What to Put in an Airbnb Cleaner Agreement (With Sample Clauses)
An Airbnb cleaner agreement should cover what a standard turnover includes, the schedule and notice rules, pay and extras, what happens when a clean needs to be redone, how damage and supplies are reported, photo requirements, property access, insurance, and how either side can end the arrangement. One or two clear pages that you both sign will prevent most of the disagreements hosts and cleaners run into.
I am not a lawyer, and this is not legal advice. Laws on contracts and worker classification vary by state, so have a local attorney or accountant review your final version. What I can share is what the agreement needs to cover from an operations point of view, based on years of running turnovers.
Why a written agreement matters
Most disputes between hosts and cleaners are about expectations that were never written down. Was stripping the beds included? Who pays for a re clean after a guest complaint? How much notice is fair for a cancelled booking? A written agreement answers these before they become arguments, and it protects a good cleaner as much as it protects you.
The sections to include
1. Parties and working relationship
Name both parties and describe the relationship. If the cleaner is an independent contractor, the agreement should reflect that, but the label alone does not decide it. The IRS looks at the whole relationship, including behavioral control, financial control and the type of relationship, and says "there is no 'magic' or set number of factors" that decides it (IRS: Independent contractor or employee). I cover this in depth in is your Airbnb cleaner a contractor or an employee.
2. Scope of a standard turnover
Attach your property checklist and state that a standard turnover means completing it. Name what is included and what is extra.
Sample clause: "A Standard Turnover includes all tasks on the attached Turnover Checklist for [property address], including linen change, restocking to listed par levels and reporting any damage or missing items. Tasks not on the checklist are Additional Services and are billed as listed in Section 4."
3. Schedule and notice
Spell out how turnovers are assigned, how far ahead, and what happens when plans change on either side.
- How the cleaner receives the schedule (shared calendar, turnover app, text)
- The standard window, for example checkout at 11 and check in at 4
- Notice the host gives for new bookings and cancellations
- Notice the cleaner gives if they cannot complete a scheduled turnover
- Whether a late cancellation by the host is paid, and at what rate
Sample clause: "If the Host cancels a scheduled turnover with less than 24 hours notice, the Host will pay [amount or percentage] of the turnover rate. If the Cleaner cannot complete a scheduled turnover, the Cleaner will notify the Host as soon as possible and no later than [time] on the turnover day."
For what to do when that happens anyway, see what to do when your Airbnb cleaner doesn't show up.
4. Pay, extras and invoicing
List the base rate, every defined extra and how payment works. If you are still deciding on the structure, read paying your cleaner per turnover or hourly.
| Item | What to define |
|---|---|
| Base rate | Per turnover, per property, or hourly |
| Extras | Same day premium, pet hair, extra laundry loads, deep clean, restocking runs |
| Supplies | Who buys cleaning products and guest consumables, and how they are reimbursed |
| Invoicing | Per clean, weekly or monthly |
| Payment timing | For example, within 7 days of invoice |
| Rate reviews | When rates are reviewed, for example once a year |
5. Quality standard and re cleans
This is the section that saves the most friction. Define how quality is checked and what happens when something is missed.
Sample clause: "If the Host or an incoming guest reports a missed checklist item within [time] of the turnover, the Cleaner will return to correct it at no charge when reasonably possible. Issues caused by guests after the turnover are not the Cleaner's responsibility."
Be fair here. A re clean policy that blames the cleaner for anything a guest says will drive good people away.
6. Photo documentation
State the photos required after each turnover, where they are submitted and how long you keep them. Photos protect the cleaner too, because they show the property was clean when they left.
Sample clause: "After each turnover, the Cleaner will submit photos of each area listed in the attached Photo List before leaving the property." My shot list is in what photos to ask your Airbnb cleaner for. If you use Clyn, the photo list lives in the app, the AI checks each photo against your standard, and blurry or dark ones get sent back for a retake before the cleaner leaves.
7. Damage, missing items and supplies
Guest damage reports are time sensitive. Airbnb's help center says hosts should file a reimbursement request within 14 days of the guest's checkout (Airbnb: Host damage protection). Your cleaner is usually the first person to see damage, so the agreement should require prompt reporting.
Sample clause: "The Cleaner will report any damage, missing items, pest signs, odors or maintenance issues to the Host with photos on the same day they are found. Items left by guests will be photographed, bagged and reported."
Also cover accidental breakage by the cleaner: how it is reported and whether it is covered by their insurance.
8. Access and security
- How the cleaner gets in (individual smart lock code, lockbox, key)
- That codes and keys are not shared with anyone else
- Whether helpers or subcontractors are allowed, and whether the host must approve them
- Returning keys and removing codes when the agreement ends
9. Privacy and conduct
Include a short confidentiality line covering guest information, door codes and the property address. Add basic conduct rules: no guests or family members at the property, no personal use of the property, and no posting photos of the interior on social media without permission.
10. Insurance
State what insurance the cleaner carries and require proof. Check with your own insurer about what your policy covers for workers at the property.
11. Tax paperwork
If the cleaner is an independent contractor, collect a completed Form W9 before the first payment. Whether you must file Form 1099 NEC depends on whether you are paying in the course of a trade or business and on the amount. For payments made in 2026, the IRS threshold for reporting nonemployee compensation on Form 1099 NEC is $2,000 (IRS: Instructions for Forms 1099 MISC and 1099 NEC). Ask your tax professional whether and how this applies to your rental.
12. Term and ending the agreement
Set a notice period for either side to end the agreement, such as two weeks, and what happens to scheduled turnovers during that time. Include immediate termination for serious issues such as theft, sharing access codes or repeated no shows.
A simple structure you can copy
- Parties and relationship
- Services (with checklist attached)
- Schedule and notice
- Pay and extras (with rate sheet attached)
- Quality and re cleans
- Photos (with photo list attached)
- Damage, supplies and lost items
- Access and security
- Privacy and conduct
- Insurance
- Tax paperwork
- Term and termination
- Signatures and date
Keeping the checklist, rate sheet and photo list as attachments means you can update them without rewriting the whole agreement.
FAQ
Do I need a formal contract for one cleaner at one property?
A written agreement is worth having even for one property. It can be short, but both of you should sign it and keep a copy. It prevents misunderstandings about pay, re cleans and notice.
Can I use the same agreement for a cleaning company?
Many companies will want you to sign their service agreement. Read it against the sections above and ask to add anything missing, especially photo requirements, damage reporting and the re clean policy.
How often should I update the agreement?
Review it once a year, or whenever you change rates, add a property or change your checklist. Keep the attachments current so the agreement matches how you actually operate.
If you want every turnover checked before check in, you can try Clyn free on one property at clyn.com.