Interesting article. I want to pay
It would be a nice idea for Airbnb to have a setting where guests can opt to pay a house-cleaner instead of cleaning themselves.
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I greet my guests in person and clarify verbally that they will leave the house tidy for the cleaner . Then I introduce them to my husband who tells them his job is the chambermaid! I do not give them a long list of must dos. This is my second summer of hosting so I have only had about 20 guests and all have left the place in good shape. With the exception of families with young children it has always surprised us how nicely they have left things.
I think the big instructive list may put people off.
That said I am very meticulous about who I rent to.
The same is true of the International students I rent to during the school year.
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I agree about the list, Martha. In fact I specifically say in my Guestbook:
“You will find cleaning materials under the sink and in the storeroom if you want to do some cleaning yourself, but please note that we do not expect guests to spend the last day of their holiday cleaning the apartment! That is our job and that of our experienced Cleaning Service. Your job is to make sure you have packed everything, enjoy a final relaxing coffee or glass of wine before your flight home and remember to leave the keys behind!”
Obviously, now that I don’t actually have an experienced Cleaning Service, that bit will need to be altered! Since I am going to have to clean anyway, I don’t see the point of making their last few hours stressful. However, except for the Danish Girls from Hell, nearly all the guests have left the flats in at least reasonable conditions (except for the bathroom sinks - why does no-one clean these any more?)
In fact, our recent guests, very nice, energetic Canadians, came back on their last night in a terrible state, having clearly developed food poisoning in a local restaurant … from all the heaving and toilet flushing I could hear I was expecting some major mess to clean (I had messaged them in fact to offer an extra night free of charge if they wanted to stay and recover) but no, they left for their next destination bright and early, looking a bit pale and shaken, but leaving behind an absolutely spick and span apartment! Though they had used up nearly 3 rolls of toilet paper …
I don’t have a list or instruction, mostly due to being behind on stuff like that generally, so far people seem to know what to do. Some minor stuff gets missed, but I just deal with it.
Interesting! Thanks for sharing, @Louise.
It makes me re-look at what I ask our guests to do, basically…
-leave it generally tidy
-turn down the heat
-ensure all windows and doors are secure
-leave the kitchen and bbq as found
-bring garbage to the depot on your way out
Most of these are common sense, but you cannot always count on that these days. 
I would expect to do these if I were the guest.
We certainly don’t expect guests to clean the bathrooms and floors or strip the beds.
Bring garbage to the depot on the way out isn’t common sense to me as I don’t know what a garbage depot is.
I wondered if someone would comment on this. 
It’s why I mention “most” are common sense…
Since we offer a whole house rental we don’t live in the home and cannot always be there immediately after guests leave. Garbage cannot be left outside because it attracts animals, and if left in the house it can become smelly or attract insects.
The area doesn’t have garbage pick-up - there is a central drop-off where it is brought to and we provide a map to it (it’s on route to nearly all local activities and on the way out, so not onerous).
I know it’s not a normal check-out item for most places, but part of the way it’s done in that neighborhood. When we’re there, if someone goes to the store or “to town” we just check to see if the garbage needs to be dropped off on route as part of our routine.
I have to take my trash to the dump. I get x number of free bags a year. People who rent cottages can buy passes for guests, you can’t dump without a special card. I live here, so don’t ask guest’s to take trash. I do ask them to recycle. Last set of guests did a bad job and I had to sort out rotten veggies from the cans etc, my garbage dump staff are funny, but strict. Last week I was given a gold star for doing a good job in sorting garbage. Today, the lady gushed all over me because I’d done my recycling . Weird!
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@Louise must be a Canadian thing. I do hope it catches on all over, though. We need to look after our planet! It’s a pain at first but you get used to it! Good for you for sticking to it!
Our township insists on clear garbage bags. Any that have 20% of recycling mixed in will be refused. It’s not hard. I have one bin for recycling and one for trash. Paper, cardboard etc go in a box and are taken when I have enough.