Nicolette Borlaug Masiya, Director of Marketing at Turno

National Average Vacation Rental Cleaning Costs 1-Bedroom Q1 2021

Nicolette Borlaug Masiya — Wed, 21 Apr 2021 00:44:00 +0000

After a year like 2020, vacation rentals are rebounding stronger than ever. Whether you are an Airbnb host or cleaner, it is important to stay in the know of vacation rental cleaning costs with both national and statewide trends.

Q1 2021 Cleaning Costs

The infographic below is compiled based on completed projects on the Turno vacation rental cleaning platform from January 1-March 31, 2021.

National Average

The average vacation rental cleaning cost for a one-bedroom property nationwide is $51.57. This price is up just slightly from last quarter’s average of $51.29.

Two- and three-bedroom properties saw an opposite effect, with a decrease in overall averages compared to last quarter.

The average two-bedroom rate is $68.45, compared to last quarter’s $69.82. Three-bedroom property cleaning averages dipped below $100, down over three percent from the fourth quarter.

With changes in national averages, vacation rental cleaning costs may need to be adjusted to stay competitive in your local market. Be sure to review your statewide data when available to help you get a more accurate estimate.

States with Highest and Lowest Vacation Rental Cleaning Costs

Based on Turno data, the states with the highest and lowest average vacation rental cleaning costs for a one-bedroom property include:

Highest cleaning costs

1. New Jersey – $87.91
2. Hawaii – $75.91
3. Washington – $69.63

Lowest cleaning costs

1. Indiana – $39.23
2. Utah – $39.52
3. Pennsylvania – $42.35

Historical Average

Over the last year, cleaning costs have remained steady across the board for one, two, and three-bedroom properties. One-bedroom cleaning costs saw a slight increase over the past year, with Q1 2020 averages of $49.38 rising to $51.57 in Q1 2021.

Despite the Covid-19 pandemic, vacation rentals saw an increase in bookings over the holiday season, resulting in a minimal increase in cleaning costs from November 2020 to January 2021.

Conclusion

2021 is off to a great start, with the summer travel season around the corner. Cleaning costs nationwide for vacation rental properties saw just slight fluctuation, with one-bedroom properties seeing the only increase in cleaning costs compared to two- and three-bedroom properties.

Statewide data shows New Jersey once again at the top for the highest average cost of cleaning for a one-bedroom property at $87.91 – up from its average of $82.38 from last quarter.

Indiana saw the lowest cleaning costs for a one-bedroom property at just $39.23 on average.

Interested to learn more? Follow Turno on social media for updates on statewide cleaning costs and other vacation rental tips and trends to keep you up-to-date.

The post National Average Vacation Rental Cleaning Costs 1-Bedroom Q1 2021 appeared first on Turno.

Finding the Right Airbnb Cleaning Service

Nicolette Borlaug Masiya — Tue, 09 Mar 2021 06:58:30 +0000

Like many other property managers, you’ve decided you want to begin working with an Airbnb cleaning service – great! But where do you begin? Follow this guide to better understand the items that matter most when selecting a cleaning service for your Airbnb or other vacation rental property.

Or if you’re ready to jump right in, you can go ahead and find a cleaner in your area.

What to look for (and avoid) in an Airbnb cleaning service

Selecting the right Airbnb cleaning service doesn’t have to be an exhausting process. If you are aware of these key things to look for – and the things to avoid – you will lay the foundation for a strong relationship with your cleaning service.

Experience
The best cleaning services have a team with experience. While this is not shocking, it needs to be added toward the top of your list.

To start, you will want to be aware of how many turnovers the cleaner has performed and since what date. Does your rental involve special projects, such as cleaning an outdoor area or window cleaning? Make sure the cleaner has experience in all of the project areas on your list.

Requesting and following up with references from some of their current customers will help you determine if they may be the right fit for your property.

Turno removes the guesswork from finding an experienced cleaning service and thoroughly screens all applicants to its cleaner marketplace with mandatory reference and background checks.

