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Property cleanliness took on a whole new meaning in a post-pandemic world. The threat of the virus infection forced people to prioritise cleanliness and it affected their lifestyle preferences. According to a survey after the pandemic, a third of the respondents chose cleanliness as a vital feature in a home. If this is how they view their future homes, it only follows that they would expect the same from vacation houses or short-term rental properties.
Fortunately, the hospitality industry and short-term rental market have taken serious steps to comply. Airbnb, in particular, imposed strict guidelines on hosts to ensure properties are cleaned and sanitised. This satisfies the need of guests to stay safe and healthy during their stay.
How does this affect multi-property owners like you?
If you want to achieve success in the short-term rental space, make cleanliness a priority. Consider working with a professional cleaning service to organise and sanitise your property. This will improve the guest experience in your rental property and can lead to an increase in rental income potential.
In this article, you’ll discover the benefits of hiring professional cleaning services and you’ll even get tips to choose the right company to entrust the care of your multiple properties.
Benefits of a Professional Cleaning Service Provider
Cleanliness is crucial for short-term rental success. The city of London is quite specific in the Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMO) guide that they provided for the letting industry.
It states that property managers should ensure the cleanliness of letting properties. This includes the internal structure, windows, ventilation, fixtures, appliances, and other fittings. The guide explicitly says that these should all be in good and clean working order for the property to be allowed to operate as a rental property.
Although HMOs are defined as properties that serve as shared space over a short period, it could be assumed that the same standards are expected of short-term rental properties. When a property is booked over a short time, it’s subjected to different occupants and frequent turnovers. This means the rental unit is prone to wear, tear and disrepair.
By working with a professional cleaning service provider, multi-property owners can enjoy certain benefits.
Cost-efficient turnovers
Hiring professional cleaners ensures a streamlined turnover of the property. They have perfected their cleaning processes and this helps reduce the downtime between guest stays. Their methods include efficient cleaning protocols to prepare each property for the next guest. This leads to a smoother transition between guests, higher satisfaction levels, lower vacancy periods, better occupancy rates and maximum rental revenue.
Cleaning expertise and equipment
You can expect the best cleaning service from professional cleaners simply because it’s the best way to improve their business. They invest in training their team to take on various cleaning tasks effectively. They also invest in state-of-the-art equipment and cleaning supplies to modernise and improve their service. Whether it’s for deep cleaning or sanitation, you can expect the highest cleaning standards at all times.
Better guest impression and experience
The guests' impression and experience start the moment they step through the door. The question is, what kind of first impression will your property have? If you hire professional cleaning services, they’ll make sure the guest will arrive at a spotless property that exudes warmth and comfort. They’ll pay attention to details to ensure that every corner is in pristine condition. This will lead to the best first impression that’ll influence the rest of their stay.
Complete compliance
Due to the nature of their business, you can expect professional cleaning services to be updated with the industry rules and regulations - specifically when it comes to cleanliness. You can trust that they will keep your property standards compliant with local health and safety regulations. This will minimise liability risks and protect the well-being of your guests.
How to Choose the Right Cleaning Service
While hiring professional cleaning services is beneficial, you can only maximise it if you partner with the right company.
Before you hire and entrust your properties to a cleaning company, you need to conduct proper due diligence. Make sure you’re putting your trust in the right business.
To help you find the right company, here are some considerations you might want to look into.
Offers flexibility in schedule
Guest turnovers vary so you need a cleaning service that offers flexibility. They should be able to adapt to the different booking schedules of your short-term rental properties. This requires a secure and reliable communication channel so the cleaners can be alerted and messages won’t be missed. Proper scheduling ensures properties are cleaned before the next guest arrives.
Employs a well-trained cleaning team
Choose a company that trains their cleaning team regularly. This is important because there are changing regulations when it comes to cleaning short-term rental properties. To stay compliant, the professional cleaning service should update their cleaning processes to provide high-quality results.
When talking to a potential cleaning service, ask about how they train their team. This will help you understand the competencies of their cleaning team and if they can provide the type of service you require.
Provides quick response to emergencies
Although the cleaning schedule relies on the frequency of bookings, you also want to work with a company that responds to emergencies. In case a guest requires cleaning services, the company you’ll partner with should be able to provide it as needed. The ability to act on urgent cleaning requests will increase guest satisfaction and increase the chances of getting positive feedback.
Open communication channels
Inquire about the mode of communication of the professional cleaning service. Be specific in looking for those with 24/7 communication channels. Being available all the time makes it easy to coordinate cleaning schedules, especially for urgent requests. This will make transactions more convenient as you have an open channel for feedback and resolutions.
Exceptional reviews
Do your research before finalising your decision to partner with a cleaning company. Read third-party reviews about them. Look at both positive and negative reviews. These testimonials will give you clues about their reliability and quality of service. Pay attention to their customer support. If people keep complaining about it, that’s a red flag. Choose the one with an exceptional reputation when it comes to customer support.
Get Cleaning Services from Property Management Companies
Partnering with a professional cleaning service ensures that short-term rental properties are always in prime condition to meet guest expectations. They can help with efficient turnovers, property maintenance and even compliance.
While there are stand-alone cleaning companies, you have the option to partner with a property management company that offers in-house cleaning services like Opago. This type of partnership provides you with a comprehensive package of services that includes property management, marketing, guest communication, compliance and of course, housekeeping. There’s no need to talk to different service providers to take care of your short-term rental properties. Opago can take care of everything.
If you want to embrace cleanliness and elevate the condition of your short-term rental properties, get in touch with us. We can discuss the details of our housekeeping and cleaning services, specifically how these can improve your property’s performance and value.
