Vacation-rental turnover cleaning (Airbnb / VRBO)

1. Strip every bed and bathroom towel first and start a load of laundry so several loads can finish
2. Open windows for fresh air if weather permits
3. Clean and dust all surfaces top-down, paying special attention to high-touch surfaces like remotes and doorknobs
4. Clean and disinfect toilets, sinks, showers and tubs (see system[] for products, dilutions, contact times)
5. Kitchen: dishes, cookware and utensils clean and put away; fridge, stove, oven and appliances clean; no leftover food in the fridge
6. Make the beds, change the towels, reset decorative blankets and pillows, lint-roll as needed
7. Store all personal (owner) items out of sight; take all trash out
8. Sweep and mop / vacuum floors last to collect dust and debris
9. Final walk-through against the platform checklist: surfaces dusted and cleaned; floors done; no bugs, pests, cobwebs, mould or stains; linens clean, fresh, stain-free; beds remade; soaps refilled; space smells fresh

1. Look under each bed and clear dust or items left behind
2. Open every drawer and remove debris
3. Wipe cabinet fronts and edges
4. Clear crumbs, grounds and spills from toaster, coffee maker, microwave and fridge
5. Dust shelves, blinds and plants
6. Sweep entryways and patios; remove leaves and cobwebs
7. Inspect laundry and dishes as they come out of the dryer / dishwasher
8. Refill dish soap, hand soap, body wash, shampoo, conditioner; leave any new disposable sponge in its wrapper
9. Neatly arrange remotes, throw pillows and items in drawers and cabinets

1. Schedule a deep clean every two or three months for jobs skipped during back-to-back turnovers

1. Agree the turnover window with the host before taking the listing (Airbnb: schedule enough time between bookings for a thorough job; arrange a second cleaner or backup)
2. Host sets advance notice and preparation time in Booking settings; Airbnb then blocks those days on the calendar automatically: same day (with a cut-off time), at least 1, 2, 3 or 7 days
3. Use preparation time where same-day turns are not workable (Airbnb's own example: a 48-hour window between guests for enhanced cleaning)
4. For same-day turnovers keep spare sets of sheets and towels so laundry drying time does not hold up the bed-making (Airbnb pro tips)

1. Bag soiled linen in the room; carry it straight to the washer — don't store it; handle fouled linen as little as possible
2. Wash at the hottest temperature the fabric's care label allows; a disinfecting wash is 65 °C for at least 10 min or 71 °C for 3 min
3. Items that can't take a hot wash and are fouled: hypochlorite at 150 ppm in the final rinse, only if the care label allows bleach
4. Don't overload the machine; dry thoroughly
5. Store clean linen in a dry area above floor level, away from soiled linen; never store it in bathrooms or soiled utility areas

1. Replenish cleaning supplies when done; check which are running low or near their expiration date
2. Guest cleaning kit to leave (platform list): disposable paper towels, multi-surface cleaner, disinfectant wipes or spray, antibacterial hand sanitizer, extra hand soap
3. Store any cleaning products left for guests out of children's reach

1. On arrival, before cleaning anything away, document damage, stains, smoke odour or missing items with photos or video
2. Collect repair or cleaning estimates and receipts
3. Host files a reimbursement request in the Resolution Centre within 14 days of the responsible guest's checkout; the guest has 24 hours to respond, after which the host can request Host damage protection
4. Note: normal check-out cleaning (laundry, dishes, trash removal) is excluded; specialised cleaning for guest stains, pet accidents or smoke odour can be covered

1. Change lockbox / entry codes between each reservation (platform rule)
2. Confirm smoke and CO detectors are present and working; hosts must test them regularly
3. Leave instructions for features that could injure if misused (e.g. hot tub)

1. A working 2A10BC fire extinguisher mounted in a visible, accessible place on each floor of the rental; inspected and tagged annually by a qualified technician
2. Hardwired, interconnected smoke alarms on each floor and in every bedroom
3. Hardwired, interconnected CO detectors on every floor within 5 m of each bedroom (properties with fuel-fired appliances or attached garages)
4. Smoke and CO alarms maintained per manufacturer (monthly)
5. Fire Evacuation Plan posted in every permitted bedroom and at the main exit(s)
6. Garbage and recycling available to guests; don't store garbage outdoors (bears)

