How to get Airbnb cleaning clients: what hosts look for

Most advice on how to get Airbnb cleaning clients is written by software companies selling to cleaners. This article comes from the other side of the table. I'm Mark, and I've hosted my own vacation rental in Ucluelet, BC, for over ten years. I hire a cleaner, I pay her, and I have lost a clean to a bad system. So I know what goes through a host's head when we're deciding who gets the keys.

The short version: hosts don't hire the cheapest cleaner. We hire the one we believe will turn up every single time, and we find that person through people we already trust. If you understand that, most of the rest follows.

If you're still setting up your business, start with how to start an Airbnb cleaning business. This article assumes you're ready to clean and need hosts.

Where do Airbnb hosts look for cleaners?

Hosts look in the places where they can get a second opinion before they trust a stranger with their property. In rough order of how much a host trusts the source:

Other hosts. This is how I found my own cleaner: I asked my neighbours who run short-term rentals. A recommendation from a host who has watched your work for a season is worth more than any advert. Some hosts are happy to share their cleaner with another host. Not all are, because a shared cleaner can end up with two turnovers on the same day. So when you ask a current host for a referral, it helps to show you've thought about that.

Local community groups. In my area, hosts post in the local community Facebook groups when they need a cleaner. Those posts move fast, and the first useful reply usually gets the conversation.

People who already work with rentals. House cleaners, property managers, laundry services and handymen all know which hosts are struggling to find help. Let them know you take turnover work.

Cleaning marketplaces. These can help when you're new to an area. Many hosts start on a marketplace and later move to a direct arrangement with a cleaner they like, so treat a marketplace job as a way to meet hosts, not as the whole plan.

What makes a host say yes to a cleaner they've never met?

A host who has never seen your work is taking a risk, and everything you say should make that risk smaller. These are the things I look for.

You sound like you'll take it seriously. A turnover isn't a regular house clean. A family is arriving that afternoon, and the place needs to be ready for them. When a cleaner tells me they're willing to do the job properly and they take pride in it, and we get on well in that first conversation, that matters more to me than a long list of previous clients.

Clear answers to the questions hosts worry about. Before a host hands over the keys, they want to know:

• Can you do weekends, holidays and same-day turnovers?
• What happens if you're sick? Do you have someone who can cover?
• Do you bring supplies, or use the host's?
• Who does the laundry, and where?
• How will you tell me the place is ready, and how will you report damage?

Vague answers to these are the fastest way to lose a host. Specific ones, even "I don't do laundry off-site, so you'll need a washer there," build trust.

A clear price. A base price for a normal turnover, with the extras listed separately, tells a host you know what the job involves. If you're unsure how to set that, see how to price your Airbnb cleaning services.

A paid trial clean. Offer to do one real turnover at your normal rate so the host can see your work. In our guide for hosts on how to find an Airbnb cleaner, I recommend hosts ask for exactly this. Offering it before they ask puts you ahead. It also tells you how long the property really takes, which you need for your price.

What should you say when you reply to a host's post?

Keep it short, specific and easy to say yes to. Something like this works:

Hi, I clean short-term rentals in [area] and have availability for turnovers, including weekends and same-day. I bring my own supplies, send photos when I finish, and text straight away if I find damage. I'd be happy to do a paid trial clean so you can see my work. Could I come and look at the property this week?

Compare that with "Hi, I'm interested, please message me." The first reply answers the questions a host was about to ask. The second makes them do the work.

What do hosts actually worry about when hiring a cleaner?

Hosts worry about one thing more than anything else: a guest arriving to a property that wasn't cleaned.

It happened to me. Before I used any software, my cleaner and I worked from a shared spreadsheet. A booking changed, I forgot to update the spreadsheet, and a clean was missed. The spreadsheet failed, not my cleaner.

So when you meet a host, ask how they'll tell you about bookings, changes and cancellations. A host who says "I'll text you" is relying on their memory, and memory fails on a busy weekend. You can set yourself apart by suggesting something better.

One option is GleamSync, a cleaning coordination tool for vacation rental hosts. It reads the host's Airbnb and VRBO calendars and sends the cleaner each clean's checkout and check-in times, any extras and the pay, the day before and on the day, by email, text (in the US and Canada) or WhatsApp. If a booking you're cleaning for changes or is cancelled, you get a message. If a booking drops off a calendar, the message asks you to check with your host first, because calendars sometimes drop bookings by mistake. The host adds you to their property, and from then on the details come to you without the host having to remember. It's free for cleaners, and you don't need an account or an app. Messages only start once a host has assigned you to a clean, so agree with each host that they assign you as soon as a booking comes in.

