Airbnb Turnover Checklist for London Hosts: What to Do Between Guests

An Airbnb turnover works best in the same order every time: inspect and photograph, strip the beds, clean the kitchen and bathroom, make the beds and reset the living space, do the floors, then restock and walk through as the next guest would. With an 11am check-out and a 3pm check-in, all of that fits into four hours.

Cleanliness has its own star rating on Airbnb. Guests are asked whether the home met Airbnb's standards, which include being free of mould, pests and extensive dust (Airbnb). A written checklist keeps that standard on every changeover, whoever cleans.

How much time do you need between guests?

Work backwards from check-in. Take off travel time across London, a buffer for a late check-out, and the laundry, which is usually the slowest part. What is left is your cleaning time.

Here is a sample four-hour turnover for a one-bedroom flat with one cleaner:

1. 11:00 to 11:15 Walk through every room, take photos, note damage and collect lost property.
2. 11:15 to 11:30 Strip the beds, gather towels, empty every bin and open the windows.
3. 11:30 to 12:30 Kitchen: dishes, appliances, worktops, fridge and sink.
4. 12:30 to 13:15 Bathroom: toilet, shower or bath, basin, mirror and floor.
5. 13:15 to 14:00 Make the beds with fresh linen, dust, and reset the living area.
6. 14:00 to 14:30 Vacuum, then mop, working back towards the front door.
7. 14:30 to 14:45 Restock, run the safety checks and do a final walk-through with photos.

That leaves 15 minutes spare. Time your first few turnovers, because a second bathroom, a sofa bed or a balcony adds to every step. If your measured time is longer than the gap, widen the gap in your calendar rather than rush.

Laundry decides whether this works. With a small washer-dryer or a drying rack, washing and drying a full set of bedding can easily take longer than the gap, so never rely on washing the same set in time. Keep spare sets on the shelf (see the FAQ below), or use a laundry service that swaps bags at each turnover.

What should you check first when guests leave?

Check before you clean, because cleaning removes the evidence. Walk every room and photograph anything broken, stained or missing. If you need to claim for guest damage, Airbnb asks hosts to document it with photos or videos and to file a reimbursement request in the Resolution Centre within 14 days of the guest's checkout (Airbnb).

Look at the bed before you strip it. The NHS lists the signs of bedbugs as spots of blood on bedding and small brown spots on bedding or furniture (NHS). Make this a routine check, not a reaction to a complaint.

Turnover checklist, room by room

Bedrooms

• Strip the bed, then check the mattress protector and pillow protectors. Change them if they are marked.
• Look under the bed and in every drawer and wardrobe for lost property and rubbish.
• Make the bed with fresh linen, the same way every time, so it matches your listing photos.
• Dust bedside tables, lamps, the headboard and light switches. Check for hairs on pillows and the floor.

Bathroom

• Clean the toilet bowl, rim, seat, hinges and base.
• Clean the shower, bath and basin, and clear hair from every plughole.
• Squeegee and dry the shower screen and taps after every stay. London tap water is hard (Thames Water describes all the water in its region that way), and limescale on glass shows up in guest photos.
• Polish the mirror, wipe the extractor fan cover, and mop the floor.
• Hang fresh towels and a bath mat, and refill soap, shower gel and toilet roll.

Once a week, descale taps and the shower head properly; our guide to removing limescale in London bathrooms covers the method.

Kitchen

• Wash, dry and put away every dish, and check cupboards for anything put away dirty.
• Clean the hob, the microwave inside and out, and the oven if it was used.
• Empty the coffee machine and its drip tray, and empty the kettle.
• Clear the fridge of guest food, wipe the shelves and the door seal.
• Wipe worktops, the splashback, cupboard handles and the sink, then take the bins out and fit new liners.
• Put out a fresh sponge and clean tea towels. The Food Standards Agency advises changing or washing them regularly, because dirty, damp cloths encourage bacteria to grow (FSA).

Living area and entrance

• Plump cushions, fold throws, and check down the sofa for lost items.
• Wipe remote controls, light switches, door handles and table tops, the things every guest touches.
• Put the house guide, Wi-Fi details and spare keys back in their places.
• If a sofa bed was used, strip it, fold it away and wash the linen.
• Reset the smart lock code if you use one.

What safety checks belong in every turnover?

The government's fire safety guide for small paying guest accommodation applies when guests pay to stay in a property that is not being occupied as a private dwelling. It says you must carry out and record a fire risk assessment, asks whether smoke and heat alarms in self-catering premises are tested at every changeover, and says escape routes should be kept clear (GOV.UK).

• Test the smoke and heat alarms, and check the carbon monoxide alarm if there is one.
• Make sure the hallway and the route to the front door are clear of luggage and laundry bags.
• Lock cleaning products away from guests. Never add other chemicals to a bleach product, because the Health and Safety Executive warns this can release chlorine gas (HSE).
• Wash any bedding soiled with vomit or diarrhoea separately on a 60°C wash, as the NHS advises for norovirus (NHS).

What should you restock?

Keep a locked owner's cupboard with spares, and count the stock at each turnover so nothing runs out mid-stay.

• Toilet roll, kitchen roll, bin bags and dishwasher tablets.
• Hand soap, washing-up liquid, shower gel and shampoo, if you provide them.
• Tea, coffee, sugar and any welcome items your listing promises.
• Spare bulbs and batteries for remotes and the smoke alarms.

When does a short let need a deeper clean?

A turnover does not reach inside the oven, behind the fridge, deep into the grout, or the carpets and curtains. Plan a deep clean into a gap in your calendar every few months, and after any stay that was hard on the flat. Our guide to deep cleaning costs in London explains how the hours are worked out, and stained sofas or rugs can be booked for carpet and upholstery cleaning.

London's rules can give you those gaps. In Greater London, letting a whole home as short-term sleeping accommodation for more than 90 nights in a calendar year needs planning permission (Deregulation Act 2015, section 44). If you host close to that limit, use the blocked-out weeks for deep cleaning and maintenance.

How do you hand turnovers over to a cleaner?

Give the cleaner this checklist, photos of how each finished room should look, where the linen and spares are kept, how to get in, and what to report back. Ask for photos at the end of every turnover, so you can check the flat without visiting.

That is how we work with hosts. Our cleaners are DBS-checked, they work from 8am to 8pm, 7 days a week, and every client gets a free online account with before and after photos from the cleaner and a place to leave notes for the cleaner.

Frequently asked questions

How many sets of linen does a short-let host need?

Three sets per bed is a practical minimum: one on the bed, one being washed and one ready to go on. Add a fourth if turnovers are back to back or your laundry service collects only a few times a week. Do the same for towels, and store each clean set in its own labelled bag.

Do I need to wash duvets and pillows after every guest?

Not if they are covered by protectors. Change sheets, duvet covers and pillowcases every stay and protectors whenever they are marked, then wash the duvets and pillows on a regular schedule, or straight away if anything soaks through. Follow the care label, and keep a spare duvet and pillows so a wash never holds up a turnover.

What should I do if I find signs of bedbugs?

Stop and get advice before the next guest arrives. The NHS advises contacting your local council or a pest control service, and washing affected bedding and clothing on a hot 60°C wash, then tumble drying on a hot setting for at least 30 minutes. Bag the linen in the room before carrying it through the flat.

Want turnovers handled to your checklist? See our Airbnb cleaning service and tell us your check-out and check-in times.