Hot Tub Management - Complete drain and refills after guests

Seattle, WA · Member since 2017 · 73 posts · 13 votes

Hey there! I have a large STR property that can accommodate 19 people, that has a hot tub. It's only 4 months old, but I am finding that it has to be regularly drained and refilled due to how the guest use it or abuse it. It gets cleaned after each and every booking ($50), so it's super well maintained, but it's beginning to feel like almost a regular thing that it's drained and refilled ($150). I am on well, so I don't have a cost, but I don't want to generally waste water.

Anyone else have this experience?

How do you handle it?

Thanks for your help! Cheers, James

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Nathan GesnerBusiness Member

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Real Estate Broker · Cody, WY · Member since 2010 · 28k+ posts · 41k+ votes

Quote from @James Wesley:

No, it doesn't need to be drained every time. Hotels and fitness centers handle hundreds and hundreds of users between cleanings.

1. Educate your guests. They should rinse off themselves and their swimsuits in the shower before getting into the hot tub. This removes any leftover soap, oils, hairs, etc.

2. Learn how to clean the hot tub. If the chemical balance is maintained, it will stay clean.

If guests stay for less than five days, your tub should survive long enough for you to balance the chemicals again. If they stay more than five days, I recommend treating it somewhere during their stay.

There are a lot of guides on youtube or Google specific to short-term rentals.

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Nathan GesnerBusiness Member
Moderator
Real Estate Broker · Cody, WY · Member since 2010 · 28k+ posts · 41k+ votes
2y
Quote from @James Wesley:

No, it doesn't need to be drained every time. Hotels and fitness centers handle hundreds and hundreds of users between cleanings.
1. Educate your guests. They should rinse off themselves and their swimsuits in the shower before getting into the hot tub. This removes any leftover soap, oils, hairs, etc.
2. Learn how to clean the hot tub. If the chemical balance is maintained, it will stay clean.
If guests stay for less than five days, your tub should survive long enough for you to balance the chemicals again. If they stay more than five days, I recommend treating it somewhere during their stay.
There are a lot of guides on youtube or Google specific to short-term rentals.
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John UnderwoodPro Member
Investor · Greer, SC · Member since 2014 · 13k+ posts · 17k+ votes
2y
We have a large property and are also on a well.
Our hot tub is regularly drained and refilled between guests.
4 Reply
Andrew SteffensBusiness Member
Tampa, FL · Member since 2022 · 3k+ posts · 3k+ votes
2y
I agree with Nathan above that is likely does not need to be done, but as a guest I am usually asking and/or paying extra to have it clean when I arrive.
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James Wesley
OP
Seattle, WA · Member since 2017 · 73 posts · 13 votes
2y
Quote from @Nathan Gesner:

Quote from @James Wesley:

Yes, I am doing my best at educating them, but just doesn't resonate.
I believe the difference between a hotel's hot tub is that it's commercial system with a larger filtration system, not a standalone residential product.
No, it doesn't need to be drained every time. Hotels and fitness centers handle hundreds and hundreds of users between cleanings.
1. Educate your guests. They should rinse off themselves and their swimsuits in the shower before getting into the hot tub. This removes any leftover soap, oils, hairs, etc.
2. Learn how to clean the hot tub. If the chemical balance is maintained, it will stay clean.
If guests stay for less than five days, your tub should survive long enough for you to balance the chemicals again. If they stay more than five days, I recommend treating it somewhere during their stay.
There are a lot of guides on youtube or Google specific to short-term rentals.

0 Reply
Ken Boone
Investor · Greenville, SC · Member since 2015 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
2y
Quote from @Nathan Gesner:

Quote from @James Wesley:

No, it doesn't need to be drained every time. Hotels and fitness centers handle hundreds and hundreds of users between cleanings.
1. Educate your guests. They should rinse off themselves and their swimsuits in the shower before getting into the hot tub. This removes any leftover soap, oils, hairs, etc.
2. Learn how to clean the hot tub. If the chemical balance is maintained, it will stay clean.
If guests stay for less than five days, your tub should survive long enough for you to balance the chemicals again. If they stay more than five days, I recommend treating it somewhere during their stay.
There are a lot of guides on youtube or Google specific to short-term rentals.

I appreciate @Nathan Gesner opinion and there are a lot of people that do share his opinion. I however, complete disagree for an STR, especially if you are in a market with lots of guests and same day turnovers.

If this was your personal hot tub I would agree, you can keep the chemicals balanced and only drain it and clean/refill every so many months. An STR hot tub is a completely different beast.

1) Hotels and fitness centers have staff that are checking chemicals twice a day to ensure the appropriate balance is being addressed, STRs do not have that luxury.

