The Airbnb Changeover, Step by Step
A changeover clean is not a domestic tidy-up. It is a fixed, repeatable process that has to return a short-term let to guest-ready condition inside a tight window — in Ireland, typically between an 11:00 checkout and a 15:00 check-in. The order of the steps matters: do them in the wrong sequence and you either run out of time or finish with dust on a surface you have already cleaned. This guide is the same seven-step sequence Optus Glean runs on managed changeovers, written so a host can follow it on a single unit.
Two principles run through it. First, start the linen before anything else, because laundering is the longest lead-time task and it sets the clock for the whole turnover. Second, work top-down and finish on the floors, so nothing falls onto a clean surface. We also apply colour-coded infection-prevention discipline throughout — red cloths for bathrooms, blue for general and bedrooms, green for the kitchen — with all chemicals risk-assessed under the framework set by the Health and Safety Authority.
For the prices behind these steps, see our Airbnb cleaning cost guide for Ireland. For the managed programme that runs this checklist on every turn, see short-term let cleaning across Ireland.
- Strip and bag all used linen and towels. Start with the linen, because laundering is the longest lead-time task and it sets the clock for everything else. Strip every bed and bathroom, bag the used sets, and put on the laundry or hand them to your linen service straight away. Count what comes off so the par-stock stays balanced.
- Clear and reset the kitchen. Empty and wipe the fridge, run or empty the dishwasher, clear any food left behind, and degrease the hob and surfaces. Restock the welcome consumables guests expect: coffee, tea, dishwasher tabs, bin liners. The kitchen is one of the first rooms guests photograph, so leave it visibly reset.
- Deep-clean both bathrooms. Descale taps, showerheads and screens, disinfect the toilet inside and out, and clean the basin, bath and tiles. Replace toiletries to a fixed par-level and fold fresh towels to the same standard every time. Bathrooms drive more poor reviews than any other room, so do not rush this step.
- Make up the bedrooms. Make up each bed with fresh linen, square the corners, and check under beds and behind headboards for anything left behind. Reset the room to match the listing photos exactly, including cushion and throw placement. A bedroom that matches the photos is what stops the first-night complaint about presentation.
- Vacuum, mop and dust all living areas. Work top-down: dust shelves, sills and surfaces first, then high-touch points like switches, handles and remotes, and finish on the floors. Vacuum carpets and mop hard floors last so nothing falls onto a clean surface. Check sofa cushions and under furniture where crumbs and small items collect.
- Restock consumables and run the inventory check. Top up loo roll, coffee, soap, bin liners and any welcome items to your set par-levels. Walk the inventory and log anything damaged, missing or broken with a photo, so it is recorded before the next guest can be blamed for it. Flag any maintenance fault for repair now, not later.
- Final walkthrough and guest-ready photo. Do a full walkthrough as if you were arriving as the guest, then photograph each room as proof of the guest-ready condition. Timestamped photos give you a dated record for the next booking, for any damage dispute, and for the Failte Ireland short-term let register file.
How Long a Changeover Takes
An experienced cleaner turns a one-bed in roughly 60 to 90 minutes, a two-bed in 90 to 120 minutes, and a larger holiday home longer again. The single biggest variable is linen: if your fresh sets are already laundered and on the shelf as a par-stock, the turnover flows; if you are waiting on a wash, the same-day window collapses. This is why the par-3 linen rule — three sets per bed in rotation, one on the bed, one in the wardrobe, one in the wash — is the difference between a calm turnover and a missed check-in.
The other variable is people. A casual cleaner who also works healthcare shifts may not show on changeover day, and on a same-day turn there is no recovery time. Optus Glean staff are PAYE-employed and paid above the Contract Cleaning Employment Regulation Order floor of €14.80 per hour for 2026, set under the framework administered by the Workplace Relations Commission, with a named relief on standby — so the turn happens every time, not most times.
Why the Guest-Ready Photo Matters
The final photo is not optional housekeeping. With around 32,665 short-term let listings active in Ireland and the sector formalising under the Failte Ireland Short-Term Letting (STL) Register, hosts increasingly need a dated record that each turnover met standard. A timestamped photo set is your evidence for the next booking, your defence in a damage dispute, and part of the register-ready file an inspector or your insurer would expect.
Frequently Asked Questions About Airbnb Changeover Cleaning
How long does an Airbnb changeover clean take?
A single-bedroom short-term let takes about 60 to 90 minutes for an experienced cleaner; a two-bedroom unit 90 to 120 minutes; a larger holiday home longer. The pace is set by the same-day window between an 11:00 checkout and a 15:00 check-in, and by linen, which is the longest lead-time task.
What should be on an Airbnb turnover checklist?
A turnover checklist covers seven things in order: strip and start the linen, reset the kitchen, deep-clean the bathrooms, make up the bedrooms to the listing photos, clean all living areas top-down, restock consumables and log any damage, then a final walkthrough with a guest-ready photo. Working to a fixed list is what keeps every turnover consistent.
How do I clean an Airbnb in under an hour?
Sub-hour turnovers are realistic only in a studio or one-bed where linen is already laundered and on the shelf as a fresh par-set. Start the dirty linen, then work the kitchen, bathroom, bedroom and floors in a single top-down pass. The longer-lead linen laundering is what makes a true under-hour turn impossible without spare sets.
What do guests notice first?
Guests notice smell, the bathroom and the bed first. A stale or chemical odour, a hair in the shower, or a bed that does not match the listing photos generate the most poor reviews. A fixed bathroom and bedroom standard, plus a final walkthrough done as if arriving as the guest, prevents most first-night complaints.
How do I prove the unit was guest-ready?
Photograph each room at the end of the turnover with a timestamp. A dated photo set is your evidence of guest-ready condition for the next booking, your defence in a damage dispute, and part of the record an inspector or the Failte Ireland short-term let register would expect. A managed programme captures this on every single turn.