If you really want to succeed in the short-term rental industry, keeping your beach rental clean and in good shape is key. Simple, right?
Not really. Cleaning and maintaining beach rentals is a demanding task that requires lots of attention. As property managers in Saint Pete Beach, Florida, we’ve developed a deep understanding of the challenges of maintaining beach condos and rental homes in excellent condition.
These challenges are different from those of keeping a private home. First, a short-term rental sees a regular turnover of guests, requiring way more cleaning and upkeep. On top of that, the cleaning time is constrained to the brief intervals between guest check-ins and check-outs, making the pressure even more intense.
Maintaining rental condos and homes is also different from hotel rooms. Rental properties feature different amenities, such as kitchens, dining, and outdoor areas, as well as special amenities like hot tubs and pools — each one of them requiring specific cleaning protocols.
At Resort Rentals, we have mastered various strategies to optimize cleaning and maintenance tasks for our staff and ensure guests have a smooth and enjoyable experience. In this blog, we’ll share these strategies with you and you’ll learn all you need to keep your beach rental in St. Pete Beach flawless!
1. Distinguish regular cleaning from deep cleaning
We should always keep short-term rentals in excellent condition. Still, performing a deep cleaning after every guest check-out is neither viable nor financially wise.
The best thing to do is to develop a cost-effective and efficient cleaning routine that differentiates routine cleaning from deep cleaning, but what is the difference?
- Routine Cleaning
The goal of routine cleaning is to keep the pristine appearance of the most visible areas of your rental property, leaving it just like it appears in the rental photos. This is a more cost-effective approach and the cleaning workload is lighter. The tasks include dusting, vacuuming, and mopping, to name a few.
It’s also very important to replace bed linens and towels, and clean surfaces like countertops, sinks, and appliances. Bathrooms require special attention, especially with toilet, shower, and bathtub disinfection, and the thorough cleaning of mirrors.
Close attention to hair removal is a critical aspect of routine cleaning. Always try to provide your cleaning staff with lint rollers and ask them to keep an eye not only for guests’ hair but also their own.
Your staff should always remain watchful for any missing or damaged items. It’s a good idea to run a quick inventory check after each stay. In case of any damage to your amenities, they should report it accordingly.
- Deep Cleaning
Deep cleaning requires more rigorous efforts and it should be performed once or twice a year. Tasks include cleaning underneath heavy furniture and appliances, dusting blinds and fans, checking walls and ceiling for cobwebs, and treating wooden surfaces.
When the time comes for deep cleaning, you’ll probably need to block a day in your booking calendar only for this purpose. It’s wise to set days during quieter months, like January and February.
If your rental has a big guest turnover, it’s a good idea to schedule deep cleans in August or September, just before the high-demand season.
Even if it requires a lot more work, deep cleaning is an effective approach to keeping your beach rental in top-notch condition and avoiding long-term issues.
Deep cleaning can cost up to three times as much as routine cleaning. Property managers in St. Pete Beach FL must learn to differentiate between the two.
2. Call in the pros
Many rental property owners in Tampa/St. Pete like to handle cleaning tasks themselves. If you are thinking the same, think twice. We say it’s unquestionably better to pass on this responsibility to independent cleaners or cleaning companies, especially if you own multiple properties with high demand.
Cleaning involves more than meets the eye; it’s a meticulous task that requires experience. Experts have specific skills and a trained eye to make sure your beach rental looks flawless all the time.
Here are some ways you can find good professionals:
- Cleaning agencies: well-established cleaning companies employ skilled cleaners and they are a trustworthy choice. They usually provide better availability, and high levels of service quality, which guarantees more peace of mind for you. However, they are a more costly option. Make sure to think about the pros and cons before making a decision.
- Freelancers: another way to go is hiring an independent cleaner. In this case, keep in mind that selecting the right person is your responsibility. Be aware that the market is full of unqualified workers claiming they have the experience needed for the job. That’s why you should always make sure they are skilled workers before hiring. For costs, also remember that the more experienced the freelance cleaner, the higher they will charge for their work.
- Referrals: a great way to find skilled cleaners is by looking for recommendations from other hosts in your area. You can either contact rental owners directly or check online groups on Facebook for cleaners in Tampa Bay.
3. Take your cleaning staff as part of the business
If there’s one thing we learned as property managers in St. Pete Beach and Tampa Bay FL is that your cleaning staff plays a huge role in the success of your beach rental business.
A practice that has been growing popular among rental owners is to give cleaning staff bonuses based on their performance. The goal is to motivate them and link their efforts with your overall success, acknowledging the importance of their role.
Doesn’t sound like the right approach to your business? That’s all right. There are other creative ways to reward cleaners and keep them inspired and motivated to grow with you. The most important thing is to make sure they feel recognized and valued.
Pro tip: it’s a thoughtful practice to block check-ins during Christmas and Thanksgiving to allow your cleaning team to spend time with their families. This gesture will certainly make them feel valued.
4. Give feedback
A strategy that can lead to greater results for your short-rental business is creating a system for constructive feedback. This is the best way to foster team spirit, motivation, and individual growth.
But here’s the catch: both parties need to actively take part for effective communication to happen. Therefore, you should always listen to your cleaning staff and sympathize with their challenges. Offering them guidance and support is also key to developing good communication.
