Want to start a business without a degree and lots of capital? Consider starting a vacation rental cleaning business. Start with just you and a very small investment in cleaning materials and equipment. This is a perfect side hustle for a stay-at-home parent who has time during the day when children are in school. What to know what’s required?
Attention to detail. The most successful cleaners don’t miss anything. Just as the best cleaners keep their own house spotless, they will do the same for vacation rentals. Did you know that the majority of negative ratings for vacation rentals are related to how clean and organized the property is?
Too often rental owners and property managers look to save money by hiring Airbnb cleaners who do not measure up. They forget the food under the couch and the food between the cushions.
Are you self-motivated?
Before going further into the what, when, where, and how of starting a vacation rental cleaning business, it’s vital that you do a self-assessment. Make sure you are selecting the correct person for the job and that’s you. Are you self-motivated? Do you need someone constantly reminding you to do things? Do you plan and execute daily and perhaps tell others how to get things done?
Take the quiz below to help understand yourself relative to this potential business that you intend to get into. If you decide that you have what it takes and that’s more than just cleaning skills, move forward. By the way, this quiz is not a make-or-break.
Great cleaners help earn 5-star ratings
Great cleaners, I mean professional cleaners make sure that the Airbnb hosts get great ratings on cleaning. Here is a fact. The major listing companies such as AirBnb and VRBO use a five-point rating system. If you have 10 customer reviews, 9 have given a 5-star rating and one gives a 4-star rating, what is the result? 4.9, not 5.
If vacation homes are to be successful they really need to get a 5. This usually as I mentioned above falls to the short-term rental cleaning team or individual. You could be the right person for this business. Market your skills in cleaning vacation rentals even if you have yet to do the first one. Your home is your example and your work ethic.
Now that you understand how vital you can be to property owners, let’s talk about the actual business model and then we will get back to the process. Your target market will be the vacation rental property business. You will be operating a vacation rental cleaning service and your new clients will be people who own short-term or vacation rentals. Short-term rental hosts which can be owners plus property managers are your target.
Create a business plan
You should create a business plan and flush out your marketing strategy. The first step before you launch your rental cleaning business is to evaluate the need in your area. Do you live near a beach, in a mountain resort, or along a river? If there are no vacation rentals in your area it will be difficult to start a business.
A good place to start looking into the viability of your new business is to check with AirBnb and VRBO about properties within a reasonable driving distance from your home.
When I say reasonable driving distance, I mean that you may be called out on an emergency cleaning from time to time and you don’t want to drive two hours in the rain at night. Being close is a distinct advantage. There will be some other reasons for being within a10 mile radius, which we will discuss later.
For now, take a look at the maps online of vacation rentals around you. If there are many then you probably have a chance of starting a profitable business. I live on the Mississippi Gulf Coast and I have an interest in a property management business there. I know from research that there are hundreds of vacation rentals in the area both from experience and by looking at the maps online.
Assess your personal financial situation at the start-up
I recommend that you avoid the internet start-ups who are offering to help you get started for a fee. This is not necessary. If you are very good, as others learn of your reputation, your business will grow. There is no need to pay a franchise fee to a business several states away.
Now that you know there are plenty of vacation rentals in the area, the best way to lay out your strategy is to get back to that business plan. Indicate your research in the plan. Next, assess your financial situation. It will take time to build clients. How will you survive?
Should you be married and have a spouse who can support the family while your business is growing, that would take some pressure off. Do you have the funds to buy supplies?
The following is a list of basic supplies that you will be expected to have as part of your business:
- Toilet bowl cleaner brush
- Toilet bowl cleaner cleanser or cleaner
- Sponges
- Gloves (rubber or buy by box)
- Mop
- Broom
- Broom pan
- Vacuum cleaner (rechargeable lightweight)
- Swiffer for wood floors
- Tile floor cleaner
- Cleanser
- Linoleum floor cleaner
- Countertop cleaner
- Stainless steel surface cleaner
- Oven cleaner
- Wood cabinet cleaner
- Plunger
- Bucket (squeeze for mop)
- Kitchen cleaning cloths
- Fan blade cleaner
- Duster
- Chrome polish
- Window cleaner
- Spray bottles
- Apron, plastic
- Safety glasses
- Trash can liners (may be part of what owners pay for)
- Other items as required
About $500 to start up supplies
I estimate that aside from the vacuum your investment will be under $500 for supplies. The vacuum you may want is battery-operated and will cost about $150 or less. Walmart has a good one. You can also buy a lightweight electric plug-in model as a backup if the batteries die. Don’t leave for a job with a container almost empty. Buy car organizers to create a spot for everything. This is your source of income, treat it with respect. Organize, organize, organize.
