The Holiday Let Changeover Checklist
Optus Glean runs every short-term let and Airbnb changeover to the same fixed checklist, so a named, vetted cleaner delivers an identical guest-ready standard on every turnover. This is that checklist, free to use. It is built around the same-day window between an 11:00 checkout and a 15:00 check-in, and it puts the longest-lead task — the laundry — first.
Work the seven steps in order. Each is a self-contained stage you can tick off, and the final step — a dated guest-ready photo — is what turns a clean into evidence. For the full how-to behind each step, see our guide on how to clean an Airbnb between guests.
Free printable checklist (PDF)
Download the Optus Glean Holiday Let & Airbnb Changeover Checklist (PDF) — a printable tick-box version to leave in each unit for your cleaner. No email required.
The 7-Step Changeover Sequence
- Strip linen and start the laundry clock. Strip and bag all used bed linen and towels first, before anything else. Laundry is the longest lead-time task on a changeover, so getting it moving immediately protects the whole turnaround. Check for stains or damage as you strip and log anything that needs replacing.
- Clear and reset the kitchen. Empty and wipe the fridge, run or empty the dishwasher, clear any guest food, and degrease the hob, oven front, and splashback. Wipe all worktops and the sink, descale the kettle, and restock the welcome consumables (tea, coffee, dishwasher tablets).
- Deep-clean the bathrooms. Descale and disinfect the toilet, basin, bath, and shower, polish the mirror and chrome, and clear the plughole. Replace toiletries and the toilet roll, and fold fresh towels to a fixed standard. Bathrooms are where guests judge cleanliness first, so finish them to a hotel standard.
- Make up the bedrooms. Dress the beds with fresh linen using hospital corners, check under the beds and behind headboards, and reset each room to the listing-photo layout. Dust surfaces, wipe light switches and handles, and make sure wardrobes and drawers are empty and clean.
- Vacuum, mop, and dust the living areas. Work top-down: dust shelves and surfaces, wipe high-touch points (remotes, switches, door handles), then vacuum and mop, finishing on the floors. Plump cushions, reset furniture to the listing layout, and clear any guest items left behind.
- Restock consumables and run the inventory check. Replenish toilet roll, soap, coffee, tea, bin liners, and any welcome amenities to par level. Count linen and towel sets against par, check the inventory for missing or damaged items, and log anything that needs reordering or charging back.
- Final walkthrough and guest-ready photo. Do a final walkthrough as a guest would, check alarms and that everything works, then photograph each room as dated proof of the guest-ready condition. The photo set protects you in any guest dispute and is the evidence a managed programme files for each turnover.
Room-by-Room Detail
Kitchen
- Empty and wipe the fridge and freezer; remove all guest food
- Run or empty the dishwasher; wipe the front and seal
- Degrease the hob, oven front, extractor, and splashback
- Clean and descale the sink, taps, and kettle
- Wipe worktops, cupboard fronts, and the bin
- Restock tea, coffee, dishwasher tablets, and welcome items
- Mop the floor, including under moveable items
Bathrooms
- Descale and disinfect the toilet, inside and around the base
- Clean the shower, screen, bath, and tiles; clear the plughole
- Descale and polish taps, basin, and chrome
- Polish the mirror streak-free
- Replace toiletries, toilet roll, and fold fresh towels
- Wipe the extractor vent; mop the floor
Bedrooms
- Strip and replace bed linen; hospital corners
- Check under beds and behind headboards
- Empty and wipe wardrobes and drawers
- Dust surfaces, sills, and skirting; wipe switches and handles
- Reset the room to the listing-photo layout
- Vacuum or mop the floor
Living Areas
- Dust top-down; wipe high-touch points (remotes, switches, handles)
- Plump cushions and reset furniture to the listing layout
- Clear any guest items left behind
- Vacuum and mop, finishing on the floors
- Check the welcome book, Wi-Fi card, and registration number display
Consumables & Final Check
- Restock toilet roll, soap, coffee, tea, bin liners, amenities to par
- Count linen and towel sets against par (three sets per bed)
- Log missing or damaged inventory
- Check smoke and carbon-monoxide alarms work
- Final walkthrough as a guest; dated guest-ready photo of each room
Why a Fixed Checklist Matters
A casual cleaner found through a social-media group works from memory; a checklist removes that variability. The same seven steps, run the same way every turnover, are what make a holiday let predictable for guests and defensible for the host. The Health and Safety Authority (HSA) frameworks govern the chemicals and contractor safety behind the clean, and self-catering kitchens fall under general food-hygiene duties described by the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI).
The dated guest-ready photo at step seven also matters for compliance. As Ireland's Short-Term Letting (STL) Register formalises through 2026, hosts will be expected to keep operational records for each unit; Fáilte Ireland's Short-Term Letting Register is the mechanism, and a photo-evidenced turnover log is exactly the kind of record a managed programme keeps. For the wider rules, see our Short-Term Letting Register guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should be on an Airbnb changeover cleaning checklist?
Optus Glean runs every changeover to a fixed seven-step checklist: strip and launder linen first, reset the kitchen, deep-clean the bathrooms, make up the bedrooms, vacuum and mop the living areas, restock consumables and check inventory, then a final walkthrough with a dated guest-ready photo. Each step is signed off before the next guest arrives.
How long does a holiday let changeover clean take?
A standard one or two-bed holiday let changeover takes about 1.25 to 1.75 hours for a single trained cleaner; a four-bed house takes around 3 hours plus. The binding constraint is usually the laundry, not the cleaning, which is why a managed programme strips and starts the wash first and works to the same-day 11:00 checkout to 15:00 check-in window.
What do guests check first that hosts often miss?
Guests judge the bathroom and the bed first: limescale on taps and shower screens, hair in the plughole, and bed linen that is not visibly fresh. The other common misses are a smeared kitchen hob, dusty skirting and high-touch points, and empty consumables. The final guest-ready photo step is designed to catch these before check-in.
What consumables should be restocked every changeover?
Restock toilet roll, hand soap and toiletries, tea, coffee, milk pods or sugar, dishwasher tablets, bin liners, and any welcome amenities to a fixed par level every turnover. Linen and towels should be replenished from a par stock of three sets per bed in rotation so a same-day changeover never runs short.
How do I prove the unit was guest-ready after each clean?
Take a dated, timestamped photo of each room at sign-off, the way a managed programme does. That photo set is your evidence in any guest dispute and forms part of a register-ready turnover record. Under Ireland's Short-Term Letting (STL) Register, keeping dated operational records for each unit is good practice as the rules formalise through 2026.
Last reviewed: 2026-06-21