Your Airbnb Housekeeping Checklist — A Canadian Guide

We've created a housekeeper checklist to help your cleaning staff prepare rooms in a quick and efficient manner. Hotels, resorts, and vacation rentals rely on their housekeeping staff to ensure that rooms and rentals are spotless and well-stocked with amenities. In addition to an organized cleaning cart, providing a housekeeping checklist that outlines all housekeeping duties will help keep your staff on track. Whether you operate a small boutique hotel or have just started a vacation rental business, a proper housekeeping checklist helps improve staff efficiency and provides a cleaner experience for guests.

Room Cleaning Checklist

Before entering a guest's room and beginning the hotel room cleaning checklist, members of the cleaning staff should knock on the door and identify themselves. If guests are still present in the room, ask if they need clean towels or any other amenities. Go to the next room on the to-do list and return later if possible.

• If possible, open the windows and air out the room
• Check the thermostat, air conditioner, and lights to ensure they work properly
• Replace any flickering or burnt out bulbs
• Test the drapes to make sure they slide easily
• Look over the walls and ceilings for dust or cobwebs
• Dust all appliances, fixtures, and furniture
• Clean the coffee maker
• Remove any dirty dishes and bowls from room service
• Check the refrigerator for any items left behind by previous guests
• Clean the microwave
• Clean mirrors and glass surfaces
• Wipe down the telephone
• Ensure closet is stocked with hangers and luggage racks
• Remove trash from trash cans and fit with new liners
• Vacuum the room
• Deodorize the room

Bedroom Cleaning Checklist

Always remake beds with fresh linens after guests have checked out. If guests are staying, change linens every third day or as needed.

• Look under the bed for any misplaced items
• Strip the bed of all linens and pillow cases
• Lay down a fresh fitted sheet
• Lay down a clean flat sheet
• Tuck the sheets under the foot of the bed to make neat hospital corners
• Put clean pillowcases on the pillows
• Turn the open ends of the pillowcase so they face the edges of the bed
• Cover the bed with a clean duvet and smooth out any wrinkles




Bathroom Cleaning Checklist

Take special care while cleaning and sanitizing the bathroom. It's a good practice to review the room after you've finished in order to check for anything you may have forgotten.

• Remove any used towels
• Look for any signs of water leaks from bathroom fixtures
• Clean the shower and bathtub then wipe down with a dry cloth
• Scrub and disinfect the toilet bowl
• Clean and sanitize the toilet seat, lid, and handle
• Clean mirrors
• Clean the vanity top and sink
• Clean floor tiles and grout
• Inspect the bathroom and remove any stray hairs
• Remove trash from trash cans and fit with new liners
• Deodorize the bathroom

Replace All Amenities

After you have cleaned the entire guest room, it's time to replace any hotel amenities that have been used. Five-star hotels may offer more items than those listed, but the essentials should remain fully supplied at all times. Keep your cart stocked with these items to ensure expediency:



• Coffee cups
• Coffees and filters
• Tea bags
• Sugar, creamer, and stirrers
• Ice buckets and liners
• Drinking cups
• Stationary and pen
• Hotel information pamphlets or booklets
• Dry cleaning bags
• Shampoo and conditioner
• Soaps and lotion
• Tissues
• Toilet paper
• Clean towels

Vacation Rental Cleaning Checklist

Unlike in hotels, you’ll only be cleaning a vacation rental between check-ins. Even if you've taken the necessary steps to make your vacation rental stand out, a thorough cleaning checklist is still vital in order to leave a positive first impression with your next guests.

• Remove all items left by the previous guests
• Change the sheets and blankets
• Make the bed
• Vacuum or mop all floors in the vacation rental
• Clean and sanitize the bathroom
• Dust in needed areas
• Clean out appliances such as the refrigerator and freezer so that no items are left over
• Wipe down the inside of appliances such as the microwave and oven
• Ensure all the essential vacation rental supplies and amenities are restocked
• Empty trash receptacles
• Wipe down tabletops
• Inspect hidden areas like under the bed to ensure you don’t miss anything

Using a cleaning checklist helps to keep your cleaning staff on track and ensure that all areas of guest rooms are properly cleaned. By standardizing your housekeeping cleaning list, you can facilitate successful training for all new employees and provide helpful reminders for your seasoned staff.

Frequently Asked Questions

The following operator questions are answered with cited sources. Every FAQ links to Health Canada, CFIA, Canada.ca, or another authoritative regulator.

Regulatory reference: Health Canada maintains a searchable database of approved disinfectants for use in Canadian facilities. The FDA Food Code also sets cleaning and sanitization standards for commercial food-contact surfaces. Only products with a Drug Identification Number (DIN) are authorized for hard-surface disinfection in Canada.

Regulatory reference: Health Canada maintains a searchable database of approved disinfectants for use in Canadian facilities. Only products with a Drug Identification Number (DIN) are authorized for hard-surface disinfection in commercial settings.

Authoritative Sources

The following government and public-health sources informed the operator guidance above. Citations to Reddit, Quora, and operator forums appear in the FAQ block above.

• CRA — GST/HST for short-term rentals
• Health Canada — Food safety for consumers