Pay attention to your cleaning supplies. Do not intentionally purchase products with strong odors that may linger. Buy products that are effective and if possible scent-free. If a house seems musty because it has been closed up, recommend to the owners they supply scented plug-ins.
So far, you have started a Business Plan. That plan now has recognized there is a market for you to go after. You have quantified the initial cost of products to start your business. Now it’s time for the cleaning checklist. True, you do not have a home to clean at this point except for your own.
Create a checklist for your own house:
Kitchen
- Wipe down all surfaces, including countertops, appliances, and cabinets.
- Sweep and mop the floor.
- Run the dishwasher if there are dishes inside
- Clean the inside of the oven and microwave.
- Organize the countertop area
- Take out the trash and recycle.
- Clean the sink and faucets.
- Wipe down the windowsills and blinds.
- Check that dishwasher soap available for guests
- Dust the light fixtures.
Bathroom
- Clean the toilet, sink, and bathtub.
- Wipe down the mirror and vanity.
- Install new towels, facecloths, etc.
- Sweep and mop the floor.
- Clean the shower curtain and liner.
- Replace toilet paper
- Fill or replace soap and other amenities
- Dust the light fixtures.
Living room
- Vacuum the furniture and rugs.
- Look under furniture
- Lift cushions look for food
- Dust the furniture and surfaces.
- Wipe down the windowsills and blinds.
- Vacuum the floor.
Dining room
- Wipe down the table and chairs.
- Dust the furniture and surfaces.
- Wipe down the windowsills and blinds.
- Vacuum the floor.
Bedroom
- Make the bed.
- Vacuum the floor.
- Dust the furniture and surfaces.
- Check closets for items left behind
- Wipe down the windowsills and blinds.
Laundry room
- Wash and fold the laundry.
- Put away the laundry.
- Clean the washing machine and dryer.
Entrance Area
- Wipe off door handles, wipe off dirt on exterior door
- Sweep or blow off the porch, organize furniture, collect trash
- Check for trash in the area
Trash
- Remove trash from the interior to the exterior trash can or dumpster
- New trashcan liners
- Clean area where guests may have left open bags
Garage parking area
- If there is an empty garage provided for guest use, blow or sweep out
- Make sure no debris in the parking area, and no unauthorized vehicles
- Beach toys, bicycles, or other items for guests are stored properly
General Inspection
- Curtains, drapes blinds for damage
- Upholstery for stains that you can not remove
- Marks on walls, doors, and counters that were made by guests
- All linens are accounted for. Are replacements needed
- Supplies paid for by clients sufficient
- Any damage other than above to the property
- Leaks under sinks
- Replace the AC filter, Is there adequate supply?
Don’t leave anything off the list
When making the checklist, use boxes, and format the checklist to be efficient. Remember, this is your house and you will be using this as an example of what you will propose as the reason you are charging $X as a cleaning fee. You will be offering more than professional cleaning services, you will be offering your attention to detail helping to ensure that the rental properties you work with are well maintained.
There are three major elements in this process. One is the basic cleaning, the next is the replacement of worn linens and the last is a report to your new customers that the property requires attention to X, Y, and Z. Providing excellent customer service is making sure that the owners understand that their short-term rental needs maintenance and replacement of items.
The property manager will usually become involved in this aspect. I require cleaners of my properties to alert me when for example, the sheets are worn or stained. The cleaner knows the timing of this.
Are the sheets wearing or worn out?
Take those sheets. Some cleaners will continue to put them on the beds without saying anything to the owners or property managers. This is where your special attention to detail comes in. Even if you eventually hire others to help you, training them to see what you see is critical to providing a high level of customer service. You will be able to produce for prospective customers your checklist and a list of what you recommend when you spot an issue.
Rental guests do not want to arrive at a clean property to find that the blinds are broken. It’s not just about the cleanliness of your property, it’s about everything working well. If you find a stain on the sofa that you can not get out, time to recommend a professional to clean it.
