How to Start an Airbnb Cleaning Business: A Practical Guide

Turnover cleaning is one of the easier cleaning niches to start in, because the work repeats. The same property needs the same clean every time a guest leaves, and a host who finds a reliable cleaner tends to keep them. Here is what to set up first and how to find your first hosts.

What a turnover cleaner actually does

• Strips and remakes beds and replaces towels
• Cleans bathrooms and kitchens to a guest-ready standard
• Vacuums and mops every floor and takes out the trash
• Restocks consumables like soap, paper goods and coffee
• Checks for damage, left-behind items and supply shortages and reports them
• Takes photos so the host can see the property is ready

Set up the basics

• Check your city and state for business registration or licensing rules before you take payment
• Consider liability insurance and bonding. Many hosts ask for it, and it can win you jobs
• Get a reliable way to be paid and to track income for taxes
• Build a supply kit and a checklist you follow the same way on every job
• Make sure you can handle laundry, either on site or off site, since linens are most of the time pressure

Find your first hosts

Hosts need cleaners most when a booking is close, so jobs posted on a marketplace go quickly. Create a profile with clear photos of your work, a short description of the areas you cover and what you include, and respond fast. Local host groups on Facebook are another place hosts ask for cleaner recommendations, though many groups limit self promotion, so read the rules first.

See how listing on Host Wingman works for cleaners →

Price your turnovers

Price by the work, not by the hour you hope it takes. Bedrooms, bathrooms, whether laundry is included, and how tight the window is all change the time. Time your first few jobs honestly, then set a rate that covers your time, travel and supplies. Quote from your own numbers rather than copying another cleaner's price.

Win repeat work

• Arrive when you said you would, and message the host if you are running late
• Send photos at the end of every job
• Tell the host about damage or low supplies the same day
• Keep a spare slot open so you can say yes when a regular host has a last minute turnover

Hosts rebook cleaners who make their life easier, and a few good hosts with several properties each can fill a calendar without constant searching for new work.