The Cost of Cleaning a Vacation Rental Between Guests
Per-turnover rates, the annual total most owners underestimate, and the periodic deep cleans a turnover schedule cannot absorb.
Owners budget vacation rental cleaning per turnover. The number that actually shows up in the year-end accounts is the annual total, and the two are further apart than most people plan for.
Per turnover
| Unit | Per turnover |
|---|---|
| Studio, ~600 sq ft | $70–$85 |
| 1 bed, ~700 sq ft | $90–$110 |
| 2 bed, ~1,100 sq ft | $140–$170 |
| 3 bed, ~1,600 sq ft | $170–$210 |
Flat per turnover, regardless of how long the guest stayed.
Annually
Take that three-bedroom at $190 a turnover and run three plausible calendars:
| Calendar | Turnovers/year | Annual cleaning |
|---|---|---|
| 60% occupancy, weekly stays | ~31 | $5,890 |
| 65% occupancy, 4-night average | ~59 | $11,210 |
| 70% occupancy, weekend-heavy | ~90 | $17,100 |
Three versions of the same property with a $11,000 spread. The variable is not the cleaning rate. It is the average length of stay, which is set by your minimum-night rules.
This is the single most useful thing to know about vacation rental cleaning economics: your minimum stay is a cleaning cost decision, and it usually outweighs anything you can negotiate on price.
The costs that sit outside the turnover
A turnover schedule cannot absorb everything. Four items need their own line in the budget.
Periodic deep clean. Every four to six turnovers, or quarterly at minimum. This is where descaling, grout, inside appliances, baseboards and light fixtures get handled. A one-time deep clean on a two-bedroom runs $175–$210.
Linen replacement. Towels and sheets in short-term rentals wear out on a schedule closer to a hotel’s than a home’s. Budget for it annually rather than discovering it.
Consumables. Paper, soap, coffee, dishwasher tabs, trash liners. Small per turnover, real per year.
Damage and deep-stain work. Not cleaning, and not covered by a cleaning contract. Carpet extraction, mattress protectors, wall touch-ups.
Owners who budget only the turnover rate are typically 20–30% light on the true annual figure.
Austin specifics
Hard water. Central Texas water leaves mineral deposits quickly, and a rental shower gets more use and less dwell time than a home one. Limescale on glass photographs badly and guests mention it. It cannot be scrubbed off inside a turnover window — it needs an acid descaler with time to work, which is exactly why the periodic deep clean is a separate line rather than a nice-to-have.
SXSW in March and ACL in October. Rates rise and so does turnover frequency. Same-day turnovers become the norm rather than the exception, and cleaning capacity across the city tightens at the same moment. Book those weeks early.
Summer heat. June to September regularly clears 100°F. A unit that sat vacant needs the AC and, in older stock, the humidity handled before the next arrival — a musty smell is one of the most reliably review-damaging things a guest can walk into.
Cedar fever, mid-December to February. Ashe juniper pollen settles on every horizontal surface near a window. Guests with allergies notice within an hour.
Same-day turnovers
An 11am checkout into a 3pm check-in is four hours minus travel, and that window sets the realistic scope. Linens, bathrooms, kitchen, floors, restock, photo report. It does not include descaling a shower or degreasing an oven.
If your calendar is mostly same-day turnovers, the periodic deep clean stops being optional. It is the only place the accumulating work can go.
What to require from whoever cleans
- Flat pricing per unit, so a long guest and a short guest cost the same to plan for
- A photo report at the end of each turnover
- A damage and missing-item report before the next guest arrives
- A written restock list, so consumables are not a judgment call
- Clear hours, so you know what your calendar can and cannot promise
The photo report is the one owners under-value until they need it. A timestamped set showing the unit finished and undamaged is what resolves a guest complaint about cleanliness and what an AirCover claim asks for when a guest has broken something.
Our turnovers are flat-rated per unit, include the photo report, and carry no travel charge anywhere in the 14 cities we cover. Hours are Monday to Friday 7 to 7 and Saturday 8 to 5.