The marketplace allows vacation rental hosts to create cleaning projects and receive competitive bids from cleaners in their area. On average, a host can receive between 3 to 10 bids in an hour.

Hosts have the opportunity to review and either accept or reject bids within 48 hours.

Excellent communication
Communication goes beyond simply making sure your cleaner promptly returns your calls and text messages.

Other criteria for excellent host-cleaner communication includes:

— Confirming receipt of schedule and promptly confirming each appointment

— Able to adjust to any necessary changes to the schedule

— Report any damage to the property or other potential issues

To streamline the communication process and eliminate unnecessary back-and-forth correspondence, an all-in-one scheduling tool may be the best fit for you.

Selecting a cleaning service that is already tech-savvy and uses web and app-based tools will save you time (and a potential headache later). This will allow for more streamlined communication, scheduling, assigning tasks, processing auto-payments, and more.

Reliability
Time management and reliability go hand in hand. Knowing you can count on your cleaner to show up (and not be late) will give you more time to focus on more important things, like growing your business.

Hosts who search for a new cleaner on Turno’s marketplace are quickly connected to local trusted cleaners in their area. Once connected, you are now able to build an ongoing relationship and take one step closer to putting your Airbnb on autopilot.

Cost
Like searching for any new service, it can become quite daunting when searching and comparing price quotes from various cleaners and cleaning services.

It is important to maintain your bottom line by selecting a cleaning service that is proportional to the income of your property and your cleaning fee.

Next, let’s take a look at what to avoid.

The top two things to avoid when selecting a cleaning service
Mistakes happen, but you do not want to turn a beneficial service to your growing business into a nightmare. Avoid these common mistakes when reviewing your cleaning service options:

— Franchise cleaning businesses – The cost is one of the biggest deterrents when reviewing a franchised cleaning business. Very high overhead = higher costs to you. Another is the lack of flexibility. The often tight scheduling demands with vacation rentals typically do not work well with these types of cleaning services.

— Choosing the lowest option – as the old adage suggests: cheaper isn’t always better. Ultimately, the cost of a no-show cleaner is just too high for the sake of choosing the cleaner offering the lowest bid.

Things that make an Airbnb cleaning service great

Things that make a cleaning service stand out include:

Excellent time management
Timing is especially crucial in turning over a rental property. Whether you opt to have your property cleaned upon guest checkout or prior to guest check-in, it is critical to have the cleaning project completed in the time allotted. A great cleaning service holds time management to a high standard.

Damage reporting
Your cleaning service will be able to report any issues that may arise during or after a guest’s stay. A detailed cleaning checklist with photo documentation capabilities will allow cleaners to properly document any before and after photos showing damage to your property.

Photo documentation will prove to be a huge aid in helping to fight possible disputes with Airbnb or your other listing source.

Reputation management
Simply put, a clean property means the potential for a great review. On the flip side, a less-than-pristine Airbnb is an easy target for a negative review. Whether online or offline, it’s no secret that reputation management can make or break your business.

Your Airbnb’s cleanliness, amenities or extra touches, and overall guest experience are all key factors that go into a potential review. By choosing a reliable, experienced cleaning service you won’t need to think twice about the cleanliness of your rental property. However, this doesn’t give you a pass to neglect other areas that are equally as important to your reputation management.

Meeting guest demands and expectations
Sure, you may be able to clean your Airbnb yourself, but hiring a professional cleaning service can have many perks. When it comes to meeting and exceeding your guests’ needs you want to be certain you are anticipating every possible situation that may arise.

You already have plenty on your plate. In addition to ensuring your rental maintains pristine cleanliness, professional cleaners can also help take on those additional tasks you may not have had time to do yourself (e.g. finally getting around to organizing the kitchen cabinets, pantry, or linens closet). A cleaning service can also stay on top of any special requests your guests need during their stay, freeing you up to focus on other parts of your rental business.

Customized cleaning packages
There are often customizations available with your Airbnb cleaning service. Don’t be afraid to ask a cleaner if they offer additional services outside of their standard cleaning procedures.

