How to better streamline my Airbnb preparation time

Question

Hi everyone! I'm in my first year running my Airbnb listing and, while it's doing well, I am 100% sure I have inefficiencies that are costing me. Currently I have it set up so that there is 1 day of preparation the day before and the day after a stay, but this is causing lots of orphaned days between reserved dates.

How have you found the best way that works for you for your own STRs? While I'm actively trying to make it as streamlined as possible, as I only have one at the moment, would it be best to just handle it on a reservation basis? Thank you!

Matthew Masoud · Answer

1 day before and a day after is quite a lot.

We routinely do same-day check-out check-in.

First of all we do 11am check out and 4 pm check in. Cleaner comes at 11am and will typically be done by 2 pm. If she see any issues while cleaning, she contacts my repairman to come complete the work.

95% of issues can be fixed before the 4pm check-in.

It really boils down to the systems I have with my cleaner/handyman.

Obviously bigger/unique homes can take longer to prepare for the next guest.

January Johnson · Answer

I provide my cleaners with 2-3 sets of everything so they do not have to do laundry on site (though they could). They do laundry and store it on their site at no additional charge to me other than a flat-fee cleaning charge. I used to ask guests to start a load, but I decided I'd rather not have guests do ANY work (I hate seeing a list of chores, though I really don't mind doing them myself - except taking out the trash.) Guests pay a cleaning fee, so that covers it now for me.

Melissa Nash · Answer

I think the hold up is your cleaners... you need to get them in quick turn overs. You shouldn't be shutting down days for them. A normal turn over is about 3-5 hrs depending on the size of your home. My 5 bedroom house, the cleaner brings in 3-4 people to bust it out. I have a 2 bedroom that only 1 cleaner comes and takes her 2-3 hrs. They are not deep cleaning.... that is a separate clean that I do every 2-3 months when I have a downtime.

Best of luck!

Margo Sultenfuss · Answer

Thank you so much!! Clearly I can speed up this process - laundry has been the biggest time constraint but easily fixed. Thank you for the replies!

Brooklyn McCarty · Answer

When a guest checks out at 10am it should be ready to rock and roll 4pm the same day no matter what.

A lot of these things are stuff you just learn by doing in the first year

Sarah Kensinger · Answer

So long as your property is not one of those extremely large STR that needs a full day in between guests, you should be able to get the property done within a couple hours. Whoever is cleaning the property would need to be committed to start within 30 or so minutes after check-out time. That is key to finishing the property before check-in time and also making sure no damage was done. To help with the time laundry takes... have 3 sets of sheets, towels, etc. One set in use, one set extra, and the dirty set is taken off site to be cleaned and then returned at the next turnover.

Hope that helps!

Virgil Renfroe · Answer

Laundry is the most time-consuming aspect of mine, so I have the housekeeper message as a co-host the morning of (I think she has it automated). She asks them to start the laundry, and if they have time to throw it in the dryer before they leave. They almost always do, and she's able to get in and out within 2-3 hours (3bd/~1100sq ft).

Andrew Steffens · Answer

We have same day check in and same day check out on 80 listings with no problems. We have very occasionally (I would say 0.05%) run into issues where the unit is not ready for the incoming guest. This usually will cost us a small concession for inconvenience to the incoming guest but this pales in comparison to the higher occupancy rate.

John Underwood · Answer

We also have same day checkin and checkouts with no issues.

How to better streamline my Airbnb preparation time

How to better streamline my Airbnb preparation time

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