The difference between an ordinary cleaner and you will be the fact that you would not want to live with a stain in your own house. Draw to potential customers this fine attention and caring for their property as you would for yours and disclose any possible damage guests have inflicted on the property.
Select quality products, guests notice
Selecting toilet paper is another example. You would not buy single-ply inexpensive toilet paper for your house, why buy it for a vacation rental? The same is true of tissues and other items provided to guests. Owners will rely on your judgment. Should they decide to provide lower-cost items, remind them that that is not the best way to earn a five-star rating.
Now that you have created a checklist, it’s time to create your real business. Don’t start as Joan Peters or Paul Jones cleaning services. Create a name for your business that does not include your name. There is a reason for this.
Every individual starting a business should develop an exit strategy, as part of that business plan. You may build this business to be a big service company that you may want to sell. Make it easy for a future buyer to buy it without regard to your name.
Remember
You are a professional not a housecleaner, a business owner and operator in your negotiations with clients
File a real business name with the state
Create a real business by going to your Secretary of State and filing your business name. Obtain a tax ID number from the IRS and open a checking account. Create business cards on Canva and have them printed. Now you are in business. Next, check with your home insurance and see what it will cost to obtain liability insurance for your new business.
After you have done these things, obtain a copy of an agreement between your company and your owner/customer/client. Be sure that the agreement is well written. You can ask an attorney for one or obtain one from the internet. Before you do any work, you need to have the agreement signed. Next, create a price list for things you will do for your client. Small businesses must protect themselves just as big ones do with paper.
About that price list. You are marketing yourself as a vacation rental cleaner but there are other options. For example, you can offer services as a local business that cleans rental homes, ones on long-term rentals. As people move out at the end of the lease.
Other opportunities
Most tenants will attempt to do their own cleaning but in the end, the owners usually hire professional cleaners. Another option is to offer your services for residential cleaning. Many people have professionals visit their homes as often as weekly or monthly. Think big.
Remember as you are developing that business plan, you have decided to basically clean houses for the rental industry. This has many sub-categories including short-term rentals. Why not factor all of the various opportunities into your plan? You need not actively offer other services at the start but make sure you have worked them out, timing, cost, etc, in advance.
Now it’s time to work out your pricing for services and even products you may want to offer. Through thorough market research, that is checking on the internet to determine what others offer, you can get some idea of the cleaning fees charged to vacation property guests.
The guest pays your fee
Those fees are listed. For example, most of the properties that my vacation rental property management company manages require fees of about $140 per stay. Fees range from $80 to $200 depending on the size of the property, the number of guests, and the length of stay.
Some property managers or even hosts while collecting $140 don’t want to pay all of this out to their cleaners. They like to use some of it to earn higher profits on the stay. Basically, however, depending on your marketing skills and performance, you may want to ask for most or all of that fee and in some cases even more.
Suggest to our first customer that you will accept for example $120 per stay for the first month. If the customer is satisfied with your work, it is as advertised, the fee goes to $140 in month two. The ultimate goal is to earn a profit. Remember this is not a hobby.
Communication is critical, to avoid misunderstandings
Part of the negotiations is who pays for cleaning supplies. Who pays for expendables e.g. toilet paper, paper towels, etc.? What happens when sheets and towels require replacement, will the owners order them and have them shipped to your home? Avoid arrangements where you are required to supply funds other than for cleaning supplies. You may want to provide toilet paper etc. but be sure that cost has been worked into our price.
Communication is the most important step. Be absolutely sure that the property owners fully understand what to expect from your services. A source of misunderstanding can be when maintenance services cross over to cleaning protocol.
You are not a maintenance person. If for example, a mini-blind is broken and there are replacement ones in a closet, you may agree to swap them out. Going to the store to buy them, that’s another cost you would incur.
What is and what is not included in your service
Replacing light bulbs should be part of your job. Be sure you have a step ladder or the owner supplies one. You do not want to be responsible for repairs e.g. leaking sink. Stay away from this part of short-term rental ownership. It’s all about your operational efficiency, do not try to be a handyman.
You may be subject to a background check at some point. This is a good thing. Owners want to know who you are. You started the process by creating the company which can be verified with the Secretary of State’s office. This is one key reason for creating the business. Trust but verify, a saying from the Regan era. Your clients what to know to who they are trusting their home.