It’s equally crucial to acknowledge that your cleaning staff are the authorities in their domain, not you. Have faith in their knowledge and viewpoints. When they bring up legitimate concerns, it’s smart to listen to their input and follow their guidance.
Pro tip: another great practice is to hold regular meetings with your cleaning staff to discuss different topics like how to improve cleanliness standards.
5. Don’t overlook linen care
Guests will definitely appreciate high-quality linens and the effort you put into maintaining them. Always provide one full set of bath towels and linens per guest.
At Resort Rentals, we make sure all our linens and towels, including comforters, go through a top-notch treatment after every stay. As a rule of thumb, we offer a bath towel, two washcloths, and a hand towel, at least. We also like to keep emergency supplies on hand and have some extras available for our guests.
While cleaning, keep an eye out for stains that can ruin the fresh look of sheets and towels. Guests always expect to find fresh and clean lines when they check in. We make sure all our linens and towels, including comforters, go through a top-notch treatment after every stay.
Pro tip: a trick that can be really helpful is providing hypo-allergenic makeup wipes to guests. They not only add a sense of luxury to the guest experience but also give more longevity to your towels.
As property managers in St. Pete Beach, we go the extra mile to provide clean and fresh linens and meet guests’ expectations.
6. Lend a hand to your team
You can always help your cleaning staff optimize their daily tasks, and there’s a way to do so that involves your guests by making cleaning supplies available to them during their stay.
Based on our experience as Florida property managers, guests are more likely to clean up after themselves if they find cleaning supplies. We are talking about sponges, detergent pods, and extra trash bins, for example. They allow and encourage guests to clean and dispose of garbage before they leave. Similar to the makeup wipes we previously mentioned, they might be an extra cost but it will certainly soften your cleaning staff workload.
Providing guests with cleaning guidelines is also a great idea so that they can follow them before they leave the property. For instance, you can ask them to clean out any food from the fridge and wash the dishes before check-out.
7. Provide cleaning lists and guidelines
Another way to support your cleaning staff is by providing them with clear guidelines that outline your expectations for meeting cleaning standards. This will help them pay extra attention to critical areas that require a more detail-oriented approach.
Creating checklists that specify the order of tasks and cleaning methods, along with step-by-step guides, is also a great idea. You can even develop separate lists, one for major tasks and one for smaller tasks that cleaners might overlook. With years of experience, we’ve identified tasks that often lead to issues and we make sure to include them in our documents, such as cleaning inside fridges and microwaves, and unclogging shower drains.
Pro tip: you can enhance these guidelines by including visuals like photos or links to instructional videos. In today’s world, everyone carries a smartphone, so cleaners can conveniently access your guidelines and checklists as they do the work.
Checklists and guidelines are an excellent way to help your cleaning staff. Providing them online with photos and links for instructional videos is even better and more effective.
8. Buy in bulk
Compared to a typical home, vacation rental homes and even beach condos demand a lot more cleaning. For this reason, it’s essential to maintain a well-stocked inventory of cleaning products to ensure you never run out when needed.
One valuable tip is to purchase cleaning supplies in bulk at discounted rates. This strategy not only saves you money but also time. Some online platforms even allow you to save your purchase information for an even quicker process.
Having a well-supplied inventory of cleaning products will enable you to react quickly to any cleaning requirements that arise during a guest’s stay. Swift problem-solving ensures guest satisfaction and always leads to positive reviews.
9. Adopt preventive maintenance
If you own a vacation home in the Tampa Bay/St. Pete Beach area, or anywhere else for that matter, it’s best to adopt a proactive approach rather than a purely reactive one. We’re talking about preventive maintenance, which involves regular inspections and repairs to address potential issues before they escalate into major and costly problems.
Preventive maintenance covers tasks both large and small, such as replacing batteries in smart locks, smoke detectors, remote controls, and lightbulbs. It also entails scheduling essential inspections for short-term rentals, including roof and HVAC system maintenance and pest control measures. An annual fire safety inspection is essential to ensure the safety of your guests.
Remember that preventive maintenance not only keeps your beach rental in good condition but also guarantees a safe environment for every guest.
10. Leverage tech tools
There’s also space for tech in the cleaning process of your rental. Professional property managers in St. Pete Beach like to use technology to make their tasks more efficient.
Property Management Systems (PMS), for example, provide interfaces that allow cleaning staff to view and confirm their schedules. With the help of task management software, you can create notifications for essential maintenance and upkeep duties. These software also offer the versatility to choose predefined time intervals or set alerts according to the number of guest stays.
Furthermore, technology is a valuable resource in various other aspects, including recruiting cleaners, scheduling management, and simplifying communication.
Here are some platforms you might like:
Pro tip: technology can also be helpful during inspections. Cleaners can capture photographs of any problems they come across and apps like Solocator can even help them take photos with date stamps, useful as evidence in case any disagreements arise with guests concerning damage claims.
Extra tip: bet on a professional vacation manager in Tampa/St. Pete Beach to take care of cleaning all for you
Overseeing cleaning and maintenance, particularly if you have a high number of properties, can be a challenge. That’s why trusting the expertise of experienced property managers like ourselves is a wise idea.
At Resort Rentals, we take pride in our widespread network of well-established cleaning and maintenance crews that serve the St. Pete Beach region.
With years of experience in maintaining properties, we consistently receive exceptional reviews — not just for cleanliness but also for every other aspect of beach vacation property management.
