Quality Checklist — Short Term Rentals

Last updated: September 15, 2026

Annex B to the STR Turnover Terms. This is what is done on every turnover, and where each task stops.

This Checklist is Annex B to the STR Turnover Terms of Service and is incorporated into them by reference. It applies to every turnover and every Deep Clean at a short-term rental property. It defines the minimum expected on every visit. It is not a list of suggestions.

Where those Terms and this Checklist address the same subject, this Checklist controls.

1. The Bayfront Standard — on every visit

Done on a Deep Clean and on every turnover, without exception.

Exterior entry

• Sweep the porch, steps, and the area immediately outside the door
• Clean the entry door: handle, glass, and the lower section where dirt collects
• Shake out the doormat and sweep underneath
• Remove visible cobwebs from the frame and corners
• Clear away leaves, litter, and accumulated flyers

Where the scope ends: as far as the porch or covered entry area reaches. It does not include the full driveway, garage, yard, pressure washing, or exterior windows outside the entry area.

In a condo or building: the unit door, frame, threshold and mat, plus the stretch of hallway immediately outside the door. The building's common hallway is not cleaned.

Light furniture — lifted, cleaned underneath

• Dining chairs: lifted onto the table, cleaned underneath, set back down
• Office chairs, stools, patio chairs
• Coffee tables and light side tables
• Small rugs: lifted and cleaned underneath
• Wastebaskets and hampers
• Sofa cushions: lifted, vacuumed underneath and between

Under heavy furniture, the floor is cleaned with an extension vacuum or long-handled mop. Those pieces are not moved.

Dishwasher

• Clean ware inside is emptied and put away
• Dirty dishes are loaded and the dishwasher started
• Sink and basin left clean and dry

On a turnover, dishes must be clean and put away before the guest arrives. If one load is not enough, it is reported immediately.

Photographs — required

• Exterior entry — before and after
• Each main area — before and after
• Sent by WhatsApp the same day as the service

1b. On arrival — condition assessment

Before anything is touched. This is the one part of the Checklist where the instruction is to stop.

What triggers an assessment

• After a party or gathering: glasses, bottles, spilled food, spills
• A property just vacated after a move
• Recent construction or remodeling: dust, debris
• Pet accidents, excessive accumulated hair
• Accumulated trash, several days of dishes, spoiled food
• Signs of a party, or of many more people than were booked
• A long stay, or a property used harder than normal

What happens then

• The contractor walks the whole property before taking out equipment
• Photographs of each affected area, in good light
• A WhatsApp message to Bayfront with the photographs
• The contractor reports how much time is available that day — when the guest arrives, and whether another turnover follows
• If Bayfront confirms the surcharge, the work is done and the adjustment is charged
• If you do not approve it, the standard turnover is performed in standard time, prioritizing kitchen, bathrooms and linens, and what could not be completed is documented with photographs
• If there is no answer within 15 minutes, the contractor proceeds with the standard turnover, prioritizing kitchen, bathrooms and linens, and reports what was left. No further waiting — a guest is arriving

One outcome, not two. Where the condition is confirmed, the visit is repriced at the standard Deep Clean rate for that size and zone. There are no partial surcharges: a property that needs deep-clean work is charged as a deep clean, and nothing more. Bayfront decides from the photographs. Contractors never negotiate the charge or the price with the client.

2. What gets moved and what does not — three levels

Level 1 — objects on surfaces: always lifted

Everything on a shelf, table, nightstand, console or dresser is lifted, dusted underneath, and returned to its exact place. Cleaning around objects does not count as cleaning.

• Picture frames, ornaments, candles, vases, books, magazines
• Table and floor lamps (base and shade)
• Remotes, chargers, speakers, clocks
• Bathroom jars and organizers
• Countertop kitchen items: toaster, coffee maker, knife block, spice racks

How it is done: a photograph first where several items are arranged; one object at a time, never stacked; moved to another firm surface, never the floor; returned to the same place and position; and if the position is unclear, the photograph is checked.

Exception — cleaned around and reported: collectibles, artwork, antiques, fine glassware, religious images, and anything that looks unstable, too heavy for one hand, or irreplaceable.

Level 2 — light furniture: moved

Chairs, stools, coffee and side tables, small rugs, wastebaskets, sofa cushions. Moved, cleaned underneath, returned.

Level 3 — heavy furniture and appliances: not moved, but cleaned underneath

Large sofas, beds, bookcases, wardrobes, refrigerator, stove, washer, dryer, televisions, aquariums, pianos.