1. Test water; keep free bromine 3.0–5.0 ppm, pH 7.2–7.8, alkalinity 100–150 ppm, calcium hardness 100–200 ppm
2. Top up bromine tablets in the feeder/floater (about 5 g per 1,000 L per day); feeders must be free of any other sanitizer
3. If foam, turbidity or odour: superchlorinate, circulate at least 30 min and wait 4 h before use
4. Drain completely every (volume in litres ÷ (10 × max daily users)) days, refill and re-dose
5. Water no hotter than 40 °C; soak time at 40 °C should not exceed 15 minutes (leave this with the guest instructions)

1. Employer writes a procedure for checking the lone cleaner's well-being: interval between checks and what to do if the cleaner can't be contacted, including emergency rescue
2. A designated person makes contact at the set intervals and records the result
3. A check at the end of the shift, in addition to the interval checks
4. Intervals set in consultation with the worker; high-risk activity needs shorter intervals; visual or two-way voice preferred, otherwise a device that calls for help if not reset
5. Train both the cleaner and the checker in the procedure; review it annually (s. 4.23)

WHMIS

WHMIS 2015 in BC is OHS Regulation ss. 5.3–5.18. An employer whose workers use hazardous products must run a WHMIS program (s. 5.5, reviewed at least annually), give general WHMIS education (s. 5.6) and product-specific training on labels, SDSs and safe use/storage/handling/disposal (s. 5.7), obtain a supplier SDS for each hazardous product and refresh it when it is 3 years old (s. 5.14), keep SDSs readily available at the workplace (s. 5.16), and put a workplace label on any decanted container (s. 5.10) — the exception is a portable container filled from a labelled container and used only by the worker who filled it, on that shift, with contents clearly identified. Supplier-label/SDS provisions do not apply to products under the Food and Drugs Act (DIN disinfectants), the Pest Control Products Act (spa bromine) or consumer products under the Canada Consumer Product Safety Act (s. 5.3(2)) — but education, safe-use training and the hazard information on their labels still matter. US: OSHA HazCom 29 CFR 1910.1200 (SDS, labels, training; consumer products used as a consumer would are exempt — see the Tide/CLR SDS headers).9

Personal protective equipment

• Rubber or neoprene gloves; long sleeves — Mixing or applying bleach solutions17
• Safety glasses with side shields, goggles or face shield — Whenever bleach splash is likely (pouring concentrate, toilet bowls, overhead)17
• Safety goggles (no contact lenses) and rubber gloves with protective cuff; ventilation — Descaling with CLR PRO22
• Protective gloves; tightly fitting goggles — Murphy Oil Soap (skin sensitiser H317)24
• Rubber gloves and goggles — Handling spa bromine tablets27
• Disposable gloves (recommended); mask; eye protection optional; don't reuse soiled gear — General turnover cleaning (platform guidance)5

Fire extinguishers

• 2A10BC (minimum) — Each floor of the short-term rental, wall-mounted, visible and accessible
  Inspected and tagged annually by a qualified technician; cleaner checks present, mounted, tag in date at each visit
  16

First aid

WorkSafeBC OHS Regulation s. 3.16 + Schedule 3-A; kit contents based on CSA Z1220 — Schedule 3-A Table 3-1 (class 1 workplace = ambulance can reach within 30 min): 2–9 workers, low hazard rating → personal first aid kit. Personal kit minimum: 16 assorted sterile adhesive bandages; 6 sterile 7.6 × 7.6 cm gauze pads; 1 roll conforming stretch bandage 5.1 cm × 1.8 m; 2 sterile 10.2 × 10.2 cm compress dressings with ties; 1 triangular bandage with 2 safety pins; 1 roll adhesive tape; 6 antiseptic towelettes; 4 hand-cleansing towelettes; 2 pairs non-latex exam gloves; 1 biohazard bag; 1 splinter forceps; contents list; blank first aid records. The employer must also do a written first aid assessment (s. 3.16(2)) — a remote Okanagan cabin more than 30 min by ambulance is a class 2 workplace with higher requirements.11

