How much clean up when vacating an Airbnb after vacation

[diamond]

I'm wondering generally how much do you guys clean up when you are vacating an Airbnb after a vacation of let's say several days to a week.

I usually put all the dishes in and run the dishwasher, clean up the trash make the beds lightly etc but my DH thinks I'm doing too much and it's not needed. I sometimes prefer a hotel room to an Airbnb because if I'm at a hotel for a week somebody is coming into clean everyday and I don't feel obligated to clean after I done and leaving.. Hotels don't have to worry about breakfast and Airbnb we usually make our own breakfast.. I feel like I'm doing pretty much all what I'm doing at home... Thats not really like a vacation vacation to me

[lizzywednesday]

We clean-clean after renting a house, whether through Airbnb or a realtor - after breakfast, we pack, then we go room-by-room to vacuum (if carpeting), sweep/Swiffer, and remake the beds.

Typically, we'll run the dishwasher before we go to bed & put away any dishes we used in the morning.

The last thing we do is clean the bathrooms.

It's quite possible that we're doing a lot more than expected, but the last thing we want to do is get a cleaning charge!

[SnuggleBuggles]

It's true, the clean up makes it feel like less of a vacation. On the other hand, that extra space to be together (and be separate- aka multiple bedrooms) is very nice too. Sometimes I compromise with a suite in a hotel. Our most recent was a 2 bed/2 bath with living room and dining room at Embassy Suites. Homewood Suites add a kitchen to the mix. They aren't luxury suites but they are perfect for traveling with kids when you want a bit of extra space but don't want to rent an Airbnb. More cities are not allowing Airbnbs too so sometimes you need a back up option.

The host provides a checklist for expectations when checking out and we follow that. Making the beds seems silly because they are just going to strip the linens immediately- you are probably making more work for them. One of ours asked us to throw them in the washing machine before we left, others asked us to pile them up in a central spot.

Tell your dh if you don't provide the host clean up checklist that you will get a reduced rating and future hosts won't want to rent to you.

FYI hotels are not providing daily housekeeping anymore. We have stayed at a variety of hotels at a variety of price points in recent months and all are citing Covid as their reasoning but they are only coming every 3 days to clean. You can call for more linens or to have your trash removed but that's it. A small room for a week with lots of people and minimal staff housekeeping is very different.

It sounds like your dh should be helping more vs trying to get you to do less.

[SnuggleBuggles]

We clean-clean after renting a house, whether through Airbnb or a realtor - after breakfast, we pack, then we go room-by-room to vacuum (if carpeting), sweep/Swiffer, and remake the beds.

Typically, we'll run the dishwasher before we go to bed & put away any dishes we used in the morning.

The last thing we do is clean the bathrooms.

It's quite possible that we're doing a lot more than expected, but the last thing we want to do is get a cleaning charge!

Whoa! That is totally unnecessary! I wouldn't stay in an Airbnb if I was expected to scrub it!

Remove your stuff and any stuff you accumulated (trash, fridge) and then follow the instructions provided by the host. When you have to be out by 10 or 11am, I can't imagine waking up at like 6 to pack and then scrub a house I **already** paid a hefty cleaning charge for! The cost breakdown includes a cleaning fee- you already paid it.

[georgiegirl]

We clean up. We don’t scrub the floors but we will sweep kitchen since our boys leave lots of crumbs. Wipe kitchen counter tops, start dishwasher. Follow other directions, which often include stripping beds and starting a load of laundry. Take trash out. In our feedback, everyone comments on how clean we left the house for a family of 5.

Definitely don’t make the beds. They will be stripped and linens will be washed.

[mmsmom]

I do whatever is listed in the rental agreement needs to be done. We are always paying a cleaning fee so I would never clean as if I was cleaning for the next guest. I also wouldn’t want to stay in a place that wasn’t professionally cleaned between guests. Sometimes the cleaning fee is included in the rental fee and sometimes it is listed separately but either way I have never not been charged for cleaning.

Typically the only requirement is emptying trash and fridge and running dishwasher. Sometimes they ask that beds be stripped with sheets left in a pile in each room. If we have the dog with us and there is noticeable dog fur then I will vacuum that.

[basil]

Usually listed in the rental agreement, sometimes with specific instructions, so I follow those. Sometimes that includes stripping the beds and starting the wash with a load of sheets and towels, other times not. Usually includes things like start dishwasher, set thermostat to X, etc. I wipe up but don't do a deep clean or anything.

When I was a kid my parents owned a ski condo that they rented out on the weekends we didn't use it. They never wanted to pay for a cleaner to come after we used it, so we would rush home from skiing on a Sunday afternoon, deep clean the whole condo, strip the sheets and make the beds up with the "good" sheets, vacuum, dust, etc. Then leave for a 5 hr drive home. It was NOT fun, so I try not to repeat that

[dogmom]

The answer is it depends. We rent regularly on Cape Cod, never through ABnB, and it’s usually spelled out with reasonable or built in cleaning fees. We often rent from owners. There is such a massive turnover that all the rentals can’t be cleaned every Saturday morning, so we do more. However, I’ve seen the ABnB cleaning fees just sky rocket + high fees. I rented an off season (November) beach house in Maine for a girls weekend. It was nice and big and had 4 bedrooms, but the price went from $575 a night to $1000/night for two nights. It was a bit ridiculous. We just didn’t get the place that dirty in two nights. I have great sympathy for the cleaners, but it was a large rental corporation managing it, so I had little faith they were actually getting the $$$. We emptied the kitchen trash, picked up our crap, put dishes in the dishwasher and ran it. We all pitched in some cash and left a nice tip for the cleaners. It did not help that there was no book or clear instructions for the house or expectations for cleaning. I would not rent from this company again. I have since found they often list properties they know can’t be occupied, or double book them by listing a low price and a high price and at the last minute tell you the rental isn’t available. It’s all quite shady.

[Snow mom]

I just do whatever is listed as the expectation from the host. Usually it is leaving all dishes clean (starting the dishwasher and hand washing items necessary.) Strip beds or leave them obvious which ones have been used. Leave towels on ground or start first load of laundry—often turnover time doesn’t allow for that many loads of wash and dry between tenants. Whatever they ask. I don’t think I’ve been asked to vacuum in the last 10 years (I remember a large beach house my lab rented that definitely expected a lot of this sort of stuff) but certainly if there were crumbs on the counter or big items dropped on the floor I would deal with those rather than leave them for the cleaning service. We are often asked not just to take out the trash but to dispose of it elsewhere. That might be a function of the areas we visit which might not have curbside trash service. They always provide clear instructions of where trash can be left locally but it can be a little of an extra pain.

[Globetrotter]

I just follow whatever directions the host leaves us. I’ve noticed that, over the years, expectations have decreased. Years ago, when we were renting houses on VBRO, we had to do a bit more of a cleanup but nowadays many times they have minimal instructions like take out the trash and load the dishwasher. Some places still ask us to put the dirty linens in the washing machine. We generally leave the place neat and straighten up cushions, clear countertops, etc., but we don’t actually clean unless we are told to do it. I have never scrubbed a toilet at an Airbnb!