that works with every kind of cleaning client, see how to get clients for a cleaning business.
Airbnb turnover cleaning checklist
A good turnover checklist runs in the same order every time: assess the home, start the laundry, clean the kitchen and bathrooms, make the beds, reset the living areas, restock, then do a final walk-through with photos and send the host a report. Adapt it for each property.
Arrival
- Photograph the home as you found it, especially anything damaged or unusually dirty.
- Strip every bed, gather used towels and start the first load if you wash on-site.
- Collect trash and recycling from every room.
Kitchen
- Empty and put away the dishwasher, and wash anything left in the sink.
- Clear guest leftovers from the fridge unless the host says otherwise, then wipe shelves and handles.
- Clean the stovetop, microwave, coffee maker and toaster.
- Wipe counters, cabinet fronts and the sink.
Bathrooms
- Clean and disinfect the toilet, sink, shower and tub, and remove hair from drains.
- Clean mirrors and fixtures.
- Hang fresh towels the way the host’s photos show.
- Look for mold, leaks and slow drains.
Bedrooms and linens
- Make every bed with fresh linens, and check mattress protectors and pillows for stains.
- Check under beds and in drawers and closets for items guests left behind.
- Dust nightstands, lamps and other surfaces.
Living areas
- Dust, vacuum and mop. Vacuum the sofa and check under the cushions.
- Put furniture, pillows, remotes and decor back where the listing photos show them.
- Tidy any outdoor areas the host includes, such as a patio or grill.
Restock
- Toilet paper, paper towels, hand soap, dish soap, dishwasher detergent and trash bags.
- Shampoo, conditioner, body wash and any welcome items the host provides.
- Coffee, tea and cooking basics if the host stocks them.
- Note anything running low so the host can reorder.
Final check and photos
- Walk through every room in the order a guest will see it.
- Check that lights, the TV, Wi-Fi, appliances and locks work.
- Photograph each room from the same angles every time.
- Set the thermostat, close windows and lock up as agreed.
Report
- Send the host your photos and a short note: turnover done, issues found, items left behind and supplies needed.
- Report damage and missing items as soon as you find them, with photos, so the host can follow up with the guest or the platform.
Do Airbnb cleaners make good money?
They can, but earnings depend less on your hourly rate than on how many turnovers you fit in a day, how far apart the properties are, how you handle laundry and whether hosts keep booking you. Government wage data does not track Airbnb cleaners separately, so build your own numbers from timed jobs.
The baseline for employed cleaners
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a median wage of $17.07 an hour, or $35,510 a year, for maids and housekeeping cleaners in May 2025, with 860,670 people employed in the job in the US. That figure is for employees across all workplaces, not for people who run their own cleaning business.
What drives your earnings
- Turnovers per day. Check-outs and check-ins tend to fall at similar times of day, which limits how many turnovers one person can finish. A small crew lets you cover more properties in the same window.
- Travel time. Unpaid driving between properties eats your margin. Group hosts by area and charge more for properties far from the rest.
- Laundry. Waiting on a dryer or driving linens to a laundromat is time you must charge for.
- Repeat hosts. A host with a busy calendar gives you work every week with no marketing cost.
- Same-day premiums. Tight turnovers are harder to staff, which justifies a higher price for them.
- Seasons. Bookings in many areas rise and fall through the year. Plan for slow months, or add regular house cleaning clients to fill them.
Track your real hourly earnings: turnover revenue minus cleaner pay, laundry, supplies and travel, divided by the hours you worked. If a property keeps coming out low, raise its price or replace it.
What tools and systems does an Airbnb cleaning business need?
You need a schedule built around check-out and check-in times, a checklist your cleaners follow with photos, a way to track linens and a simple way to bill hosts. A spreadsheet and your phone work for your first hosts. Software helps once you have several properties and a crew.
- Scheduling around guest times. Each turnover has a hard start at check-out and a hard finish at check-in. Your schedule should show both, so you can see which jobs can move and which cannot.
- Photo checklists. A checklist for each property, with photos on key items, proves the work was done and gives you a record if a guest complains.
- Linen tracking. Know how many sets each property owns, how many are in the wash and which are wearing out. Running out of clean sheets on a same-day turnover is an avoidable problem.
- Access notes. Door codes, lockbox locations, parking and alarm instructions, stored where the assigned cleaner can find them and nowhere public.
- Invoicing and payment. Bill per turnover or once a month. A cleaning invoice template works when you start, and a card on file charged after each clean saves you from chasing payments.
BroomBook is built for small residential cleaning businesses and includes an Airbnb turnover service type on your booking page, so hosts can book a short-term rental reset between guests. Your crew follows checklists in the crew app, adds photos to checklist items and clocks in at each job. See plans on the pricing page.