2) You can educate your guests all you want. In every set of instructions about the hot tub, i.e. info sent out to guest, info on sign by the hot tub, info in cabin manual, info on the hot tub cover itself, we explain all the those things that they should be doing. Reality - guests don't care - They are going to come in from hiking all day, all sweaty and dirty and jump in the hot tub. Ladies who have body lotion and other stuff on will jump right in the hot tub without rinsing it off. Guests do not care and 90% are just going to jump in the hot tub. That is the reality. All those things can eat up the chemicals very quickly and lead to an unsanitary condition.

3) Absolutely ZERO guests wants to hear that you did not drain clean and refill the hot tub after the prior guest. I want to jump in that hot tub with my kids after 8 other strangers have been in that same water doing who knows what - said no one EVER.

4) Depending on the market you are in, it may be required to drain, clean and refill after every guest.

I have 4 hot tubs and two of them are on wells. My cleaners handle it for me which is standard in my market and the markup to drain, fill and clean is only around $25 on top of the cleaning fee if I am not mistaken. At $150 each time I understand why you are thinking that way though.

Again this is my opinion, but I have seen what guests can do to hot tubs in only 48 hours.
6 Reply
Tom Dieringer
Investor · OR · Member since 2020 · 62 posts · 32 votes
2y
Quote from @John Underwood:

We have a large property and are also on a well.
Our hot tub is regularly drained and refilled between guests.
John I've been wondering about this so I'm glad you chimed in. Even if your cleaners or whoever handles your tub for you immediately drains it upon arrival for an 11:00 a.m. checkout and our filling it by 11:30, does your tub get up to temp by 4:30pm check in? Particularly in winter
0 Reply
James Wesley
OP
Seattle, WA · Member since 2017 · 73 posts · 13 votes
2y
I know from my experience - no. I am going to install a hot/cold hose bib so they can bring it up to temp more quickly.
0 Reply
Garrett BrownPro Member
Rental Property Investor · Houston, TX · Member since 2024 · 514 posts · 553 votes
2y
Quote from @Nathan Gesner:

Quote from @James Wesley:

No, it doesn't need to be drained every time. Hotels and fitness centers handle hundreds and hundreds of users between cleanings.
1. Educate your guests. They should rinse off themselves and their swimsuits in the shower before getting into the hot tub. This removes any leftover soap, oils, hairs, etc.
2. Learn how to clean the hot tub. If the chemical balance is maintained, it will stay clean.
If guests stay for less than five days, your tub should survive long enough for you to balance the chemicals again. If they stay more than five days, I recommend treating it somewhere during their stay.
There are a lot of guides on youtube or Google specific to short-term rentals.

I agree with @Nathan Gesner here. We don't drain after every guest (average stay is 2 nights) but we usually do at least once a week or if it shows any signs of bad quality water. I am on a water well too. We put in an outdoor shower right by the hot tub, which has helped guests showering before entering. If you have the capacity to change it every cleaning, I don't see an issue but I haven't had any issues with about a once per week draining so far.
$150 per drain and refill seems a little high, but I am not in that market.
I have my groundskeeper or cleaner do it for $40 when needed, but they are already on the property working
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1 Reply
Ken Boone
Investor · Greenville, SC · Member since 2015 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
2y
Quote from @Tom Dieringer:

Quote from @John Underwood:

We have a large property and are also on a well.
Our hot tub is regularly drained and refilled between guests.
John I've been wondering about this so I'm glad you chimed in. Even if your cleaners or whoever handles your tub for you immediately drains it upon arrival for an 11:00 a.m. checkout and our filling it by 11:30, does your tub get up to temp by 4:30pm check in? Particularly in winter

Yes it takes about 4 hours to reach temp as long as you have a 240 volt connection to the hot tub. If you have a 110 volt connection you should consider replacing.
2 Reply
James Wesley
OP
Seattle, WA · Member since 2017 · 73 posts · 13 votes
2y
We have 240v, but being up in the NW it takes longer to heat up.
2 Reply
John UnderwoodPro Member
Investor · Greer, SC · Member since 2014 · 13k+ posts · 17k+ votes
2y
Quote from @Tom Dieringer:

Quote from @John Underwood:

We have a large property and are also on a well.
Our hot tub is regularly drained and refilled between guests.
John I've been wondering about this so I'm glad you chimed in. Even if your cleaners or whoever handles your tub for you immediately drains it upon arrival for an 11:00 a.m. checkout and our filling it by 11:30, does your tub get up to temp by 4:30pm check in? Particularly in winter

