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Hey everyone, what a great forum. This is my first post but I want to say thanks for all the knowledge I have gathered already!
I have a handful of properties in London which I currently rent out and I am looking at turning them into short term lets. All is good and I have pretty much figured most things out, but there is a certain logistical puzzle I am trying to solve:
Cleaning.
I have a small in-house team who currently manage my current portfolio and I have a cleaning company that currently do around 70 hours of cleaning for me per month. So, I have a team ready to do the work, we just need to know specifically how this works.
What I am thinking:
-The current guest checks out by 11am latest
-My cleaner gets to the property for around 11:30am
-She cleans the property
-Replaces the āhotel itemsā (linen, shampoo etc)
-New Guest checks in for 4pm
My following questions relate to a 3 double bed, 1 lounge, 1 small kitchen, 1 bathroom property which sleeps 8 people.
How long should it take a cleaner to do a āhotel standardā clean considering the fact they will only be changing linen not washing it whilst in the property.
What and how many āhotel itemsā shall we provide? Obviously bed linen for the beds. Maybe something for the sofa bed? How many towels? How many toilet rolls? Shampoo/body wash/bin bagsā¦ Instant coffee, pack of tea bagsā¦ā¦ What specially shall we get?
3.a. Iāve heard it works out cheaper to actually hire your bed linen each time rather than buy it and pay someone to wash it. What are your experiences with that? This would a good option for me as it would save storing and collecting bed linen each time cleaners go to one of my many properties.
3.b. Do you know of any companies in London which hire out bed linen for the above?
Do you inform guests they need to empty the bin? Saving the cleaner a job. If they donāt do you take a small amount out of their deposit?
I will also be getting my cleaners to do a quick inventory each time they clean too!
I know Iām being very specific with my questions! I am a specific kind of person, and you know more than me that one needs to be very specific when running this type of business!
How long should it take a cleaner to do a āhotel standardā clean considering the fact they will only be changing linen not washing it whilst in the property. [/quote]
This varies massively from place to place - the only way to find out would be to do some practice rounds.
I do sheets and pillows for every guest, no matter where theyāre sleeping, a hand and bath towel per guest, and a toilet roll per guest per 3 nights. The other stuff - yes, all of it. Also: cooking oil, salt, pepper, Hand soap, dish soap, Hairdryer, Iron, Ironing board, info about the local area, guide to all equipment in the house.
No idea. Despite the lengthy discussions of bedding on this forum, my guests seem perfectly happy with ikea sheets.
I am truly serious when I say that if you can have a āportfolioā of properties in London, and a team, Iām sure you could figure out a cleaning schedule without much help from me. I canāt speak for the others.
Well Iām sure I could give some tips as I am a member of the proletariat and have a lot of experience emptying out bins. In my humble opinion, taking a bit out of their deposit would definitely be easier than simply emptying the bin yourself.
Iām so far from owning anything like you do I canāt comment much - except to say, expecting and requiring them to empty the bins seems a way to set yourself up for frustration. In my small world that job doesnāt take any time at all, and it seems like a losing proposition to have to monitor, follow-up, dock their deposit, open up a chance for bad feelings and ādid not/did toā types of vibe.
Will requiring this save enough money to make it worth it?
Good luck with your rentals! Please donāt mind the wee bit of jealousy from this yank with a ā2 bedroom semi-private apartment in the lower level of the homeā.
Iāve seen worse. We used to have another poster here, now known as āshe who shall not be namedā who has a medium size bedroom with a bed and futon but also air mattress and folding beds available. At one time her listing said ā8 people.ā At her rates though 8 people would be $560 and no one is going to book a single room at that rate.
Iām thinking, if I personally am booking for a group of 8 friends, 1 bathroom is just not going to cut it, unless we are all (very, very) close. I donāt have any friends that close (and I donāt want any).
Also, I do tell my guests to empty the bins but I donāt hit the deposit for that one, unless the stuff that belongs in the bins is not actually in the bins.
If it is not a same day turnover situation, whether or not it will be departure cleaned that day, somebody has to go in and assess the situation, and if necessary empty the bins.
@LiamSwift
I am glad to read that you are a very āspecificā person. You see ā¦ You are in the hospitality business, now that youāre hosting. Not a single place of yours will be exactly (or specifically) the same each time. At the same time, guests comments are also not āspecificā each time either. Perhaps it would be better for you not to try and automate your operation, but perhaps it might be better to apply as General Manager or as a Director of Housekeeping in a commercial hotel, were they have and obey to very āspecificā (time) guidelines on how fast and super efficiently to clean a room.
Barring that, I suggest you (and we as a whole) care more about the prestine look and the ānon-commercial hotelā feeling that our guest seek out.
Hi there and congrats on deciding to switch from long-term to short-term rentals. Here are my brief and hopefully also specific answers to your specific questions. Please do share how this is going for you.
2-3 hrs
Sheets, 1 towel & 1 washcloth per person. Toilet paper, paper towels, soap, toiletries, washing detergent. Also furniture and housewares obviously but not sure you considered those under the umbrella of this question.
Interesting pointā¦ Iām not sure if itās cheaper to rent bedding.
my guests use half a roll of toilet paper at one sitting. i canāt stock enough into the cupboards of the bathroom. theyāre not stealing it, they use bunches.
and not only that, but every one of the women uses my white towels to take off her makeup, so i finally got a bunch of new ones and tie-tyed them all.