Training

• WHMIS 2015 general education + product-specific training — Employer-delivered (any provider; WorkSafeBC publishes WHMIS resources) (Program reviewed at least annually; knowledge evaluated periodically (OHS 5.5))9
• Working-alone procedure training (cleaner and checker) — Employer (Procedure reviewed at least annually (OHS 4.23))10
• Basic first aid certificate (if the assessment requires an attendant) — WorkSafeBC-recognised training agency (Per certificate; Level 1/2/3 certificates issued before 2024-11-01 count as basic/intermediate/advanced until expiry (Schedule 3-A s. 2))11

Licences and registrations

• Municipal business licence (the cleaning business) — The municipality where the business is located (e.g. City of West Kelowna)
  West Kelowna: a business licence is required to own or operate any business in the City; renewed annually (Jan 1–Dec 31); new applications in person at City Hall; ~2 weeks processing.
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• Inter-Community Business Licence (add-on) — Applied for in the home municipality
  $150/yr add-on (prorated $75 after Aug 1) lets a mobile business work across participating Interior communities incl. Kelowna, West Kelowna, Lake Country, Peachland, Summerland, Penticton, Vernon, Coldstream, Oliver, Osoyoos, Salmon Arm and the Regional District of Central Okanagan.
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• Provincial STR registration + local STR business licence (the host's, not the cleaner's) — Province of BC STR Registry; local government
  Under the Short-Term Rental Accommodations Act hosts must register, display the provincial registration number and, where required, a valid local business licence number on the listing; principal-residence requirement limits STRs to the host's principal residence plus one secondary suite or accessory dwelling. The Act and the Province's pages state no cleaning or turnover duties.
  1
• STR registry process — Province of BC
  Hosts, platforms and strata hotels must register with the Province through an online process; hosts review the applicant-type requirements before registering.
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• Commercial pool / hot tub operating permit (only where the Pool Regulation applies) — Interior Health (environmental health)
  Needed for a 'commercial pool' (accommodation business with 4+ units); a single private residential hot tub is exempt.
  14

Insurance

• Commercial general liability (CGL) for the cleaning business — IBC lists CGL among common commercial policies; a home-based business must tell its home insurer, since homeowner policies give little business cover.40
• Crime / employee-dishonesty cover (often sold as 'bonding') — IBC lists crime coverage among common commercial policies; hosts commonly ask cleaners with key/lockbox access for it.40
• Host's coverage — Airbnb Host liability insurance (US$1M) — Covers the host if found legally responsible for guest injury or guest property damage/theft during a stay; Airbnb states that people who help you host, like co-hosts and cleaners, are also included. It is not a substitute for the cleaner's own CGL or personal insurance.38
• Host's coverage — Host damage protection (US$3M, not insurance) — Reimburses certain guest damage to the home; includes specialised cleaning (stains, pet accidents, smoke odour) but not normal check-out cleaning; Airbnb says AirCover is not a substitute for personal insurance.39
• WorkSafeBC coverage — cleaner as employer, or host as customer — A homeowner hiring an independent cleaning business is its customer and need not register; hiring your own housekeeper for ongoing home services 8+ hours a week requires coverage (less than 8 h: voluntary). An STR host hiring an individual (not a business) should check status with WorkSafeBC.41
• WorkSafeBC clearance letter — A business hiring a registered contractor can be liable for that contractor's unpaid premiums; get a clearance letter before and after the work — hosts/property managers should ask their cleaning contractor for one.42
• WorkSafeBC Personal Coverage for a sole-proprietor cleaner — Sole proprietors and partners may not be automatically covered; Personal Coverage buys wage-loss, health-care and rehab benefits if hurt at work.43