Additional services can include laundry service (laundering on-site or at another location), restocking toiletries, sanitizing or other deep cleanings, organizing, staging, and even creating guest welcome packets and gift baskets. These extra touches are guaranteed to go a long way with your guests.

How to find an Airbnb cleaning service

Here are a few of the most popular ways to go about your search:

Cold Calling
First, you may do some research online and call a list of services one by one. Unfortunately, this may not always be the most effective route. It may instead lead to a trail of missed calls and voicemails, hoping you will eventually get a call back and finally be able to connect.

Online Advertising
Advertising can be very effective, but also quite costly. Whether it is a Craigslist ad or social media listing, you may decide it is just not worth the risk of finding yourself in a potentially awkward or even dangerous situation trying to find the right cleaning service.

Cleaner Marketplace
You don’t have to settle or commit to only one cleaner when you can choose from a full network of available cleaners in your area. With over 25,000 cleaners globally in the Turno Marketplace, you can find a professional cleaner in your area in a matter of hours – or even less.

We previously examined the standards of what to look for in an Airbnb cleaning service: experience, excellent communication, reliability, and cost. Choosing to utilize our cleaner marketplace will check all of these boxes and more.

Single Cleaner vs. Cleaning Company

Is it better to work with a single cleaner or a cleaning company? If you have multiple rental properties you may think working with a larger cleaning company is the way to go.

By selecting an automated cleaning system you can get all of the advantages of a cleaning company while not sacrificing on cost.

A marketplace of trusted cleaners means you can add new cleaners at any time when you decide to grow your team.

Turno makes working with multiple cleaners simple with an easy-to-use automated scheduling app for desktop and mobile. Hosts have the ability to organize their cleaners and designate primary cleaners and backup cleaners for each property listing.

Hire an Airbnb Cleaning Service

Turno can pull reservations from all booking sources including Airbnb, VRBO, booking.com, and any property management software you are already using.

Having all of your reservations in one place makes finding and scheduling cleaners for each turnover a streamlined system.

Let Turno help you check all the boxes when searching for the right cleaning service for your Airbnb.

Get started by finding a cleaner today.

The post Finding the Right Airbnb Cleaning Service appeared first on Turno.

How to Share Your Airbnb Calendar With Your Cleaner

Nicolette Borlaug Masiya — Tue, 23 Feb 2021 03:15:04 +0000

Can I Just Share My iCal or Google Calendar?

Yes, you can share your Apple or Google calendars with your cleaner — but we do not recommend it. While this may seem like an easy solution for your scheduling needs, there are some major considerations you need to keep in mind before you click that share button.

Simply sharing your bookings by syncing your iCal or Google calendar with your cleaner will not only limit your usability. It can also lead to some potentially awkward situations down the road.

Before we go over some of the problems with this method of calendar sharing, remember why you are wanting to share your calendar in the first place.

Your goal is to find the best way to tell your cleaner when you would like them to clean your property, right? By directly sharing your calendar, you are actually only telling them when the property is occupied. Let’s get into the potential problems that may arise by going this route.

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1. Unable to Specify Cleaning Dates and Times

You’re only able to share the date range your property is occupied. This means you do not have a way to tell your cleaner when you would like them to clean.

You may need your property cleaned prior to the guest’s stay or right after checkout. Perhaps you’ve added extra COVID-19 precautions and have added a safety buffer between Airbnb cleanings. If you simply share your general calendars, your cleaner is not able to know these details.

2. Disorganization

Sharing your calendar does not allow you to assign cleaners to specific tasks.

Additionally, you may use more than one booking source from Airbnb, Vrbo, Booking.com, private bookings, or other sites. In this case, you will need to separately share your booking calendar with your cleaner for each platform. This means multiple calendars and an organizational nightmare.

3. Awkward Exchanges

Once you share your calendar, you cannot un-share. It’s no surprise this may create an awkward conversation with your cleaner.

