Pillar Guide · 29 articles

Cleaning & Turnover

Build a cleaning system that scales — SOPs, software, and pricing.

Key Numbers

Freeto start on Turno (up to 2 properties)
23 minaverage time saved per turnover with automation
94%of scaling issues trace back to cleaning SOPs

Recommended Tools

Top software picks for Cleaning & Turnover

Best Value
Lodgify

Lodgify

PMSFrom $13/month

Includes direct booking site

4.6
4.6
Most Popular
Guesty

Guesty

PMSCustom (commission-based)

Enterprise-grade PMS

4.5
4.5
Free Resource
Turno

Turno

CleaningFree for hosts (cleaners set rates)

Automates turnovers

4.5
4.5
Editor's Choice
Hospitable

Hospitable

PMSFrom $25/month

Best for automation

4.8
4.8
Uplisting

Uplisting

PMSFrom $50/month

Reliable enterprise features

4.8
4.8
1

The hidden cost of a bad turnover

A missed clean doesn't just mean a 1-star review — it means a guest refund, potential Superhost status loss, and months of recovery. Hosts who scale past 10 listings share one trait: a documented, systemised turnover process that doesn't depend on any one cleaner or any one phone call.

1 in 12Airbnb host cancellations are caused by cleaning failures
2

Building a photo-referenced SOP

A good cleaning SOP is photo-referenced, room-by-room, and takes a new cleaner through the property in the correct order. It covers hotel-standard items guests notice — hospital-corner bed folds, lint-free mirrors, correctly folded toilet paper — alongside practical items like restocking supplies and replacing batteries.

Shoot your SOP photos the same day you deep-clean the property. Host the visual checklist in Notion, Google Docs, or Properly. Send the link with every new cleaner booking.

3

Cleaning software: Turno vs Properly vs PMS built-in

Turno (formerly TurnoverBnB) is the category leader — it auto-assigns cleanings when bookings arrive, lets cleaners report issues with photos, and has a marketplace to find vetted local cleaners. Properly offers the best photo-checklist experience for remote hosts. Most PMS tools include basic cleaning automation, but dedicated tools win on cleaner UX.

4

Pricing your cleaning fee correctly

A cleaning fee too high loses bookings (high total price = low conversion). Too low and you subsidise turnover costs. The right cleaning fee covers actual cleaner cost + supplies + quality-control margin, weighted by stay length. Our calculator models this for your property size and cleaning duration.

+12%occupancy improvement when cleaning fee is optimally priced
5

Managing remote cleaners at scale

At 5+ properties, cleaner reliability becomes your #1 ops risk. Mitigate it with: a primary cleaner + trained backup per property, auto-assignment software that requires no phone calls, photo-verified completion reports, and a quality score tracked per cleaner. Pay on time, every time — good cleaners are irreplaceable.

Keep a cleaner emergency fund — enough for one professional deep-clean at each property. When a cleaner cancels last-minute, you have a budget solution rather than a crisis.

Turnover System Checklist

0/7 done

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Want personalised advice on cleaning & turnover?

Book a 1:1 strategy session with Prayas — Airbnb Ambassador, 9+ years hosting 250 properties.