• Vacuumed or mopped with a long-handled extension as far as the tool reaches, not just the visible edge
• Approached from both sides where possible
• Under beds: as far as the tool reaches from the three open sides
• Beside and behind appliances: as far as the handle fits
• If no tool fits underneath, it is reported with a photograph — never left as if it had been done

Anything stuck, broken, or delicate: photograph, do not touch, report by WhatsApp on the spot. Anything already damaged on arrival is photographed before cleaning begins.

Exterior windows are never done, on any visit, not as an add-on. Not covered by our insurance. Climbing onto roofs or exterior balconies is not done. Contractors never agree on a price or take payment directly.

2b. Chandeliers, ceiling fixtures and fans

Dusted only. Not lowered, not disassembled, not washed — not even on a Deep Clean.

• Long-handled duster, dry, from floor level
• Dust removed from arms, shades and glass on the outside
• Ceiling fan blades: dusted top and bottom

Hard limit — not touched, reported with a photograph

• Double height: fixtures in two-story ceilings, over stairs, or in double-height entries
• Out of reach: if it cannot be reached with a long-handled duster from the floor, it is not done. No ladder is used to reach a chandelier
• Crystal or valuable decorative fixtures: drops, prisms, loose glass, gold or bronze finish, or anything that reads as a design piece
• Any fixture that moves or feels loose on first contact: released immediately and reported

General height rule: what can be reached from the floor with a long handle gets done. What needs a ladder does not — and where a ladder is needed for something else, only the contractor's own step ladder on firm floor, never chairs, tables, counters, nightstands or toilet lids.

3. Turnover between guests — scope

A turnover includes the Bayfront Standard in section 1 (entry in its regular version), plus the following. A turnover is not a normal cleaning: the property has to look the way it looks in the listing photos.

What you must have at the property

Without these, the turnover cannot be completed and it is reported to Bayfront before starting:

1. At least one complete set of clean spare sheets per bed
2. A complete set of clean spare towels
3. Consumables in stock: toilet paper, soap, trash bags, and whatever your listing includes
4. A working washer and dryer in the unit, or instructions on where laundry is done

Bayfront does not buy or restock consumables on its own initiative. If something is missing it is reported — purchasing is a separate service you contract.

Linens and towels

• Complete linen change on every bed — always included, never an add-on
• Pillowcases and protectors checked: where there is a stain, the protector is changed too
• Bath, hand and face towels: a complete clean set
• Clean bath mat
• Bed made presentably, as in the listing photos
• Used linens washed, or left where you indicate

Kitchen

• Surfaces, stove exterior, sink and fixtures
• Appliance exteriors, including refrigerator doors and handles
• Microwave interior
• Dishwasher: clean ware emptied, dirty loaded, started
• Refrigerator: food and drinks left by the previous guest removed. Spills cleaned
• Dishes, glasses and cutlery counted and put back in place
• Trash out and a new bag in

Bathrooms

• Toilet in full, including base and behind
• Shower, screen and fixtures free of limescale and hair
• Sink, fixtures and mirror free of marks and splashes
• Floor mopped
• All personal products left by the previous guest removed

Bedrooms and common areas

• All surfaces dusted, lifting the objects on them (level 1)
• Carpets and rugs vacuumed
• Hard floors mopped
• Mirrors and interior glass, streak-free
• Cushions and sofa arranged as in the listing photos
• Remote controls in place and visible

Restocking consumables

• Toilet paper: roll in place plus the spares you specify
• Hand soap, shampoo and gel where you supply them
• Trash bags
• Coffee, sugar, filters, where applicable
• Paper towels and dish soap

If a consumable is missing and the property cannot be left ready, it is reported to Bayfront immediately with a photograph. Nothing is purchased on the contractor's own initiative, and the unit is never left incomplete without notice.