Down the road, you may want to add more cleaners to your team or replace your existing cleaner altogether. If they have access to your calendar, now your cleaner knows they are no longer exclusive to you.

4. Back-and-Forth Communication

Even after your cleaner has your calendar, you will still need to regularly follow up to ensure confirmation of any booking updates.

Did my cleaner see the new booking added? Did I tell my cleaner when I want the actual cleaning to occur? The conversation continues for any necessary booking changes and so on.

5. Cleaners Know the Schedule, so They May Use It for Themselves

By allowing full calendar access, you are also showing any gap dates between bookings. This allows the opportunity for cleaners to take advantage of an unoccupied property and stay there themselves.

This method of calendar sharing just doesn’t make sense, causing issues both in the short and long term. Most importantly, it does not reach your goal: to find the best way to tell your cleaner when you would like them to clean your property.

Should I Make My Cleaner a Co-Host Instead?

You already have an excellent relationship with your cleaner and trust them to care for your properties with the utmost attention to detail. After all, they help you create a home-away-from-home experience for your guests.

You know you need to share your booking details with them anyway, so why not add them as a co-host to see bookings first-hand? Once you make someone a co-host, you need to understand the problems that may arise due to the increased access your cleaner will now have. Learn more about these potential issues below.

1. Access to Confidential Information

Your earnings, guest data, and other private information from your Airbnb account will now be accessible to your cleaner.

2. More Awkward Exchanges

Just like sharing your iCal or Google calendar, once you add your cleaner as a co-host it is difficult to un-share that information.

Your cleaner will now know when you have stopped using them exclusively, which may cause friction to your relationship. If you decide to work with multiple cleaners, your co-host will now be able to view everyone’s workload and compare it to their own.

3. Continuous Communication Is Needed

Adding a co-host will not solve the communication process to streamline correspondence from booking confirmation to completion of the project, relying on constant follow-up along the way.

At this point you are likely asking yourself: If I can’t share my iCal or Google calendar with my cleaner or make them a co-host, what can I do?

Schedule ahead with Turno and always impress your guests.

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Don’t Just Share Your Calendar, Create an Automated Cleaning System

You look for opportunities to make your life easier every day. That’s why finding a solution to help you efficiently manage your schedule is likely one of your top priorities.

The days of manually checking off jobs are behind us. There are now automated solutions to fit your business needs.

Things to consider for an automated cleaning system:

Works with multiple cleaners, calendars, and properties
Automated confirmations and reminder notifications
Cleaning checklists and damage photo documentation
Automated payment processing
Ability to hide or show calendar details (such as property availability)
Recordkeeping for tax purposes
Available in a desktop and mobile app

Once you determine the features most important to you, it’s time to find the best option to help you automate your process and ultimately save you time.

Put Your Vacation Rental on Autopilot

What you want is a way to tell your cleaners when to clean your property. You also want to simplify the communication process from booking to project completion, minimizing opportunities for awkward exchanges along the way.

Now is the time to start streamlining your vacation rental operation while keeping productivity in top consideration.

Turno offers hosts a solution to automatically schedule their cleanings based on bookings through a desktop and mobile app. Hosts can manage existing cleaners or find local cleaners who are already part of the Turno marketplace network.

Cleaners use their own app to receive notifications, use cleaning checklists, and send messages and project updates.

How it works:

Centralized communication and management for all of your projects
Pull your guest calendar from Airbnb, Vrbo, Homeaway, or other major booking platforms and channel managers into one central location
Work and communicate with your existing cleaners or find a new cleaner on Turno’s marketplace
Schedule cleanings with automatic assignments, delegation, and acceptance
Create and upload cleaning checklists
Promptly pay your cleaners using autopay

From guest booking to confirmed cleaning with zero-touch. No more waiting to see if your property will be ready for your next guest. Turno helps ease the operational burden by communicating and coordinating with your cleaners to create a more efficient, shared calendar experience.

Request a free demo to learn more about our automation solutions.

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