The Guide For A Successful Vacation Rental: Cleaning
Excellent hospitality also requires excellent cleanliness. If you want to maintain your vacation rental‘s success, it is not enough to create a fantastic listing and hand over the key to your guests. Ensure impeccable cleaning to impress them. Warmrental gives you some important tips so that you can have a successful vacation rental when it comes to cleaning.
Before you start, create a checklist with everything you need to do. Between check-outs and check-ins, it’s easy to forget some important detail that can have a big impact on your guests’ overall experience. By creating a list of all tasks, you can ensure that you have fulfilled what is necessary for a high standard of cleanliness.
In the kitchen:
make sure every utensil is clean
clean and organize the cupboards
clean the fridge and remove leftovers
clean the inside of appliances (such as oven, microwave, toaster, and coffee machine)
clean the floor and surfaces
organize utensils and spices in the cupboards
empty the trash can and put a fresh bag
In the bathroom:
clean the bathtub and the drain
clean the toilet
wipe the mirror
make sure there aren’t any hairs
empty the trash can
In the living room:
dust the surfaces, the insides of the furniture, and lamps
clean controls and electronic devices
vacuum the floor
remove stains from the couch
clean window glass
In the bedroom:
change sheets and pillowcases
dust the surfaces, wardrobes, and lamps
vacuum the floor
clean window glass
COVID-19 Cleaning Guidelines
Disinfecting And Cleaning
All Housekeepers follow a COVID-19 CDC cleaning guide checklist to ensure proper sanitation and disinfection procedures are met.
All Housekeepers and Inspectors are to wear a mask and gloves while in the properties.
All linens are removed from the property and put in linen bags. All linens are professionally laundered at a commercial facility ensuring all CDC guidelines for laundering are met, AND hotel standards are met as well (water temperatures must be at least 180 degrees).
All linens are replaced after every guest, INCLUDING duvet covers.
All bathroom surfaces, (including all faucets and toilet handles) and floors are disinfected. Fresh towels from our commercial laundry are placed in the bathrooms.
Kitchen counters, appliances, sink and faucets are cleaned with disinfectant.
Solid surface items in the living room, bedroom room, hallways and family rooms, including TV and all remotes, are wiped down with disinfectant.
All high touch items including door knobs, light switches and fan pulls are disinfected.
All soft surfaces including couches, chair cushions and throw pillows are sanitized.
Fresh kitchen towels, an individually wrapped sponge and other (individually wrapped) amenities are put in the property.
All floors are swept and mopped with disinfectant.
All keys, key pads, door locks, lockboxes (if applicable) will be wiped down with disinfectant
have consistently received raving reviews about how clean our properties are! Together, with our team of Housekeeping professionals, we have NEW cleaning protocols in place to ensure your health and safety. Prior to COVID-19, every vacation rental was inspected before our guests’ arrival, to ensure the cleaning met our standards…this will continue with our inspectors following a new cleaning checklist in order to meet the strict cleaning guidelines due to the virus.
VACATIONER’S GUIDE
recognize it is a time filled with uncertainty and we would like to offer our sincere gratitude for your patience and understanding as we work through this. Please review below for important updates and policy changes. As this situation develops, we will adjust accordingly.
Why Choose a Beach Cottage Vacation Rental?
The comfort of seclusion. When you rent a vacation home, you and your family come in contact with few people. You do not pass strangers in hallways. You do not share an elevator, lobby or common area with the public. For the duration of your stay, contact with others takes place solely at your discretion – a feature that most hotels simply cannot offer.
Beaches are open! There are a few guidelines for you to follow to ensure everyone’s health and safety. Below you will find the Beach Access Plan that outlines the guidelines:
Facial coverings are still required in all public indoor spaces and on public transportation.
50-person limit on gatherings in Phase 2 will expand to a 250-person limit.
Restaurants, Entertainment and Services
50-person limit on gatherings in Phase 2 will expand to a 250-person limit.
Restaurants’ capacity will be lifted, but physical distancing still required.
Non-essential retail establishments’ capacity limit will be lifted but with physical distancing still required.
Entertainment venues (including museums and zoos) will have their capacity limit raised to 50% with a max of 1,000 people in any space.
Gyms and fitness will have capacity limit raised from 30% to 75%.
Personal grooming servies will still need to follow all existing distancing requirements.
Childcare services can reopen across.
Public pools will be allowed to open up to 75% capacity, with distancing requirements in place.
Cleaning Standards
Realty has always provided the highest level of service and cleaning standards that you have come to know. Our cleaners continue to follow the CDC cleaning guidelines and recommendations that are set. Here is a sampling of those CDC guidelines. To ensure the highest level of cleaning is achieved, our cleaners:
Use commercial grade disinfectants
Wear disposable gloves and booties to avoid carrying germs from place to place
Disinfect cleaning supplies and equipment before and after each cleaning
Sanitize light switches, faucet handles, tubs, sinks, showers, tile grout, interior and exterior of refrigerators, glass top tables and surfaces, coffee pots and filter baskets, handrails, door knobs, lamps, remotes, countertops, appliances and floors
Vrbo and HomeAway Cleaning Checklist Enhanced to face COVID-19 coronavirus (vacation rental cleanliness)
The vacation rental cleanliness topic is a hot one, as travel bans get lifted across the world. We have already reviewed Airbnb’s Enhanced Cleaning Initiative and 72-hour Booking Buffer, as well as VRMA’s SafeHome cleaning checklist and guidelines.
