Updated on March 24, 2025
A professionally cleaned short-term rental is vital to delivering a satisfying guest experience, but selecting the cleaning service requires know-how, planning, and well-defined expectations. In this guide, vacation rental cleaning experts will share what to do to ensure your service and contract are squeaky clean.
Why outsource cleaning services?
Whether you’re hosting one property or overseeing a growing portfolio, hiring professional cleaners enhances guest satisfaction.
“Guests love the uniqueness and the special aspect of staying at a vacation rental, and they want that customized experience. At the same time, they want confidence in the place that they’re staying is actually serviced to a level they can have comfort in knowing that the place is cleaned and the laundry is done professionally,” said Jonathan Wicks, founder of Well & Good Professional Services and president of Arizonans for Responsible Tourism.
Training an in-house cleaning team, cleaning properties yourself, or coordinating cleaning schedules consume time and resources. Outsourcing allows you to use those hours to focus on strategically running your business.
Meanwhile, you save on training costs, employee benefits, and cleaning equipment like vacuum cleaners. Many cleaning companies also use industrial tools and specialized products that allow for deep cleaning, removing pet odors, and sanitizing to prevent the spread of germs.
Outsourcing also makes service more reliable. Established cleaning companies have backup staff, scheduling tools, and quality control measures, so you’re less likely to face a crisis if someone calls in sick or a schedule changes unexpectedly.
Questions to ask cleaning service candidates
How is the laundry handled?
Unlike routine home cleaning, short-term rental turnovers require a spotless space and fresh, high-quality, and preferably pressed linens for every guest.
Laundry is one of the first topics to discuss before choosing a cleaning service, Jonathan said. Some cleaning companies handle laundering on-site, while others send linens off-site for professional washing and pressing. Each approach has its trade-offs: On-site laundry may be more cost-effective, but it can lengthen turnover times and sacrifice quality. Off-site services, while often pricier (typically around $1 per pound), ensure linens are sanitized and pressed, enhancing the overall guest experience. Whatever method you choose, itemize laundry as a separate service and have a clear agreement on compensation for it, Jonathan advised.
Who is performing the work?
A common red flag is when a cleaning company outsources jobs without proper oversight and without disclosing who is entering your property. If you’re speaking with a company representative rather than the person who will be in your rental, ask about the training and accountability of their staff.
What’s their experience with vacation rentals?
Cleaners with STR experience understand the importance of quick turnovers, consistent standards, and guest-ready presentation.
Can they provide references?
References from other STR operators can reveal the provider’s reliability, attention to detail, and adaptability to short-notice changes.
Do they perform background checks?
Background checks and proper identification are essential for security since cleaning crews often access properties unsupervised.
What products and equipment do they use?
Clarify whether they use eco-friendly products or have specialized equipment for unique cleaning needs.
Why you should have a cleaning contract
Even if you manage only a few properties, a written cleaning contract protects you and your service provider. It outlines expectations, tasks, and procedures across multiple locations. A well-crafted contract should cover the scope of services (including deep cleans, mid-stay cleans, and emergency call-backs), laundry protocols, inventory restocking responsibilities, and invoicing and payment terms. Include your communication methods, scheduling tools, and a formal process for terminating the agreement.
Check out Breezeway’s cleaning service contract template for more guidance on how to draft yours.
How to maintain cleaning quality and accountability
Hiring a cleaning service is just the beginning of an ongoing partnership that requires ongoing communication and quality control.
Provide a checklist
Cleaning checklists help ensure consistency and prevent oversights. They also define what “guest ready” means to you and allow the cleaner to sign off on it, Jonathan said.
You can tailor digital checklists to specific properties, create house-specific standards, and attach example photos to illustrate how each room should look. Cleaners can mark off tasks in real time, upload completed photos, and signal when a property is ready for inspection. These checklists double as a training tool for new cleaners and a verification method for remote hosts.
Incorporate photo evidence
Professional cleaning services like Well & Good, which has 18 locations, document their work through before-and-after photos. This visual record verifies that cleans met standards, provides proof in case of a guest complaint, and documents maintenance or damage promptly.
A photo also serves as the invoice for the cleaners without any questions or disputes over whether a task was or wasn’t completed, Jonathan said.
“I definitely recommend taking photos and using some sort of a platform like Breezeway that will allow you to create not just the evidence but the actual invoice that goes along with it,” he said.
Ensure inspection protocols
Even with a reliable cleaning team, turnover inspections help maintain quality. Turnover inspections are conducted by a third party to verify the cleaner’s work and catch issues that the cleaner may have overlooked.
Well & Good occasionally uses an inspection technique of hiding small objects in overlooked areas to test their cleaners’ thoroughness.
“We will literally hide a rubber duck in a cabinet or under a bed just to see if it’s found next time,” Jonathan said. “It’s really cool, but it’s definitely a way to say, Hey, did you open that cabinet? Did you check underneath that bed?”
Encourage two-way feedback
Rather than complaining to cleaners about issues, ask them if they face any challenges and how you can help them improve their processes. Minor changes to check-out times or supply storage can make a big difference.
Use STR operations software
Operations software like Breezeway connects with your booking calendar to automate cleaning schedules, manage work orders, document cleaning, and generate accurate invoices based on photo evidence. Cleaners can upload photos, track tasks, and report maintenance or damage in real time. These features bolster accountability, reduce manual workload, and reduce errors, Jonathan said.
“Task management software (like Breezeway) is available to anyone, including individual hosts,” he said, “and I can’t recommend them enough.”
Hiring the right STR cleaning company and investing in a well-defined cleaning process—backed by clear expectations, quality control, and mutual accountability—will help you maintain consistently high standards, reduce turnover stress, and, most importantly, keep your guests happy.
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