How to Achieve Exceptional Housekeeping & 5-Star Reviews for Your Destin Vacation Rental

Achieving A Five-Star Housekeeping Experience

Guests pay a cleaning fee each time they book your vacation rental, and those funds should be used to hire the best housekeepers and inspectors in the area. To find the most qualified housekeepers in the area, Gray suggests getting referrals and reading reviews. Your housekeeper is going to be the first person to see your vacation home after a guest checks out. They are the first to identify any missing items or damage. In addition, the quality of their cleaning services is a direct reflection on your home. A missed sock left under a bed or hair in the bathroom can quickly become your unfavorable review. This is one of the most important professionals on your team, and you'll want to hire the best. 

Meticulous Property Inspections 

The most successful property managers follow a process and checklist. At Newman-Dailey, inspectors perform a thorough 65-point inspection between every guest stay, ensuring each property is thoroughly cleaned, sanitized, and inspected. Next, all inspections should follow a process. At Newman-Dailey, inspections start in the corner and move down each wall—inspecting from ceiling to floor. The inspection list should also include hidden spaces such as under furniture, within closets and drawers, and around appliances. Every rental property should have reference pictures for each room that show all items and where pillows are placed to help your team identify theft and damage. In addition, you'll want your property management to conduct bi-annual inventory inspections to replace missing kitchen items, especially glasses and silverware, which are often taken to the beach not returned. After each departure, you'll want to ensure your team is looking for any maintenance items that may need attention. Catching small items before they become big problems is a critical part of property inspections. A small drip can turn into a big leak if not addressed immediately. The key to meticulous property inspections is following a process and a checklist so every inspection is consistent, every time.

Cleaning & Sanitization 

It is important to have confidence in the process your housekeepers follow as well as the cleaning solutions they use.  By using cleaning products that meet and exceed recommendations or kill 99% of germs and bacteria, housekeepers ensure your home will be properly sanitized for the next guest. In addition, it is important to professionally launder your linens and towels to ensure they are sanitized and stain-free. At Newman-Dailey, our dedicated laundry facility maintains the highest standards for sanitization, adopting CDC healthcare guidelines for water temps of 160°F when washing linens. Additionally, Newman-Dailey has adopted a standardized linen program, providing consistent, premium linens for all rentals, which are professionally laundered after each guest departure. 

Established Relationships with Local Vendors

It is highly recommended to have relationships with local vendors. It never fails that items break at the worst times. Whether it's a broken AC unit during a sweltering Fourth of July stay or a refrigerator that gives up mid-stay with hundreds of dollars of groceries inside, guests want solutions, not excuses. This is when having personal relationships with local vendors pays off. Being able to call in a favor on a busy holiday weekend or even knowing someone to call to bring fans until the AC repairman arrives are all critical in protecting your rental revenue by mitigating discounts and bad reviews. A local property management company, such as Newman-Dailey, has those relationships as well as back-up fans, refrigerators and appliances to ensure guests still have an enjoyable experience even when issues arise.

Invest in Your Dream Vacation Rental

When looking for the perfect vacation rental home or condominium, the Destin, Florida, area continues to be one of Florida's most desirable destinations for vacation rental investments. Whether you're purchasing your first income-producing vacation rental property or preparing to sell a successful vacation home, there's one factor that can significantly impact a property's value—a professional property management company.

Today's buyers aren't simply purchasing a home; they're investing in a business. Sellers who have maintained their property, improved its value, and earned strong revenue and high review scores enjoy smoother transactions, stronger buyer confidence, and a more marketable investment.

Book Your 5-Star Stay Today

If you're considering purchasing a vacation rental, consider booking a stay with Newman-Dailey to experience a Destin vacation rental as a guest.

While you're here, schedule time to meet with one of Newman-Dailey's experienced real estate sales professionals to learn more about market trends and recently listed properties. In addition, schedule time with our business development executive, Ryan Coletta, to better understand property management and the seasonality of the Destin - 30A rental market.

Start planning by visiting our rentals page or call one of our friendly, local vacation specialists at 850-837-1071, 7 days a week, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. CST. We look forward to sharing our expertise and helping you become a successful vacation rental homeowner.

See you @ the beach!