Key points
- Walk the property in the order a guest meets it: door, bed, bathroom, kitchen, floors. Open what a guest is likely to open.
- A written briefing means every turnover starts from the same list: access, stock, linen, extras and what to report.
- GOV.UK's guidance for self-catering holiday homes in England points hosts to fire, gas, carbon monoxide and electrical safety guidance, and covers EPC, insurance and tax. None of it is a cleaning job.
- London's 90-night rule is in force. The national short-let registration scheme is not: GOV.UK says it is expected to begin in March 2027.
Airbnb host cleaning tips for London hosts start with an order: look at the property the way a guest does, from the front door in. This guide walks that route, shows what to put in a written briefing for your cleaner, and then separates out the safety, insurance and tax items that GOV.UK lists for short-let hosts and that no cleaner can do for you.
It makes no promise about reviews or bookings, because no checklist can. It also sets no cleaning standard of its own. What you ask of a turnover is for you to decide and to write down.
How do you walk a London Airbnb the way a guest does?
Start outside the front door and move through the property in the order a guest meets it. At each stop, look for the thing that would make a new arrival wonder what else was missed.
| Where you are | What to look for |
|---|---|
| Entry and hall | A mat or floor by the door that has been missed, and the key safe or lock code you gave this guest working. |
| The bed | Creases or loose corners in the sheet, hair or marks on each pillowcase, and stained or worn linen that should be swapped, not remade. |
| The bathroom | Hair and residue in the plughole, limescale round the taps, smears on the mirror, and towels folded for the guests booked. |
| The kitchen | Worktops, hob, sink and handles wiped, and the bin emptied with a fresh liner. |
| Inside the doors | The fridge, the microwave and the cupboards a guest is likely to open, in case food or a used cup has been left. |
| The floors | Corners and skirting boards, where dust collects, and the floor by the front door. |
What should a written briefing for your cleaner include?
A written list means every turnover is checked the same way, whoever does it. Paste this into your request and edit it to suit the property.
- Property: bedrooms, bathrooms, and anything unusual about the layout.
- Times: check-out, check-in, and what happens if a guest leaves late.
- Getting in: key safe, smart lock or held key, plus any fob, buzzer or concierge step in the building.
- Beds and towels: beds stripped and remade, towels swapped for clean sets, and linen that is stained or worn flagged to you.
- Restock: loo roll, soap, hand towels, tea and coffee topped up from the stock you keep on site, with low items flagged.
- Report: a walk-through for damage or lost items, with a photo of anything found.
- Extras: anything you want added, such as the oven, fridge or cupboards.
- Last look: the property set to match your listing photos.
Which safety, insurance and tax items sit outside the cleaning?
A turnover resets the property. It does not inspect it for safety or sort out your paperwork. GOV.UK's guidance on letting out a self-catering holiday home in England (opens in a new tab) lists these items, and it is worth reading to see which apply to your property.
| Item | What the GOV.UK guidance says |
|---|---|
| Fire safety | Points hosts to fire safety guidance: one set for small paying guest accommodation of up to 10 people over 2 floors, and national sleeping accommodation guidance for larger premises. |
| Gas and carbon monoxide | Points hosts to HSE guidance on gas safety and carbon monoxide alarms. |
| Electrical safety | Points hosts to electrical safety guidance. |
| EPC | Says you must check whether you need an energy performance certificate. |
| Insurance | Says you should have dedicated holiday let insurance, public liability cover, and building and contents cover suitable for short-term letting. |
| Tax | Says that from the 2025 to 2026 tax year onwards, all income from short-term holiday accommodation and self-catering properties is taxed under the usual residential landlord rules. |
The page also covers TV Licence and music licences, and business rates versus council tax. It does not set any standard for turnover cleaning or linen, so this guide does not either. Ivory's £2m public liability insurance is our own cover for our work. The cover GOV.UK lists is for you to arrange.
Is there a registration scheme for short lets in London?
Not yet. GOV.UK, in guidance last updated on 2 October 2026, says the government is introducing a mandatory national registration scheme for short-term lets in England and that it is expected to begin in March 2027. Until it starts, there is nothing to register for under it.
London has a rule that is already in force. Under section 44 of the Deregulation Act 2015 (opens in a new tab), in the 32 London boroughs and the City of London, the nights a home is used as temporary sleeping accommodation must not exceed 90 in a calendar year, and at least one person providing it must be liable to pay council tax for the property. London's City Hall guidance (opens in a new tab) says that using a residential property in London this way without planning permission is unlawful when it does not meet these two conditions.
Where does Ivory fit in?
Send your briefing with your request for our Airbnb clean in London, along with the bedrooms, the bathrooms and the gap between check-out and check-in. Your price comes back within 30 minutes, then you pick the day.
If something is missed, tell us and we come back. The timing side of a turnover is in planning an Airbnb cleaning turnaround in London. The cost side is in what sets an Airbnb cleaning fee in London.
Questions people ask
Yes, and make it specific. List the property, the times, how the cleaner gets in, what to restock, what to report and any extras, so every turnover starts from the same page. You can paste the briefing in this guide into your request and edit it.
Not under the national scheme yet. GOV.UK says a mandatory registration scheme for short-term lets in England is expected to begin in March 2027, and it is not in force today.
In the 32 London boroughs and the City of London, a home used as temporary sleeping accommodation must not exceed 90 nights in a calendar year, and at least one person providing it must be liable to pay council tax there. City Hall says use without planning permission is unlawful when it does not meet these two conditions, and GOV.UK says your local planning authority decides whether you need planning permission.
Its guidance for self-catering holiday homes in England points hosts to fire safety, gas safety and carbon monoxide alarm, and electrical safety guidance, and says you must check whether you need an EPC. It also covers insurance and tax. A cleaning turnover is separate from all of these.
Only as a paid extra on request. Inside the fridge, the oven and the cupboards are paid extras on every service. Tell us on the form what you want added and it goes into your price.
Sources
Written by M.A. Published .
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