STR cleaning / STR service includes washing, scrubbing, dusting, vacuuming, sanitizing, and disinfecting a vacation or short-term rental. STR cleaning is also referred to as “Short Term Rental Turnover Service”. A reputable turnover service also offers stocking and staging of your STR or vacation rental.
Typically, STR cleaning does not include any cleaning or restocking services during the guests’ stay. Smart hosts do provide cleaning products for their guests for any spills or messes. Depending on the average length of stay, additional cleaning supplies or equipment (like a vacuum cleaner) or amenities such as a washer and dryer may be expected.
STR Owners Wear Many Hats … Including “Reputation Management”!
With the availability of websites such as AirBnB.com and VRBO.com, many property owners have transitioned their homes, cabins, condos, or apartments from traditional rentals into the short-term rental market.
As the owner of a vacation rental or STR, cleaning is paramount. You are no longer "just a landlord"; you are now a host in the hospitality industry! Your guest’s first impression always includes how clean "their new space" is.
In addition to cleaning, considerations unique to short-term rentals include organizing, prepping, maintaining, stocking, and staging. Oh, then there’s marketing, booking, check-in / check-out arrangements, repeated cleanings or arranging turnover services, inspections, permits, taxes, and customer service to manage too. If it sounds overwhelming, download our "Things to Consider" to help you get a strong start on you STR journey.
Yes, your guests are also your customers… “6 Things You can do as a New AirBnB Host to Make Your Life Easier” is an article by Raini & Associates (Caravel’s parent company) that can help you get a handle on preparing your STR property. It also offers great tips for setting your customers’ expectations.
For regulations specific to Ventura County, you’ll want to visit this County of Ventura Resource Management Agency page. You’ll also want to visit your local municipality’s website for any laws specific to your city.
Understanding what’s important to your guests will help you provide amenities and benefits that will earn you 5-star ratings. And that leads to more guests!
Why is STR Cleaning / Short-Term Rental Turnover Service So Important?
How clean your STR looks and smells is the biggest factor in that all-important first impression! “According to Airbnb data, a lack of cleanliness is one of the top reasons guests leave a negative review. On the other hand, a spotless space can lead to positive reviews…” This is one of the primary reasons we not only provide Turnover Service for local Vacation Rentals, we help owner/managers and other turnover providers learn how to be efficient and effective when cleaning Short-Term Rentals.
Get your copy of our Favorite Cleaning Equipment and Supplies
In the Traveler Value Index 2023 report on VRBO.com, “heightened cleanliness standards” is one of the trends that showed a significant upswing in the responses. VRBO.com also found that over 50% of travelers choose “properties that have environmentally friendly and inclusive policies.”
At Caravel Cleaning Company,
we’re dedicated to helping you WELCOME and WOW your guests.
Thorough, meticulous, environmentally friendly turnover cleaning is just the first step. Our Cleaning Crew uses a 110-point cleaning checklist (click here to download an abbreviated copy to help you systematize the cleaning of your Short Term Rental) , and they are also trained to stage your STR. We use your marketing photos to maintain consistency in the appearance of your property. Not only are pillows fluffed and placed just so, every detail is covered every time.
You can relax in confidence, knowing that your STR will be prepped to impress your guests.
Turnover Cleaning Meaning…
Turnover Cleaning in its simplest terms is cleaning a room or property and making sure that it is fully stocked with any incidentals a guest may need. For hotels, this would be considered maid service after check-out. For Short-Term Rentals, an STR service will have several additional details to take into account, and way more rooms to clean. Cleaning isn’t the only priority. Taking inventory, restocking, arranging, and staging are additional particulars that need attention.
AirBnb’s “Enhanced Clean” includes 5 main points: prepare, clean, sanitize, check, reset.
VRBO’s Cleaning checklist is far more detailed, with 79 points to cover. Just reading it will take an “average reader” 10 minutes!
Most STR owners find that using a professional turnover service alleviates a lot of headaches.
Short-Term Rental Turnover Service
In addition to our STR Cleaning Service, Caravel really shines at providing all-inclusive short-term rental turnover services. We make it easy to help you choose the tasks and services you want us to cover. From styling, to hosting, maintenance, re-stocking, linen service, and more, we will work with you take care of anything you don’t have time, or don’t want, to do.
Grand View Research found that short-term rentals accounted for 99.5 million nights booked in the US in 2021. Globally, they project a compounded annual growth rate of 11.1% from 2022-2030. In USD, that translates to 109.76 billion in 2022, with the projection for 2030 coming in at 256.31 billion!
Can you imagine how many hours of cleaning that will take?
According to AirDNA’s 2023 US short-term rental outlook report, “The many upward trends in the vacation rental space paint a picture of an inspiring future, particularly as consumers’ appetite for travel shows no signs of slowing.”
Your property may be perfect for a vacation rental, or it may be better suited to serve business travelers’ needs. Maybe your STR is ideal for a family vacation with pets or a relaxing weekend getaway. It could be located near adventurous excursions, or off the beaten path to provide guests with much-needed peace and quiet. For any type of STR, creating an environment that welcomes your guests and makes them feel at home will help you increase bookings and revenue.
Short-Term Rental Turnover Services can help you provide a stress-free, safe space that caters to your guests. When looking for STR services, you’ll want to find a cleaning company that is familiar with the hospitality industry and looks at your property through your guests’ eyes.
contact or call Caravel Cleaning Company at 805-804-5454 today!
STR Cleaning and Turnover Services for: Ventura, Oxnard, Camarillo, Port Hueneme, Newbury Park, Thousand Oaks, Ojai, Santa Paula, and Somis