Housekeeping

The number one cause of vacation rental guest complaints is cleanliness.

Let’s face it. There is nothing quite like that feeling of arriving to a freshly cleaned vacation home. We do everything possible to ensure a guest's vacation is memorable - for all the right reasons. That is why we hold our housekeeping crew to the highest service standards.

In our business, first impressions mean everything and if we do not set the tone with a clean home, all the work and trust we have built to get them here will collapse in an instant. Making sure we manage expectations starts on the front lines with your housekeeper.

WHAT MAKES Our VACATION RENTAL CLEANING DIFFERENT

Cleaning a vacation rental home is different from cleaning an ordinary home. Each of our hardworking staff is doing the following:

• Cleaning linens (including duvet comforters) and remaking beds
• Providing clean, wrapped towels for each room
• Disinfecting surfaces
• Following a rigorous checklist of items needed to clean the home effectively
• Spraying the home with professional sanitizing equipment
• Supplying each bathroom with one wrapped roll of toilet paper
• Checking and reporting damaged or missing items
• Testing certain home appliances to make sure they work
• Replacing home starter kit supplies

Professional cleaners are the eyes and ears of owners' beloved homes. They are not only cleaning the homes, but also checking and reporting damages to a support team. If any missing items are found, they are recovered easily. And we are always making sure the home is ready for the next guest, whenever that may be. They are required to have greater attention to detail and be more flexible with their schedules. Weekends, early mornings, late afternoons - when a home needs to be cleaned in a specific timeframe, they are there, ready to get the home sparkling clean. With an experienced management team behind them, complaints are dealt with and resolved quickly and professionally.

Cleaning fees are set at the beginning of the rental season and decided when signing up for your property management services. These are dependent on factors such as the size of the home, the location, and whether additional cleaning services will be needed. A 2-bedroom condo will not cost the same as a 24-bedroom home. Every property management company is different. Most add these fees in as part of an “all-inclusive” rate package to make the booking easier and more attractive.

Additionally, for homes that allow pets, most professional property managers charge an additional mandatory fee charged to the guest who must pay if they are bringing a pet to a pet-friendly home.

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PRIVATE AND PROFESSIONAL HOUSEKEEPERS

Private cleaners, or freelance cleaners, are typically part-time helpers looking to clean on the side in between jobs. However, we are seeing more freelance cleaners turning to cleaning as a full-time profession during the summer months. They can easily be found from word of mouth or social media channels such as Facebook or local forums such as OBXconnection. Private cleaners typically work business hours and have a set schedule for each home they clean. When they take vacation time or sick days, they must find other help or backup to fill in their schedules.

Private cleaners work for themselves which means they will report directly to you between each stay. They do not have supervisors or inspectors which means no direct expectations to meet other than the guest feedback they receive through you. You can make sure home standards are met through your cleaner by carefully reviewing surveys and reviews and visiting your home occasionally. Complaints, if they arise, can be resolved directly and quickly.

Private cleaners tend to have their own style for cleaning, preferred chemical combinations for cleaning solutions, and might not have traditional training for cleaning. If you need your private cleaner to do something specific, they will follow a list if you provide one. You want to give a detailed list, but not be so overbearing that they will ignore or skip it completely.?

Aside from managing expectations yourself, it is also important to make the support chain system noticeably clear. Cleaners can often spot items like an active leak or security concern which may be costly down the road. The last thing to note about private cleaners, while some private cleaners do an excellent job at a private home, they may not be used to the attention and sanitation that a vacation rental home needs, not to mention the turnaround time needed to complete the job with the guest eager to arrive.

Professional cleaners can work individually or in teams for companies where they are required to undergo extensive training and held to standards. Often, if not always, these companies are insured. General liability insurance helps protect you in the event of property damage or bodily injury claims which can happen.

Professional cleaners arrive to pre-coordinated schedules, they report directly to a manager or supervisor, they are given ample training and guidance, and even pre-approved chemicals and all the supplies needed to tackle the day. Linens and towels can come prewashed and pre-delivered in bins waiting outside of their homes. Professional cleaners have their work inspected by supervisors who will happily take feedback and do everything in their power to provide top-quality service. Typically, these supervisors are motivated by increasing survey scores and satisfaction ratings. They are also able to offer consistency; when one cleaner is not available, there are always others ready to jump in.

Both private and professional cleaners will learn the miscellaneous nuances of your home and do their best to make sure you continue to use them for their services. KEES professional cleaners use a 50-point checklist with our cleaners between each and we do not allow private cleaners for a variety of reasons. 

IMPRESSIVELY CLEAN

After driving all day, there is nothing better than arriving at a fresh, clean vacation home. It is important to start guests' vacations off on the right foot. We stand by our process, and we are getting better all the time. We will continue to strive to create a safe and healthy environment that fosters memories that last a lifetime!

Get in-depth with our health and sanitation guidelines here. Read more about our other Property Management Services.