Guide · Airbnb/STR turnovers
How to start an Airbnb cleaning business
Turnover cleaning is its own trade: fixed windows between checkout and check-in, a different standard for every host, and photo proof expected. These steps cover the parts that are specific to short-term rentals. They are editorial guidance, not legal or tax advice.
1. Decide what you will and won't do
- Cleaning only, or linens too? Washing on-site adds time per bedroom; taking linens away adds a laundry cost or a linen business of its own (see linen service software).
- Restocking: who buys supplies, and how the host reimburses you.
- Extras: hot tubs, same-day turns, damage reports, inspections.
- Service area: drive time between properties eats your margin on tight days.
2. Get the basics set up
- Register the business the way your state and town require.
- Talk to an insurance agent about liability coverage, and about workers' compensation before you hire. Be ready to show proof of insurance if a host or property manager asks.
- Separate business bank account and a simple way to invoice and get paid.
3. Price from your own costs
Hosts usually want a flat rate per turnover so they can pass it through as a cleaning fee. Work out your floor from labor, travel, supplies, laundry and margin with our Airbnb turnover price calculator, then read how to price STR turnovers for extras like rush windows and hot tubs.
4. Find your first hosts
- Cleaner marketplaces: Turno lists a cleaner marketplace that hosts use to find cleaners (Turno pricing).
- Local property managers and co-hosts often need backup cleaners for busy weekends.
- Answer every lead fast. A host who doesn't hear back may book someone else. A missed-call text-back helps when you are mid-clean.
5. Write each host's standards down once
Picky hosts are the normal case. Use a per-property house standards sheet (bed style, towel fold, must-photo spots, where supplies live) and a room-by-room checklist. Start with our free house standards template, the Airbnb cleaning checklist and how to handle picky hosts.
6. Pick a scheduling app
If a host already uses one, ask to be invited as their cleaner. If you are building your own client list, look at apps built for cleaning companies. As recorded in our directory:
- Turno: $0 for 1 property or Marketplace-only cleaners; $10/property/mo (or $96/property/yr) with your own cleaners on 2+ properties
- BowReady: Free for 2 properties; Starter $6.99/mo (3-5); Growth $14.99 (6-15); Pro $24.99 (16-35); +$0.60/property over 35
- TidyStay: Free for 1 property; $7/property/mo; annual saves 17% ($5.83/mo per OwnerRez)
- CleanFlow: Starter $29/mo (as shown on vendor's comparison table)
- Doinn: Not checked price unverified
Compare them in best turnover scheduling apps or the side-by-side table.
7. Prove every clean
Timestamped photos protect you in damage and "it wasn't clean" disputes. See photo checklist apps.
Watch out for
- Same-day bookings may appear late on synced calendars; keep a text-the-host habit for tight turns.
- Underpricing to win the first hosts. Raising prices on existing hosts later is hard. Start at a price that covers your costs.
- One-host dependence. If one property manager is most of your work, a change on their side can empty your calendar.
Planning to run crews without being at every clean? See the remote cleaning business tool stack.
Read the turnover setup kit → Price a turnover
Prices are as shown on vendor pages or the cited source, as recorded in our directory. Always confirm on the vendor's site before buying. Not sponsored. Page checked 2026-10-18.
Free: Turnover Photo Report app
Snap before and after photos room by room on your phone, tick the checklist, sign, and text the host a finished PDF. Free, no signup, and the photos never leave your phone. Open the app → · How it works
FAQ
How do I start an Airbnb cleaning business?
Decide your scope (cleaning, linens, restocking, extras), set up the business basics and insurance, price from your own costs, find hosts through marketplaces and local property managers, write each host's standards down, and use a scheduling and photo-checklist app.
How do Airbnb cleaners find clients?
Common routes are cleaner marketplaces such as Turno's, local property managers and co-hosts who need reliable or backup cleaners, and referrals from hosts you already clean for. Answer inquiries quickly; a host who waits may book someone else.
What app do Airbnb cleaners use?
Many get invited into the host's app (Turno, Properly, Breezeway). Cleaning companies serving many hosts often use apps built for cleaners, such as BowReady, TidyStay, CleanFlow or Doinn. Compare prices at your property count.
How should I price Airbnb turnovers when starting out?
Price from your own costs (labor, travel, supplies, laundry, overhead) plus margin, then compare with what local hosts offer. Our free turnover price calculator does the math with assumptions you can edit.
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Answer 3 quick questions and we’ll suggest 2 or 3 real tools, with prices from each vendor’s own page.