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The Airbnb Turnover Checklist: Cleaning, Restocking and Resetting

An Airbnb turnover checklist covers three jobs in order: clean the home, restock everything guests use up, and reset the space so it looks exactly like your listing photos. The order matters as much as the tasks, so the checklist below starts with a damage walkthrough and laundry, moves top to bottom through each room, and ends with restocking, staging and final photos.

A cleaning checklist tells your cleaner what "clean" means. A turnover checklist is broader. It covers everything between one guest leaving and the next one arriving. If you want the detailed room cleaning standard, pair this with the Airbnb cleaning checklist.

The turnover at a glance

Phase 1: Arrival walkthrough (before touching anything)

1. Walk every room and take photos of the condition the guest left.
2. Note any damage, stains, missing items or signs of extra guests, pets or smoking.
3. Collect items guests left behind and log them with a photo.
4. Check that windows and doors were closed and nothing is running, like the oven or a tap.

These photos are the evidence if you need to file a claim. For how to use them, see how to prove guest damage on Airbnb.

Phase 2: Strip beds and start laundry

1. Strip every bed that was used, including pillowcases and duvet covers.
2. Check mattress protectors and pillows for stains.
3. Collect all used towels, bath mats and kitchen towels.
4. Start the first load right away, or bag it for offsite laundry.
5. If you run a rotation system, make the beds with the clean set from the closet now.

Phase 3: Trash and dishes

1. Empty every trash can, including bathroom bins and outdoor bins.
2. Wipe and reline each can.
3. Run the dishwasher with anything guests left, or hand wash.
4. Clear the fridge of guest food unless your house rules say otherwise.

Phase 4: Clean room by room

Work top to bottom (ceiling fans and shelves before counters, counters before floors) and dry to wet (dust before you wipe).

Kitchen

• Counters, backsplash, stovetop and cabinet fronts
• Inside the microwave, oven door, toaster and coffee maker
• Fridge shelves and door seals
• Sink and faucet polished
• Dishes and utensils checked for spots

Bathrooms

• Toilet inside, outside, base and behind
• Shower walls, glass, drain and grout
• Sink, mirror and faucet
• Hair check on floors, drains and towels
• Vanity drawers emptied of guest items

Bedrooms

• Beds made to your standard with fresh linen
• Nightstands, lamps and headboards dusted
• Under beds and in drawers and closets checked
• Hangers counted

Living areas

• Sofa cushions lifted and vacuumed underneath
• Coffee tables, remotes and light switches wiped
• Throw blankets folded or swapped if used

Outdoor areas

• Patio furniture wiped
• Grill cleaned if used
• Cigarette butts and debris picked up
• Hot tub or pool checked per your routine

Phase 5: Floors, last

Vacuum every room, including under beds, then mop hard floors. Start at the far end of the home and finish at the door so you never walk across a clean floor.

Phase 6: Restock

Refill everything to your par level, not just what is empty. Airbnb's essential amenities list toilet paper, soap for hands and body, one towel per guest, one pillow per guest and linens for each guest bed, so those come first. After that:

• Paper towels, tissues and trash bags
• Shampoo, conditioner and body wash
• Dish soap, dishwasher pods and sponges
• Coffee, tea, sugar, salt, pepper and cooking oil
• Laundry detergent if guests can use the washer
• Light bulbs and batteries for remotes

For the full list, see the Airbnb restocking checklist.

Phase 7: Reset and stage

This is the step that makes a clean home look ready.

1. Pillows arranged the way they appear in your listing photos.
2. Towels folded and placed the same way every time.
3. Remotes, guidebook and welcome items in their usual spots.
4. Blinds and curtains set to the same position.
5. Thermostat set to your welcome temperature.
6. Lights you want on at arrival switched on or timed.
7. Smart lock, WiFi and TV working.

Phase 8: Final walkthrough and photos

Walk the home as if you were the guest. Open the fridge, pull back the shower curtain, sit on the sofa and look at the floor from there. Then take the photos you require after every turnover, room by room, from the same angles each time. See what photos to ask your cleaner for.

If you are not there in person, this is the step to automate. With Clyn, your cleaner takes the photos in the Clyn app and the AI checks every one against your property's standard, flagging anything missed, like a towel left on the floor or an unmade bed, before the next guest checks in. Dark or blurry photos are sent back for a retake. You get a pass or a fix list, plus a dated photo record of how the home looked when the guest arrived.

Phase 9: Lock up and report

1. Lock every door and window.
2. Start the dryer or take laundry offsite if it is not finished.
3. Report low supplies, damage, maintenance issues and lost items to the host.
4. Mark the turnover complete in your scheduling tool.

Make the checklist stick

• Print it and keep a copy in the owner's closet. Laminate it if you like.
• Keep it the same across properties. Only add property specific items at the end of each section.
• Review it every season. Hot tubs, heaters, pools and fireplaces change what a turnover needs.
• Use it for training. Walk a new cleaner through it once, then let them run it.

FAQ

What is the difference between a cleaning checklist and a turnover checklist?

A cleaning checklist describes how each room should look when clean. A turnover checklist covers everything between guests: condition photos, laundry, cleaning, restocking, staging, final checks and reporting.

What should be done first in an Airbnb turnover?

Take condition photos before cleaning, then strip the beds and start laundry, because laundry is usually the longest single task.

How do I know the turnover was done right if I am not there?

Require photos from the same angles after every turnover and review them against your standard, or use a tool like Clyn that checks the photos for you and flags misses before check in.

If you want every turnover checked before check in, you can try Clyn free on one property at clyn.com.