Shortlet Cleaning Checklist Between Guests

A good shortlet clean between guests has four parts. Reset every room, restock the basics, check for damage with dated photos, and test that the power, water and Wi-Fi work. Do it in the same order every time, and your next guest walks into a home that looks like your photos.

Use the checklist below yourself, or hand it to your cleaner. It is written for Nigerian homes, so it covers the generator, the water tank and the Harmattan dust as well as the beds and bathrooms.

Before you start

Your cleaning time is the gap between one guest’s check-out and the next guest’s check-in. Shortlets usually have check-out in the late morning and check-in in the afternoon, so plan around a few hours. Know your own times before you book a cleaner.

Keep a cleaning kit at the property, so nothing slows you down:

When you arrive:

1. Walk through every room and take photos before you touch anything. This is your record of how the guest left it.
2. Open the windows and switch on the power.
3. Strip the beds and start the first wash.
4. Clean from top to bottom and from the back of the home to the door, so you never walk over a clean floor.

On Cabans, check-in is from 14:00 and check-out by 11:00 unless you change them on your listing. Guests who book see your times before they pay.

Room by room

Bedrooms

• Fresh sheets and pillowcases on every bed, even if it looks unused.
• Check under the bed, behind the doors and in every drawer for left items.
• Dust surfaces, the headboard, the lamps and the top of the wardrobe.
• Wipe the air conditioner front and check the remote works.
• Check mosquito nets and window nets for holes.
• Leave spare hangers in the wardrobe.

Bathrooms

• Scrub the toilet inside and out, including the base.
• Clean the shower, the tiles and the drain. Remove any hair.
• Polish the sink, the taps and the mirror.
• Check the water heater and that hot water comes through.
• Fresh towels, a new soap and a full toilet roll, plus a spare.
• Empty and wash the bin, then put in a new liner.

Kitchen

• Wash, dry and put away every pot, plate and cup. Check they are all there.
• Empty the fridge of anything the guest left. Wipe the shelves and the door seal.
• Clean the cooker top, the oven and the microwave inside.
• Wipe the worktops, the cupboard fronts and the handles.
• Check the gas cylinder level and that the cooker lights.
• Take out all rubbish and wash the kitchen bin.

Living and dining room

• Plump cushions, fold throws, and vacuum the sofa, including under the seat cushions.
• Dust the TV, the shelves and the window sills. Harmattan dust gets everywhere.
• Wipe the dining table and chairs.
• Check the TV, decoder and Wi-Fi router are working, and that the remotes have batteries.

Balcony, outside and utilities

• Sweep the balcony and the entrance.
• Check the water tank or borehole pump is working.
• Check the generator fuel, and the inverter battery if you have one.
• Top up the prepaid electricity meter if it is running low.

Final walk-through

• Every light, fan, socket and air conditioner works.
• Doors and windows lock.
• The home smells fresh, not of bleach.
• Take a new set of photos of each room, ready for the next guest.

Restocking

Guests notice when the basics run out. Keep a small store cupboard at the property, and restock after every stay:

• toilet roll, hand soap, shower gel and shampoo;
• washing-up liquid, sponges and bin bags;
• drinking water, and any tea, coffee and sugar you offer;
• spare light bulbs and remote-control batteries;
• insect spray and a small first-aid kit.

A simple rule helps: keep two of everything. When you open the second one, buy more. Write your restock list on the inside of the cupboard door, so a cleaner can check it too.

You can also sell extras to guests during their stay, such as bottled water, breakfast or toiletries, as stay extras on Cabans. Orders do not lower your stock number, so update it yourself when you restock.

Checking for damage and taking photos

Check the home against your photos from before the guest arrived. Look for:

• broken or missing items, such as glasses, remotes, towels or kitchen tools;
• stains on mattresses, sofas and rugs;
• marks or holes in walls and doors;
• anything that no longer works.

Take a clear, dated photo of any damage, with something next to it to show the size. Write down what it will cost to fix or replace, and keep receipts. Normal wear, such as a slightly faded towel, is part of hosting. Real damage is what a caution deposit is for.

Fix anything broken before the next guest arrives. A missing kettle is a small problem for you, but a bad start for them.

On Cabans, you can add check-in photos from the time a booking is confirmed. When you press “Confirm check-out”, you can add “Condition photos (optional)”: up to 10 photos of how the home was left, kept privately with the booking. Then you release the caution deposit in full, or raise a dispute with the amount, what happened and your evidence. The Cabans team decides, and nothing is kept until they do. See how to confirm check-out and add condition photos, and caution deposit protection for hosts.

Hiring cleaners

Once bookings come often, a reliable cleaner is worth more than almost anything else you buy. You can use:

• One cleaner you trust, paid for each clean;
• A cleaning company, which can send someone else when your usual cleaner is ill;
• A caretaker or housekeeper who lives nearby and can also meet guests.

To get a good job every time:

1. Start with a paid trial clean and check it yourself.
2. Give them this checklist, printed, and ask them to tick it.
3. Ask for photos of every room when they finish.
4. Agree the rate for each clean, and for a deep clean, before they start. Pay on time.
5. Keep a second cleaner’s number for busy weeks and emergencies.
6. Give cleaners their own way in, and change any door code you share with guests between stays if your lock allows it.

You can cover the cost with a cleaning fee. It is charged once per stay, so it pays for the turnover clean whether the guest stays one night or ten.

On Cabans, you set it as “Cleaning fee (₦) (optional)” in your booking rules. It is added once to each stay, and discounts never apply to it. Not sure? Read should you charge a cleaning fee?

A deep clean every few months

A turnover clean keeps the home ready for the next guest. A deep clean keeps it in good shape for years. Every few months, or during a quiet week:

• Wash the curtains and clean the mattresses. Use mattress protectors on every bed.
• Have the air conditioners serviced and the filters cleaned.
• Have the water tank cleaned, and check the borehole or pump.
• Book fumigation for insects, especially after the rainy season.
• Touch up scuffed paint, and oil hinges and locks.
• Throw out tired towels, chipped plates and bent pans, and replace them.

Close those dates in your calendar before you start, so no guest books a night while the work is going on.

Cleaning during a stay

Guests on longer stays need cleaning too. For stays of more than a week, offer a clean and fresh linen at least once a week. Say in your listing whether it is included, and how guests can ask.

Keep mid-stay cleans short and polite. Agree a time with the guest, knock, and never enter while they are out unless they have said yes.

On Cabans, checked-in guests can ask for help from their stay page. “Cleaner” asks for the property to be cleaned, and “Room service” asks for fresh towels, bed linen or supplies. You get an email for each request. Press “Start” when you begin, and “Mark as done” when you finish.

If you charge for an extra clean, set it up as a stay extra, then add it to the guest’s bill with “Bill the guest”. The guest pays it from their stay page. A bill must come to at least ₦1,000 (one thousand naira), the smallest amount a card can be charged. See how to answer guest requests and bill extras, or manage your shortlet bookings in one place.

Fill your calendar

Take bookings online and put your clean, well-stocked home in front of guests. To see how other hosts present their homes, browse shortlets in Lekki or shortlets across Nigeria. The free Host Academy covers check-out and the caution deposit step by step.

Frequently asked questions

Related guides

Shortlet turnover between guests · Shortlet listing tips · Shortlet agreement: what to include · Property inspection checklist · How to list a shortlet in Nigeria · Check-in instructions and a check-out list