Bringing a solution to a host's biggest worry is a strong way to win the job. More on that at GleamSync for cleaners.

How do you keep an Airbnb host once you have them?

Getting a host is hard. Keeping one is mostly about a few habits, done every time.

Never miss a clean. This is the whole job from a host's point of view. If you can't make a clean, tell the host as early as possible and arrange cover. A host can deal with a problem they hear about the day before. A problem they hear about from a guest is much worse. Our guide on what hosts do when a cleaner doesn't show shows how stressful that situation is from the host's side.

Know the extras before you arrive. Extra beds to set up, a crib or high chair to put out or put away, an early check-in. Ask each host how they'll tell you about these, and check before every clean. Finding out at the property costs you time you didn't price for.

Report problems straight away, with photos. When you find damage or something missing, take photos and text the host immediately. As a host, I want to know while I can still do something about it, before the next guest arrives.

Be pleasant and keep the host informed. A quick message when you finish, or a heads-up that the dishwasher is making a noise, is what makes a host feel the property is in good hands.

Own your mistakes. Everyone misses a spot eventually. A cleaner who says "you're right, I missed it, I'll fix it now" keeps the client. One who argues usually doesn't.

Hosts lose good cleaners too, often for reasons on the host's side. If you want to see what hosts are told about keeping cleaners, read why good Airbnb cleaners quit. It's useful for knowing what a good host should be doing for you.

How do you turn one host into several?

Hosts know other hosts. Once you've done a few months of reliable work for someone, ask them if they know anyone else who needs a cleaner. Most hosts are happy to recommend someone they trust, especially to a friend who has been complaining about their own cleaner.

A few things make that easier:

• Ask at a good moment, such as after a busy holiday weekend you handled well.
• Make it easy to pass on. A short message the host can forward, with your name, area and phone number, gets shared more than "let me know if you hear of anything."
• Don't take on more than you can cover. Before you add a host, look at when their guests check out. If most of your hosts turn over on the same days, a new host with the same pattern can leave you with two cleans at once. Having a helper you trust for those days lets you say yes without putting your existing hosts at risk.

Your current hosts are also your reputation. The way you handle their busiest weekend is what they'll describe when someone asks them for a recommendation.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a cleaning marketplace to get Airbnb cleaning clients?

No. Marketplaces can help you meet hosts in a new area, but many hosts prefer a direct relationship with a cleaner they trust. Referrals from other hosts and replies to posts in local community groups are often faster, and you keep the whole relationship.

Should I offer a free trial clean?

Offer a paid trial clean instead. It shows you value your work, and a host who is serious about hiring will expect to pay for a real turnover. It also gives both of you an honest measure of how long the property takes.

What do hosts want to know before the first clean?

Hosts want to know your availability, including weekends, holidays and same-day turnovers, your backup plan if you're sick, whether you bring supplies, how laundry works, how you'll confirm the clean is done, and how you'll report damage. Having clear answers ready makes you easier to hire.

How many Airbnb hosts can one cleaner handle?

It depends less on the number of hosts and more on how many of their checkouts fall on the same day. Look at each host's typical checkout days and times before saying yes, and have someone who can help when two cleans clash.

How do I get Airbnb cleaning contracts with property managers?

Property managers run several properties, so one relationship can mean regular work. The same rules apply: reliability, clear pricing and fast reporting. Expect them to ask about cover and capacity, because a gap affects all of their properties at once.

Related reading

• How to start an Airbnb cleaning business
• How to price your Airbnb cleaning services
• How to find an Airbnb cleaner, and vet them first
• Why good Airbnb cleaners quit, and how to keep yours
• Airbnb cleaner no-show: what to do before your guest arrives

Stop chasing hosts for clean details

The cleaner a host keeps is the one who always knows what the next clean involves. GleamSync reads your hosts' Airbnb and VRBO calendars and sends you each clean's times, extras and pay, plus a message if a booking changes or is cancelled. It's free for cleaners, with no account or app needed. Your hosts pay $8 a month per property, with a 14-day free trial and no credit card.

See how GleamSync helps cleaners