Last reviewed: September 19, 2026. This is the order our turnover crews work in. Copy it for your own cleaner if you like.
Why the order matters
Most turnover checklists are a list of rooms. Ours is a list of stages, because the order protects you. Photos before cleaning are your evidence if a guest caused damage. Restocking after cleaning means low supplies are spotted while you can still reorder. Testing the lock and thermostat last means the next guest walks into exactly what you configured.
The turnover checklist
1 On arrival
- Photograph each room before touching anything, so damage or missing items are documented with a timestamp
- Strip beds and bag used towels; count them against your inventory
- Check for items guests left behind and message you a photo
- Start the dishwasher or hand-wash what guests left
2 Reset
- Kitchen: counters, sink, appliance fronts, inside the microwave, fridge purged of guest food
- Bathrooms: full clean and disinfect, hair checks on floors, drains and shower walls
- Floors: vacuum and mop every room, under beds and sofa cushions
- Beds made with fresh linens to your staging photos
- Towels folded and staged the way your listing shows them
3 Restock and check
- Restock toilet paper, soap, shampoo, coffee and trash bags from your supply closet
- Note anything running low so you can reorder before the next guest
- Test lights, remote batteries, the smart lock and the thermostat setting
- Report maintenance items: drips, loose fixtures, stains, broken blinds
4 Before we leave
- Final photo set, room by room, sent with a short summary
- Thermostat, lights and locks set to your check-in instructions
- Trash out to the bin; bins returned to where your HOA requires
Extra checks for basement guest suites
Most Gwinnett short-term rentals are private-entrance suites under an owner’s home. They need a few things whole-home rentals do not:
- Humidity. Check and empty the dehumidifier; a closed-up lower level in a Georgia summer smells musty within days.
- Sound and light. Confirm the door to the main house is locked from the guest side and that any shared-wall noise notes in the listing are still accurate.
- The entrance path. Sweep the steps and path to the guest door; it is the first thing guests see and the first place pollen and leaves collect.
- Kitchenette. Empty the mini fridge completely and wipe the gasket, where spills hide.
Planning for Gwinnett event weekends
Turnovers bunch up after big events, and that is when solo cleaners get overbooked. The dates to plan around each year:
| Area | What fills rentals | What it means for turnovers |
|---|---|---|
| Duluth | Concerts, conventions and games at the Gas South District | One- and two-night stays, many checkouts on the same morning |
| Lawrenceville | Gwinnett Stripers home stands at Coolray Field; Georgia Gwinnett College move-in and graduation | Family stays around the college calendar |
| Buford and Sugar Hill | Summer weekends on Lake Lanier; concerts at The Bowl | Friday-to-Sunday stays from Memorial Day to Labor Day; sand and damp towels |
| Braselton | Race weekends at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta, including Petit Le Mans in October; weddings at Chateau Élan | Every rental turning over on the same Sunday |
| Lilburn and Snellville | Seasonal events at nearby Stone Mountain Park | Holiday and fall-weekend peaks |
Setting your cleaning fee
Your cleaning fee should cover every cost of a turnover: labor, linen laundering, consumables and a small allowance for your own coordination and wear and tear. Airbnb now shows guests a total price that includes the cleaning fee, so a fee far above your real cost shows up directly when guests compare listings. Our turnover prices are published on the pricing page, so you can set your fee from a real number.
How often to deep clean a rental
Every three months or about 20 turnovers, whichever comes first. Turnovers keep up with what guests touch. A deep reset gets what they do not — baseboards, vent covers, under beds and sofas, inside the oven and fridge, the tops of door frames — before those start appearing in reviews.
Hosting in unincorporated Gwinnett? Read our guide to the county’s short-term rental rules before the license takes effect on April 14, 2027.