A cleaner can reset a short-term rental between guests only with what the host has arranged in advance. The time between check-out and check-in is short, and every question the cleaner has to ask during it comes out of that time. Most of the setup is done once, before the first booked turnover, and then it works for every guest after that.
Toronto's bylaw puts a few things in the unit that the cleaning has to respect
The City of Toronto's page for short-term rental operators sets out the rules. Several of them change what happens on a turnover day:
- Since June 30, 2024, operators have to post a physical copy of the emergency contact information and exit diagrams prominently in the rental for the duration of the guest's stay. Tell your cleaner where the sheet hangs, so it is put back in place if it is moved to wipe a wall or a door, and keep a spare copy with the supplies.
- Short-term rentals are allowed only in your principal residence. Your own belongings stay in the home, so mark the closets, drawers and shelves that are yours and should be left closed.
- Operators register either as an entire-unit rental or as a partial-unit rental, where you keep living in the home and rent rooms. In a partial-unit rental the cleaner needs to know exactly which rooms and which washroom belong to the guests.
- A condominium has its own bylaws and rules, and the City says they must allow short-term rentals. Ask the building how contractors check in with security or the concierge, and whether there are hours for using the service elevator.
- The City has the authority to conduct annual inspections of registered short-term rentals. A unit that is reset to the same standard every time is ready for that visit too.
The full set of rules, including registration and renewal, is on the City's page for short-term rental operators and hosts.
The handover you prepare once, before the first turnover
PavMa's page for Airbnb and short-term rental cleaning lists what makes a turnover run well. Each item below is something you write down or set up one time.
Entry and parking
Write out how to get in, step by step, as if for someone who has never seen the building: the lockbox or keypad, the fob for the lobby, the buzzer code, and which door to use. Add where a car can stop to unload a vacuum and supplies. Street parking near a downtown condo can take longer to find than the cleaning of a bathroom.
Check-out and check-in times
The cleaner plans the visit around the time the guest leaves and the time the next one arrives. Send both for every booking, and say what happens if a guest leaves late. A message from the departing guest that they are out of the unit lets the visit start on time.
Linens, towels and laundry
Bed linens, laundry, towels and amenities can be part of the visit when supplies, machines and instructions are arranged in advance. Many hosts keep two complete sets for each bed, so one set is on the bed while the other is clean and folded in the closet. Note how each bed is made and how the towels are laid out. A photo of the finished bed does this faster than a paragraph.
A supply cupboard with a name
Keep backup linens and supplies in one identified place, and give it a name that cannot be misread: "the hall closet, top shelf", not "the closet". Put the guest supplies there too: toilet paper, soap, garbage bags, dish soap and whatever amenities your listing promises. Restocking purchases and off-site laundry are quoted separately, so keep the cupboard full and the visit stays a cleaning visit.
Your own checklist for this property
Every listing has its own details: a sofa bed, a balcony, a coffee machine, a welcome card on the counter. Write them on a property-specific checklist. If you have already put together a list for a regular clean at home, the article on getting your home ready the day before the cleaners come covers the same kind of preparation.
One person who answers during the window
Name one contact who can answer time-sensitive questions while the unit is being reset: a co-host, a neighbour or you. A missing key, a broken dishwasher or a guest who has not left yet needs an answer in minutes, not by the evening.
A turnover window from an 11 AM check-out to a 4 PM check-in
This is an example of how the five hours can be shared. The order holds for most units; the times depend on the size of the place and what the guests left behind.
| Time | What happens | Who |
|---|---|---|
| The day before | Check-out and check-in times confirmed, any special request noted (an early arrival, a crib, extra towels) | Host |
| 11:00 | The guest leaves and sends a message that the unit is empty | Guest, then host |
| 11:15 | Entry, a first walk through the rooms, the first load of linens started if a machine is in the unit | Cleaner |
| 11:30 to 2:30 | Kitchen and bathroom reset, dusting and surfaces, garbage out and new liners, floors vacuumed and washed | Cleaner |
| 2:30 | Beds made, towels and amenities placed from the supply cupboard | Cleaner |
| 3:00 | Final guest-ready check of bathrooms, kitchen, floors and beds; anything damaged or missing is reported | Cleaner, to the contact |
| 3:00 to 4:00 | A buffer for a late check-out, a slow laundry cycle or a repair | Host decides |
| 4:00 | The next guest checks in | Guest |
The buffer row is the one hosts are tempted to drop. With a dryer that takes an hour or a guest who leaves 40 minutes late, it is the row that keeps the next check-in on time.
What you hear back after each visit
A turnover is also the only time someone walks through every room between two guests. If the cleaner notices damage, missing items or a maintenance concern, it is reported to the designated contact, so you can deal with it before the next arrival or tell the guest what to expect.
Ask for a short message after each visit even when nothing is wrong. A note that the unit is ready, with the time, tells you the window held. Over a few months, those notes also show which rooms are taking longer than they should.
A regular turnover keeps the unit guest-ready. Oven interiors, baseboards and the dust that builds up behind furniture need a longer visit now and then, and the gap between two bookings is the time to book it. The deep cleaning checklist shows what such a visit covers.
What to send when you ask for an Airbnb cleaning quote
The quote is free and based on the service, size, condition and requested extras. These details make it accurate:
- the address area and the type of unit: condo, house, basement suite or rooms in your home;
- the number of bedrooms, beds and washrooms;
- your usual check-out and check-in times, and how many turnovers you expect in a month;
- whether linens and towels are washed in the unit, and where the spares are kept;
- how entry works, and any building rules for contractors;
- pets allowed in the listing, and any product preferences or delicate materials.
Photos of the unit can be sent on WhatsApp to help prepare the estimate. Visits are booked Monday to Saturday, between 8 AM and 7 PM. Use the Airbnb cleaning quote form, or call 437-889-1213. The towns and districts covered are listed under service areas.
Hosting in Toronto and handing turnovers to a cleaner
Does Toronto require anything to be posted inside a short-term rental?
Yes. Since June 30, 2024, the City requires operators to post a physical copy of the emergency contact information and exit diagrams prominently in the rental for the duration of the guest's stay. Tell your cleaner where it hangs so it stays in place.
Can the cleaner wash and change the linens between guests?
Bed linens, laundry, towels and amenities can be included in the visit when supplies, machines and instructions are arranged in advance. Keep a second clean set for each bed in a named place, so the beds can be made while the used set is washing.
What happens if the cleaner finds damage or something missing?
It is reported to the designated contact you name for the property. That gives you time to arrange a repair or replace an item before the next guest arrives, or to raise it with the guest who just left.
I rent rooms in the home I live in. How does the cleaner know what to clean?
In a partial-unit rental, list the rooms and the washroom the guests use, and mark your own closets and shelves to be left closed. The property-specific checklist is the place to write it down once for every visit.