Vrbo has released its own Vrbo / HomeAway cleaning checklist called “guidelines for owners and property managers for enhanced cleaning and disinfection of vacation rentals.” Here are a few takeaways:
Expert advice: Just like Airbnb, Vrbo is relying on third-parties to come up with its standards. While Airbnb is following Ecolab‘s recommendations, Vrbo is using the “Cristal International Standards” from the international certification and training company Intertek Group.
Booking buffers: Airbnb’s Enhanced Cleaning Initiative contains a 24-hour time buffer between stays. Its “Booking Buffer” calendar availability feature even goes up to 72 hours between booking. Vrbo recommends “letting the property remain empty for a total of 24 hours after previous stay checkout“.
Outsourced cleaning: If using an external or professional cleaning company, communicate expectations and plans for cleaning and disinfection standards, and get periodic confirmation that they are being followed by the company contracted
Guest communication: Communicate to travelers on measures implemented, both pre-stay and during the stay, via listing content and property information booklet
General advice
The emergence of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, has created a need to take additional cleaning and disinfection measures to help prevent its spread and help ensure the safety of travelers and partners.
Vrbo and HomeAway partners are encouraged to:
Use accurate, reputable sources of information including the WHO, the CDC, and local authorities
Make sure to follow local regulations, where applicable
Have a proactive plan to manage and minimize the risks associated with SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19) and similar events, such as a prevention of spread of infection plan
Implement an enhanced cleaning and disinfecting of the property between stays
If using an external or professional cleaning company, communicate expectations and plans for cleaning and disinfection standards, and get periodic confirmation that they are being followed by the company contracted
Communicate to travelers on measures implemented, both pre-stay and during stay, via listing content and property information booklet
Support for guests:
Support good hand hygiene for guests and anyone involved with the property by providing sufficient hand sanitizer, antibacterial soap products at property entry points and key areas, and also encouraging handwashing regularly with water and soap for at least 20 seconds
Implement social distancing policies during check-in and check-out, and during any interactions with guests, staff, local community. When possible, encourage minimizing these interactions
Recommend removing shoes when entering the property and leaving them at the entrance (if possible, outside)
Inform guests on how they can contribute in prevention, and actions to take if they identify symptoms (refer to WHO, CDC or local government resources)
Consider providing cleaning and disinfecting products for guests to use, along with instructions; antibacterial handwash and additional personal hygiene products are also nice to have on hand for guests
If guests clean the property themselves, be sure to assess the results and the overall cleanliness of the property and to implement an additional cleaning if necessary; regardless, implement disinfection as described below
COVID-19 and Vacation Rentals: What you can do
As COVID-19 headlines continue announcing climbing infection rates and a global economic slowdown, it’s hard not to feel a bit panicky about the situation. In recent weeks, the hospitality industry was hit especially hard. We’ve seen travel restrictions, border closures, “social distancing” and general anxiety by potential guests affect their willingness to travel. If that wasn’t enough, our niche, the vacation rental industry saw a spike in cancelation requests – both on the major booking platforms and on the direct booking sites.
COVID-19 and what it means for the vacation rental industry
In the short-term we’re seeing a lot variance in how the downturn is affecting vacation rental owners and managers. It all depends on the location of the vacation rental business. On one end, there are many vacation rental owners, managers, and companies that are feeling the impact of cancelations and see no future bookings for coming weeks. But on the other hand, we’re seeing properties like cabins, cottages, rural getaways, and eco-destinations get completely booked for extended periods of time. It seems that domestic travelers from cities that aren’t under lockdown are trying to find a quiet place, away from other people, to hunker down. For hosts and managers in those situations, business is on the up.
As for the recent financial downturn, it’s important to remember that the stock market isn’t a reflection of global economic health. In other words, we haven’t seen COVID-19 trigger a global recession yet. For the time being, many are able to continue working from home and earn their wages. Additionally, stimulus packages and interest rate cuts announced by many governments should help weather the storm – hoping that it doesn’t last for too long.
What to do now: Take measured action
No one in the vacation rental industry saw COVID-19 coming. But at least none of your competitors have a head start over you. And so now it’s a question of adapting and responding efficiently, as well as bracing your business from the effects of a downturn (if it happens). For the time being, many vacation rental owners and managers are responding in three ways: attempting to reduce vacancy rates at all costs, cutting expenses, and staying informed.
Reduce vacancy rate ASAP
Now’s the time to reduce your vacancy rate by any reasonable means. The wave of cancelations hurt, and the months of March and April likely won’t be your high watermark. But if you can attract domestic travelers, now’s the time to go after them. Here are a few tips to help you reduce your vacancy rate:
Continue to keep your property operational to make the most of any short-notice bookings. If people are waiting for last-minute news updates before making plans, you want to make sure you can cash in on these late bookings.
Consider lowering your rates, so you remain competitive. People are still keen for a bargain – even in moments of crisis. You’ll fill vacancies if your prices are attractive and competitive.
Along the same lines, consider offering promotions and other discounts for long-term stays.
Use marketing tools to communicate with customers and let them know that you’re doing everything in your power to keep things running as normal. Tell them that you understand their worries and reassure them about your commitments to hygiene and security.
Consider what actions you can take to attract national (or domestic) travelers to your rentals. Are there local marketplaces you’re not a part of yet? Perhaps focus on more traditional marketing tactics like local newspapers ads or national directories.