All I know is we have never had a complaint about temperature.
240VAC powered tubs heat up pretty quick.
2 Reply
Tom Dieringer
Investor · OR · Member since 2020 · 62 posts · 32 votes
2y
Thanks all. Good to know. For my personal home, I went cheap and bought nice but inexpensive Costco tub that runs on 110v, takes 1-2 days to come up to temp depending on time of year, and I had no perspective on the speed of 220v units. I'm planning to outfit with 220v on my STR, but still had no idea it heated that fast
0 Reply
Michael BaumPro Member
Olympia, WA · Member since 2016 · 8k+ posts · 7k+ votes
2y
Hey @James Wesley, so is the cost to drain and refill and clean $50 or $150?
Personally I would do a full change over after each guest.
0 Reply
James Wesley
OP
Seattle, WA · Member since 2017 · 73 posts · 13 votes
2y
$50/general clean (they do a thorough cleaning including the filter and all); $150 for a full drain, deep clean and fill.
The downside with this approach is continually pounding our well.
0 Reply
Peter StewartBusiness Member
Real Estate Broker · Indianapolis, IN · Member since 2018 · 160 posts · 168 votes
2y
I have a cabin in Pigeon Forge, TN with a hot tub and it's standard OP to drain/clean/refill the hot tub after every guest. Just think about what happens in hot tubs....
Every management company I spoke with confirmed this, and I've been through multiple cleaners and they all did it as their standard cleaning procedure. They do not charge extra for this service though, it's part of the standard clean. Sure, I cover the water to refill it, but my water bills tend to be pretty "normal" so it doesn't seem to be costing me a ton of extra $$.
Point is - yes, this is completely normal and it's something your cleaners should be doing at every turn.
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Marcus Auerbach
Investor · Milwaukee - Mequon, WI · Member since 2010 · 5k+ posts · 7k+ votes
2y
Yikes! That's the reason why I never get into a hot tub in an AirBnb....
0 Reply
James Wesley
OP
Seattle, WA · Member since 2017 · 73 posts · 13 votes
2y
Quote from @Marcus Auerbach:

Yikes! That's the reason why I never get into a hot tub in an AirBnb....
It was surprising to me as well. First time owning a hot tub.
There's got to be commercial options available for STRs that perform better. If not, there's an oppty to have a tub with a larger pump and filtration system like the hotels have.
0 Reply
Marcus Auerbach
Investor · Milwaukee - Mequon, WI · Member since 2010 · 5k+ posts · 7k+ votes
2y
Quote from @James Wesley:

Quote from @Marcus Auerbach:

Yikes! That's the reason why I never get into a hot tub in an AirBnb....
It was surprising to me as well. First time owning a hot tub.
There's got to be commercial options available for STRs that perform better. If not, there's an oppty to have a tub with a larger pump and filtration system like the hotels have.
I think drain & refill is the only real option. And I am not even a germophobe, when you travel in third-world countries you can't be, but I would not get into anyone's bath water if I don't have to, STR, hotel or gym. But I guess most people don't think about it, they are just excited to see a hot tob.
0 Reply
Adam Michael Andrews
Investor · Austin, TX · Member since 2017 · 107 posts · 89 votes
2y
Quote from @James Wesley:

Quote from @Marcus Auerbach:

Yikes! That's the reason why I never get into a hot tub in an AirBnb....
It was surprising to me as well. First time owning a hot tub.
There's got to be commercial options available for STRs that perform better. If not, there's an oppty to have a tub with a larger pump and filtration system like the hotels have.
Building the cost of draining and treating it into the cost if possible. Like others have said, its going to be hard to get compliance from guests.
0 Reply
Collin HaysBusiness Member
Property Manager · Gatlinburg, TN · Member since 2020 · 3k+ posts · 4k+ votes
2y
We empty and refill between guests every time. No questions asked. Policy.
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Sarah KensingerPro Member
Real Estate Consultant · OH · Member since 2023 · 2k+ posts · 1k+ votes
2y
We usual drain and refill a hot tub at each turnover, or at the least every other one. It's not a waste of water if you're on a well and the hot tub is drained in the yard, which the ground would soak up.
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James Wesley
OP
Seattle, WA · Member since 2017 · 73 posts · 13 votes
2y
Thanks everyone for the great feedback! I am going to adjust my payment schedule to the hot tub company to just be a flat $100/turn (rather than $50/$150) to accommodate complete drain and refills.
2 Reply
Tom Dieringer
Investor · OR · Member since 2020 · 62 posts · 32 votes
2y
Just wanted to clarify. When you are changing out the water between every guest, are most of you having your cleaners still put in chemicals to keep it balanced and as clean as possible between empties?
0 Reply
James Wesley
OP
Seattle, WA · Member since 2017 · 73 posts · 13 votes
2y
Quote from @Tom Dieringer:

Just wanted to clarify. When you are changing out the water between every guest, are most of you having your cleaners still put in chemicals to keep it balanced and as clean as possible between empties?
Yes, that still happens for me.
1 Reply
Bruce WoodruffPro Member
Contractor/Investor/Consultant · San Diego / Phoenix · Member since 2021 · 12k+ posts · 15k+ votes
2y
Quote from @Sarah Kensinger:

It's not a waste of water if you're on a well and the hot tub is drained in the yard, which the ground would soak up.

I was going to say this^^^^^....most people don't realize that all water that goes into your septic tank, or in the ground, goes (eventually) back into the ground and filters (generally) down into the aquafier. And it gets filtered on the way. To be reused over and over.....
It's a beautiful system....
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