4. Deep Clean — in addition to the Standard

Exterior entry — thorough version

• Full door washed: both faces, complete frame and threshold
• Cobwebs across the whole porch ceiling
• Entry light, doorbell, camera and house number
• Mailbox, if it is in the entry area
• Floor corners and edges brushed
• Porch furniture cleaned, where there is any

Kitchen

• Oven interior
• Refrigerator interior
• Microwave interior
• Cabinet and drawer interiors: emptied, cleaned, put back
• Range hood exterior, and the filter degreased if it comes out without a tool; if stuck or heavily saturated, reported with a photograph and not forced
• Behind and beside appliances as far as can be reached without moving them
• Backsplash and grout

Bathrooms

• Tile grout brushed
• Limescale in shower, screen and fixtures
• Behind and around the toilet base
• Vent and extractor fan
• Cabinet interiors

General

• Baseboards throughout
• Door frames and full doors
• Switches and outlets
• Ceiling fans and light fixtures dusted (section 2b)
• Interior windows and window tracks
• Sliding door tracks
• Closet interiors: floors and shelves
• Air conditioning vents

5. Turnover vs. Deep Clean

How to read it. "Included" means it is part of that visit. "Not done" means it is not. "Add-on" means you can buy it separately. A "not done" item is never performed as a courtesy: it breaks the time the turnover is priced on, and it sets an expectation of getting it free next time.

When a Deep Clean applies. The first visit at any new property is a Deep Clean, without exception — that is where the real size is confirmed and the starting standard is set. After that, you book one when you need it; typically between seasons or after a long stay. Hosts on 6- and 12-month Service Plans receive a member discount on the quarterly Deep Clean. A turnover is never converted into a Deep Clean without Bayfront confirming it first.

6. Required turnover reports

In short-term rentals the report is worth as much as the cleaning. It is what lets you claim against the previous guest — and it has a time window.

Damage and missing items

• Any damage: photograph immediately and message Bayfront before starting to clean that area
• Any missing item (towels, linens, dishes, remotes, decor): photograph of the empty spot and report
• Stains on a mattress, sofa or carpet: photograph before attempting to clean
• Smoke, pet or party odor: reported. Never masked with air freshener without telling you
• Signs of more people than were booked: reported as a fact, without judgment

Lost and found

• Drawers, closets, under beds, bathrooms and shower checked
• Everything left behind is collected in one bag, photographed and reported
• Left where you indicate. Never thrown away, never taken
• Documents, money, jewelry or medication: photographed and reported immediately, not moved

Final photographs — required on every turnover

• Each bedroom with the bed made
• Each finished bathroom
• Finished kitchen
• Living and common areas
• Exterior entry
• Sent by WhatsApp before leaving the property, not later

Ready confirmation

A message to Bayfront: property ready, time of departure, and anything outstanding. If something is unresolved, it is stated plainly. "All good" is never reported when it is not.

7. Timing and access — short-term rental specifics

• A turnover has a deadline: a guest is arriving. If a contractor is going to be late, it is reported as soon as it is known, not at check-in time
• A turnover appointment is never changed or cancelled directly with you — it goes through Bayfront
• Lockbox and access codes are shared with no one, and never written where anyone else can see them
• If a code does not work or entry is not possible, it is reported immediately. No other way in is attempted
• If the previous guest is still at the property, the contractor does not enter. It is reported and instructions are awaited

8. Add-ons — services at additional cost

On a turnover, linens and towels are already included. These are separate services you purchase.

Refrigerator interior

Shelves, drawers and interior walls washed and sanitized.

Already included in the Deep Clean. Charged as an add-on on a turnover. Removing the previous guest's food is included in the turnover; the deep wash of the interior is what is charged separately.

Oven interior

Racks, door glass and interior degreased.

Already included in the Deep Clean. Charged as an add-on on a turnover.

Extra laundry load

Loads beyond the turnover's linens and towels.

Not included in any visit. Always charged separately, including on the Deep Clean.

Timing. The load is started on arrival, not at the end. If drying is not finished before the contractor leaves, it is left in the dryer and you are notified. A turnover is never extended waiting on a dryer — a guest is arriving.

Interior windows

Interior glass, frames and sills.

Already included in the Deep Clean. Charged as an add-on on a turnover.

Purchasing and restocking supplies

Purchase of consumables for the property: paper goods, soap, bags, coffee and the rest. Receipt and a photograph of what was stocked are provided.

Not included in any visit. Always charged separately, including on the Deep Clean.

Nothing is purchased without Bayfront's prior authorization. What is missing is reported, Bayfront confirms with you, and only then is it bought. The cost of the products is paid by you, separately from the purchasing service.

9. Before leaving — final walk-through

• Walk the whole property once more, room by room
• Check that the property looks the way it does in the listing photos
• Every lifted object returned to its exact place
• Air conditioning at the temperature you specify
• Lights off, windows and balcony doors closed and secured
• Trash out
• Key returned to the lockbox and the lockbox closed
• Final photographs sent by WhatsApp before leaving
• Ready message sent, with anything outstanding reported