Cleaners, protect your worth!

Has a host ever said this to you: “Could you do this quick task for me?” or “Would you mind adding this to your checklist?” Did those things happen to be completely unrelated to the cleaning task that you signed up for?

If so, then it’s time to set some boundaries between you and your host. Remember, you are a cleaner, not a property manager. If your host is asking you to do things that clearly fall out of your scope as a cleaner and they otherwise would have to pay someone else to do it, then they should be paying you too.

Let’s trash talk 🗑️ 

Let’s say the guests checked out on Monday so you clean on the same day (this is best practice by the way) but the host’s trash day isn’t until Friday. Although it might be really nice and considerate of you to make a quick stop by the house on Thursday to take the trash bins to the street, you shouldn’t do it unless you’re being paid to. Isn’t your time worth something?

What if you’re on-site doing laundry and the dryer breaks down? Do you take linens offsite and finish drying the linens at your house or a laundromat? Do you charge the host for the extra time and effort needed to finish the job? If not, you should.

In both scenarios, setting boundaries and valuing your time is key 🔑 . If you are being asked to do extra tasks and not being compensated for them, that’s a problem. Of course, if you are asked to complete a simple task that doesn’t inconvenience you and you’re already on-site, then do it. No issues. But if you are being asked to make arrangements, perform other tasks, or go out of your way to do your host a “favor” you should be compensated.

Take back the power 💪 

How can you shift some power back into your hands as the cleaner? You need clear expectations and boundaries with hosts.

As a cleaner, it’s important to create policies and processes for your company right from the start. Otherwise, you’ll find yourself agreeing to a lot of non-paid work.

Here are a couple of policies that we’ve implemented that you might consider:

• No early check-ins or late check-outs on same-day turns

• If a guest hasn’t left the property on time and you’ve already arrived, give a little grace period (~15 minutes) before billing your hourly rate until the property is vacant.

• If there is a cancellation or major schedule change without 24-hour notice, don’t be afraid to have a fee. You turned down other jobs to be there

• If the guest left the property in worse condition than usual (e.g., clear evidence of a party, excessive pet hair, etc.) bill your hourly rate for the additional time

• Don’t agree to making house calls for any reason (change the remote batteries, help the guest find something, get the toilet unclogged, etc.). You are a cleaner, not a property manager

• If the host won’t fix the washer or dryer and you need to take linens offsite, this should be an additional charge to the host as it’s additional work and time on your end

• If there aren’t enough supplies or consumables on-site and it requires you to leave the property and come back, there should be a fee

Implementing these policies (a.k.a., boundaries) will ensure you are compensated and valued for your time and effort. It will also help you stay in business longer and have a happier, more fulfilling career. If you say yes to everything without adequate compensation, you’ll get burnt out pretty fast!

If you want to go deep on some of the boundaries I’ve set in my business, our Airbnb cleaning course is now live! +2 hours of video content breaking down the exact strategy that got me to $240K year run rate. If you want to get it for FREE, click this link to find out how.

Here’s a brief overview of all the course includes:

• Self-paced 5-module course to build your Airbnb cleaning business

• +2 hours of step-by-step instruction with the strategy I used to build a cleaning business to $20k/mo

• Marketing playbook to never run out of clients

• My pricing guide, cleaning checklists, software tools, and much more!

Course outline:

• Lesson 1: Get a comprehensive and detailed overview of everything involved in Airbnb cleaning. 

• Lesson 2: Dive deep into the proven Airbnb cleaning business model that's the foundation of success.  

• Lesson 3: Learn how to attract and retain high-value customers who will fuel your business growth. 

• Lesson 4: Uncover effective strategies for recruiting and retaining top-tier cleaning professionals.

• Lesson 5: Master the day-to-day operations and learn how to scale your business.

"This course is a no-brainer especially considering what others charge for similar courses. Highly recommend" - Hafiz N.

Until next time,

Logan

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