Most turnover checklists are organized by room. That is the wrong shape for a job with a hard deadline. This one is ordered by sequence — what to start first so nothing blocks anything else.
0. Walk in and start the clock
- Open the property and check for anything obviously wrong before touching anything
- Photograph any damage or unusual mess immediately, before cleaning changes the evidence
- Check the thermostat and set it to the arrival setting
- Open windows briefly if the property needs airing and the weather allows
1. Strip and start laundry
This is first for one reason: it is the only task with a fixed duration you cannot compress. Every minute the machine is not running is a minute added to the end of the turn.
- Strip every bed, including protectors if they are used
- Collect all towels and bath mats
- Load and start the first wash before doing anything else
- Set out the fresh linen sets in each room so remaking is fast later
2. Bathrooms
- Apply product to toilet, tub and shower and let it dwell while you work elsewhere in the room
- Mirror, vanity, sink and faucet
- Toilet: bowl, seat both sides, exterior, base, behind
- Shower and tub scrubbed, glass descaled and dried
- Hair removed from drains, corners and floor — check twice, this is the most-mentioned issue in reviews
- Fresh towels set to the staging spec
- Consumables checked, replaced from stock, low items noted
- Trash emptied, bin wiped
- Floor mopped, working out of the room
3. Kitchen
- Dishes into the dishwasher and started, or washed by hand
- Refrigerator checked and cleared of anything the guest left
- Counters, backsplash, sink and faucet
- Appliance exteriors, microwave interior, coffee maker cleared and reset
- Cabinets and drawers checked for items left behind
- Trash and recycling bagged and taken out of the property
- Floor last, after everything else in the room
4. Bedrooms and living
- Remake beds with the fresh sets, to the staging spec
- Under beds and behind nightstands checked
- Surfaces dusted and wiped
- Touchpoints wiped: remotes, switches, handles, thermostat
- Upholstery checked, cushions lifted, crumbs removed
- Closets and drawers checked
5. Restage
Compare each room against the listing photos and put it back. Cushions, throws, decor, chairs, towel folds, the arrangement on the coffee table. This is the step that turns a clean property into a property that matches what the guest booked.
6. Floors and out
- Vacuum through the whole property, edges included
- Mop hard floors, working toward the exit
- Balcony or patio swept, door track cleared
- Move the laundry along — second load in, first load folded or in the dryer
7. The door walk
Walk back in through the front door as if you were the guest, and look at the property in that order: entry, living, kitchen, bathroom, bedroom. Guests form their impression in that sequence, and problems that were invisible while cleaning become obvious when you approach the property the way they will.
Two things that make every turn faster
- 1Two or three linen sets per bed. The turn stops depending on a wash cycle. This is the highest-return purchase a host makes.
- 2A written staging spec with photos. Removes every judgment call, which is where time and inconsistency both come from.