The 2020s are the perfect time to start your own Airbnb cleaning business that focuses on vacation rentals, aka “Airbnb” properties. Why? Well, there are several unique social and economic factors that have come together that make the middle of this decade an opportune time to become a cleaner for Airbnb properties.
The key point to learn is how to start an Airbnb cleaning business that is different enough from industry competitors and leverages the power of a franchise business model to supercharge the onboarding of new customers. Step one is to find out why vacation rental hosts rely so heavily on professional cleaning services.
Next, build your knowledge base and bolster your future profit-making potential by using a step-by-step, logical approach to become a cleaner for Airbnb hosts near you.
Every new business owner must learn how to find clients.
The good news is that cleaners who connect with a reputable franchise can build a client base much faster than if they “go it alone.” Check out the facts below to acquire a rock-solid understanding of how to start an Airbnb cleaning business and earn a full-time income right in your neighborhood.
The Real Reason Airbnb Hosts Rely on Professional Cleaning Services
One of the core facts about running an Airbnb business as a host is that property owners are just too darn busy to deal with cleaning. While a few of the very smallest independent hosts clean their own rental units, even they wish they didn’t have to.
Cleaning is a specialty skill that requires the right set of tools, an eye for precision, and a single-minded dedication to the task at hand. And property owners, who have achieved “Superhost” status on the Airbnb website or are close to achieving it, don’t have the time to clean their units.
They’re knee-deep in communicating with customers, designing marketing campaigns, preparing financial statements, and monitoring their feedback scores. Cleaning is the LAST thing on their mind. The obvious solution, from a host’s perspective, is to pay a trusted, well-known, and reliable Airbnb cleaning company to do the work for them.
Savvy Airbnb hosts and Superhosts know that clean rental units make their customers happy. Happy renters leave 5-star reviews. And those glowing reviews are the lifeblood of a successful operation.
So, while busy owners have the expertise and time to communicate with renters, do the books, and respond to customer feedback, the vast majority of them simply can’t handle the recurring cleaning chores that come with being a successful Airbnb host.
They turn to cleaning services that can get the job done right, and right away. For some hosts, turnover in rental units is a rapid-paced situation. That means they need expert cleaning teams to get into and out of properties on short notice. For owners, the name of the game is profitability, and maintaining spotless rental units is a must for keeping customers happy.
That’s the real reason professional Airbnb cleaning services are in such high demand and are currently so profitable.
Why Are Airbnb Cleaning Companies So Profitable in 2024?
Why are well-run Airbnb cleaning businesses so profitable at a time when other startup businesses tend to struggle? There are a few not-so-obvious factors behind the surge in profitability for vacation rental cleaning companies. Believe it or not, one is directly related to the recent COVID pandemic.
Hygiene and Cleanliness
Cleanliness is important… and profitable! Average earnings for cleaning companies hover around the $50-per-hour mark as of 2024, and the number of hosts also continues to grow. And, the US national average income for Airbnb cleaning companies was more than $51,000 last year.
When you stop to realize that many of those businesses are part-time enterprises, it’s easy to see that a full-time cleaning service could easily surpass the $100,000 mark with plenty of hard work and by being connected to a reputable franchise.
During the COVID pandemic, entrepreneurs learned the importance of cleanliness and hygiene like never before.
Customers in every industry, from fast food and apparel to automobile dealerships and theaters, found out that consumers are happiest when they know that the products they use are clean and sanitary.
The same goes for the hospitality industry. People who rent hotel, motel, and Airbnb rooms are more concerned than ever about cleanliness. And even though the pandemic is over, the desire for hygiene and spotless rooms has remained. Learning how to become an Airbnb cleaner is a lucrative skill in an environment like that.
Property Owners Don’t Want to Deal With Cleaning Their Units
Other reasons include the point mentioned above, namely that hosts are constantly in search of vetted, competent, and reliable cleaning services that can do the work they don’t want to do. As the Airbnb industry continues to grow at a record pace, so does the demand for cleaning services.
Airbnb’s Star-Rating System
Finally, another factor driving the profitability of cleaning companies is Airbnb’s star-rating system. When potential renters scan the site for available properties, they have instant access to a star-based cleanliness factor between 1 and 5, along with a narrative posted by recent guests.
Anything below a 4-star cleanliness rating and ANY negative comments about how clean, or not, the property was during someone’s stay can kill an owner’s profit margin fast.
Consumers’ desire for super-clean rooms, hosts’ wish to avoid tackling the clean-up process, and Airbnb’s rating system all work together to make the Airbnb cleaning industry a huge financial success for now and likely many decades to come.
Maximize Your Success With These Simple Steps
Compared to other kinds of startups, cleaning companies are pretty bare-bones operations. That’s primarily because owners who focus on attracting Airbnb hosts don’t have to create massive, complex marketing plans. They already know exactly who their target demographic is. And, members of that demographic, namely Airbnb hosts, are not all that hard to contact.
The challenging part is setting yourself apart from other cleaning services. Learning how to become an Airbnb cleaner is about meeting this challenge head-on. When you have to scramble for customers on your own, it can take months or even years to build up a client base large enough to support a full-time income. However, if you operate a franchisee, then the majority of that work is already in place.
In any case, you’ll need to at least make a basic business plan that encompasses the following:
Your Services
A detailed cleaning process or checklist system that includes all the specific cleaning chores you’ll be offering to your customers, the Airbnb hosts.
Costs and a Pricing Structure
Know how much you can afford to spend on supplies, permit fees, etc. Then, build a prospective income statement for the first year of operations.
Legal Tasks
Find out in advance about what insurance coverage, business licenses, and insurance coverage are required in your city and state.
Promotion
Begin advertising and marketing efforts as soon as you decide to open a business. Be sure to let prospective customers know your planned start date so they won’t hire you before you are completely ready. Use digital ads, word-of-mouth advertising, social media channels, and a professional website to get the word out.
Collect Reviews
Don’t forget to keep all positive reviews you receive from those first jobs. Use the comments as testimonials to attract other customers.
How do I Find Clients & Get Started As a Cleaner for Airbnb Hosts?
As noted above, there are specific things you can do to attract clients via social media, word-of-mouth, business cards, digital ads, etc. But if you are a member in good standing of a reputable franchise, you won’t need to spend nearly as much time attracting customers.
You won’t need to build a reputation from scratch because the franchise connection does that for you. In fact, Airbnb hosts will be beating a path to your door, not vice versa. Those hosts are in desperate need of Airbnb turnaround services, and with the backing of a franchise name and support, hosts will reach out to you for help.
How do Airbnb Turnaround Services Work? They can be customized to suit specific client needs, but in general they work by allowing hosts to schedule one-time or recurring cleaning services. Teams arrive on time with all the necessary supplies and get the job done quickly and efficiently. That way, hosts can book renters on a continuous basis, knowing that the property will look great when guests enter it for the first time.
Let Us Teach You to Launch an Airbnb Cleaning Business That Earns Full-Time Income
We’ll be happy to show you how to make it happen. Launch your own cleaning business for Airbnb’s and earn a full-time income from a 100% home-based business. MaidThis is a top-rated US cleaning franchise known as the “franchise for millennials” because it allows franchisees to work from home with a proven business model, low startup costs, and in an industry that is booming.
It’s the only franchise that focuses exclusively on the Airbnb host market exclusively. Plus, MaidThis has a mobile app for franchisees that completely automates the process with cutting-edge software. All franchise owners get extensive training on how to use the software and mobile app at no additional cost to them.
