Airbnb turnover cleaning: what it costs and how to set it up

Short-let cleaning is a different job from domestic cleaning: it is time-boxed between a checkout and a check-in, it includes linen and restocking, and the reviews of a whole business depend on it.

What it costs

Property	Typical changeover price
Studio / 1 bed	£35, £55
2 bed	£50, £80
3 bed	£70, £110
4+ bed or with hot tub	£110, £200

Add £10, £30 for laundry if the cleaner takes linen away, or use a linen hire service at roughly £12, £20 per bed set including collection.

Central London and peak season sit at the top of these ranges. Same-day short notice attracts a premium.

What should be in the scope

Write this down and agree it once, rather than renegotiating every week:

• Strip and remake all beds with fresh linen (hospital corners, matching sets).
• Fresh towels, one bath and one hand towel per guest, plus a bath mat.
• Full bathroom clean including descaling and mirror.
• Kitchen: surfaces, hob, sink, inside microwave, empty and clean fridge, run the dishwasher.
• Restock consumables: toilet roll, kitchen roll, bin bags, dishwasher tablets, tea, coffee, soap.
• Vacuum and mop throughout, including under beds.
• Bins out, recycling correct.
• Reset the property to the listing photos. This is the one that matters most.
• Report damage and low stock with photos, before the next guest arrives.

Making it run without you

1. A photo checklist. Ten reference photos of each room set up correctly, shared with the cleaner. This solves the "reset to the photos" problem permanently.
2. A stock cupboard with a par level. Cleaner photographs it each visit; you reorder when it drops below the line.
3. A shared calendar. Give the cleaner read access to the booking calendar so they schedule themselves.
4. Key handling. A key safe or smart lock with a code you rotate. Never a key under a mat.
5. A single WhatsApp or platform thread per property for damage reports with photos.

Paying for it

Booking the same cleaner repeatedly is the whole game, a cleaner who knows the property does a changeover in half the time and spots problems you would miss. Platforms that charge full commission on every repeat booking make that expensive.

On Taskerama, once you have found a cleaner you like, you can book them directly at 0% commission through a payment link, keeping the payment protection and the review history while paying no marketplace fee.

Tax and legal notes

• Short-let income is taxable and may fall under furnished holiday letting rules; check the current position, which has changed recently.
• Many London properties are limited to 90 nights a year of short letting.
• Check your lease and your insurance: standard home insurance does not cover paying guests.