5 Airbnb Checklist Templates Hosts Must Have

When running an Airbnb, hosts can often get overwhelmed with the quantity of work at hand. It can become increasingly difficult to manage all that needs to be done.

StayPro recommends assembling the following checklists to help you organize your short-term rental property.

1. Cleaning Checklist

   The first checklist that Airbnb hosts should create is a cleaning checklist that outlines:

   1. All items that must be cleaned every turnover

      Know where all the highly trafficked touch-points are in your property. Clearly indicate what must be dusted, wiped, and vacuumed every single turnover regardless of the condition of the property.

   2. Out-of-reach areas that must be checked and cleaned if necessary

      Identify where all the rarely used areas of your accommodation are and how they should be cleaned in the event of them needing to be.

   3. Lost key protocols

      Know what to do in case one of the guest keys is misplaced/lost. Figure out how to contact those that might be responsible and bill them for compensation.

   4. Guide for when extra cleaning or maintenance is needed

      If an emergency repair or maintenance is needed that could jeopardize the stay of your guests, it is crucial to know what steps to take. Who will you call? How long will it take? If you know that, you can then plan your next steps.

   5. Video reference model template

      Before conducting the customary turnover cleaning, Airbnb hosts must be aware of their desired final layout of furniture, decorations, books & beddings.

      For this, you need a reference. Simply film a video of your property when you have the best layout possible. For every succeeding turnover, copy the reference video and film further video evidence to document the changing state of your property.

2. Security Checklist

   Having a security checklist is also of primordial importance.

   1. Regular checkup

      Upon first entering your property, an Airbnb host/housekeeper should know local regulations and concerns so as to keep everyone safe.

   2. Post-cleaning checkup

      After the turnover process is completed, Airbnb hosts should double check that they haven’t unwillingly created a safety risk themselves. Check, double check, and triple check the property, and especially the kitchen!

   3. Temporarily Unused Property Steps

      Sometimes your short-term listing will be vacant for a certain period of time. Therefore, it is important for Airbnb hosts to prepare the steps to be undertaken, including turning off any electronics that could cause problems if left unattended.

   4. Winter Heating

      StayPro also advises Airbnb hosts to ensure that their heating is always on during the winter to maintain the water pipes and keep them from bursting.

3. Guest Check-in Checklist

   Airbnb hosts should be well-versed in their property check-in protocol.

   1. Guest Cancellation Protocol

      If you have to cancel a reservation for unforeseen reasons, it is best to notify guests as soon as possible with evidence of the unexpected event. The earlier you are able to cancel, the less your guest will be impacted. Be prepared with your protocol for cancelling a reservation.

      For StayPro clients, StayPro’s guest cancellation protocol will ensure you and your guest get the optimized result without any effort on your part.

   2. Platform Communication Protocol

      Know the steps to contact the reservation platform when and if you must cancel for unforeseen reasons. In order to avoid being penalized, it is advisable for Airbnb hosts to formulate their arguments ahead of time so that the need for their cancellation can be explained and justified.

      StayPro’s full service plan allows StayPro’s team to automatically communicate with the platform and ensure you get an optimized result.

   3. Housekeeper Reminders

      Your Airbnb SuperHost status could be lost just because your cleaner forgot about their turnover duties. Remember to include reminder calls and emails in your checklist to ensure that your cleaners are always on time.

      Using StayPro’s user system, housekeepers are automatically notified by StayPro through SMS messages & emails whenever they must complete a turnover. This ensures that the cleaning is done in a professional and timely manner to ensure the best guest experience, and of course, optimise your revenue.

   4. Check-in Instructions

      Another important thing for Airbnb hosts to remember is to verify the check-in instructions that should be available to all guests. Guests should be given detailed information about the accommodation, including how to turn on/off the air conditioning and heating, where to locate certain household objects, where to keep the property key, the current Smart Lock password, etc. It is essential that check-in instructions are up-to-date to avoid confusion and bad reviews from guests.

4. Damages Checklist

   In managing a short-term rental, there will always be unexpected damages that are incurred. StayPro suggests that you be cognizant of sensitive areas.

   Airbnb hosts need to know where damages are likely to happen and always check those areas when conducting the turnover property cleaning.

   After each guest stay, record a routine video that documents the condition of your property and the damages that may have been incurred during the last reservation.

   A property management company like StayPro will train partner housekeepers to film regular video reports and share them with clients through an online user system. This is incredibly helpful especially in case legal action is needed.

5. Furniture Checklist

   Airbnb hosts should be mindful of all the articles of furniture in their property so they are aware if anything is missing. StayPro recommends that you:

   1. Itemize and Count your Furniture

      Without a comprehensive list of all the furniture and (most importantly!) the knick-knacks in your property, items may be stolen. If you do not regularly count the furniture pieces, hosts could miss opportunities to bill the responsible guests.

   2. Verify Furniture Condition

      After every turnover, check that all furniture pieces are in good order. If you do not verify after each stay, you could mistakenly bill the incorrect guest and provoke a bad review.

   3. Keep Furniture Receipts and Item Cost

      It is vital that Airbnb hosts store their receipts. Otherwise, if an item is damaged or stolen, it will be difficult to apply for compensation from the responsible party. On sites like Airbnb, you might not be able to get any compensation without the correct receipt of your damaged/lost item.

Great! Now that you have learned what to include on your checklists, you are ready to host guests! Learn how to quickly get more positive reviews: 5 Tricks that will Boost your Airbnb Ratings & Reviews.

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