At this point, your business card will start to get a workout. Pass the around to anyone who knows anyone who has vacation rentals. Start with contacting local Real Estate brokers. Not only will they know clients who need short-term rental cleaners but they will need cleaners when tenants leave.
Also, when people sell their homes, they often need the services of a professional cleaner to make the property ready for sale or move-in (turnover cleaning).
Real estate agents, social media, methods of marketing
Advertise on social media, Facebook Marketplace, Craigs List, and others. Advertise your Airbnb cleaning services and rental cleaning services. I use terms here “short-term”, “vacation” and “Airbnb” when they are actually all the same thing.
It’s important that you may have to use all three to get the attention of potential customers. Contact property management companies, apartment complex managers, and if you desire to get into the commercial side, office space management companies.
If you pay attention and learn from experience, you can make a ton of money. You may one day wonder what happened to all of that free time you had. You will be doing this while planning on that new swimming pool you earned enough to afford.
Please read some of our blog articles on various aspects of starting your new business. Check out this helpful article. Visit ChristiesGulfBeachRentals.Com for articles about vacation rentals and what is expected of owners and guests. Check back for future articles about individual aspects of your small business such as setting up your accounting system.
Want to learn how to invest in a residential rental property or vacation rental property? Click the button below to visit our school and check out our courses. Take the two free mini-courses, if you like one or both enroll in a full course. Move to the top of the knowledge hill immediately.
QUIZ DETAILS
- What is your cleaning process? – Expected answer: I devise a process for each property e.g. change linens/laundry started, go to wet areas, dust, vacuum, and mop last. Reason: Shows organization skills, and time management. Starting laundry and then working on wet areas while using gloves may be more efficient. Efficiency is very important to keep to a cleaning schedule.
- How would you go about cleaning a property for the first time? – Expected answer: Visit with the manager, modify the checklist for that property, video everything so I know what is there and where, and get sign-off from the manager for your plan. Reason: Shows organization, attention to detail, and management skills. Also communication with the sign-off.
- Your business has grown, you can’t take on more work without help. What will you do? – Expected Answer: Find another person who is good at the work and hire them (contractor or employee) then accept more work, Decide that you are at your limit and will no longer accept more work. Reason: There are actually two acceptable answers, the other is “Decide that you are at your limit and will no longer accept more work”. Never take on more than you can handle. Do not compromise the quality of your work.
- The property manager has allowed guests to stay until 1:00 on a day when others are coming in at 3:00, you know it takes four hours to clean what will you do – Expected Answer: When I become aware of this, notify the manager that you will work as fast as possible to get the new guests in but this is an exception and they need to check with you in advance in the future. Reason: If you can get it done then do it but notify the managers that this is an exception. Advance notice is required for late stays if they are even allowed. Don’t let the manager run your business.
- You see cockroaches, live or dead when you come to clean, you would – Expected Answer: Dispose of the dead ones, notify the property manager, and offer to spray the interior for an additional fee. Reason: You may want consider the availability to earn more income. It’s easy to spray for bugs around the baseboards. If you do not want to do this for additional income, recommend to the owner they need to hire an exterminator.
- If you find that the concrete porch in front of the house has been stained with candy you would – Expected Answer: Contact the owner/manager offer to pressure wash it for an additional fee. Reason: Another potential income generator. If this is what you want to do. If not report it to the owners.
- Choose one that fits about how you would manage money – Expected answer: Subtract cost of products from income, set it aside for more products. Add money to this fund each month. Reason: Shows money management skills. Never mix income received from cleaning with your personal income until after you replenish your cost items and have added to that pool of funds for the future.
- If you see stains on the sleeper sofa mattress what will you do? Expected answer: Do my best to clean if I can’t report it to the owner/manager. Reason: The mattress did not come with stains, when they appear they need to be dealt with. This requires a solution.
- Are you reliable? If one guest leaves in the morning and another arrives in the afternoon, will you be there for the turn? – Expected answer: Yes. Reason: You must be a self-starter meaning that you will be personally responsible for your own business. No excuses.
- Can you work without supervision? – Expected answer: Yes. Reason: You must be a self-starter meaning that you will be personally responsible for your own business. No excuses.
