The Catskills Short-Term Rental Cleaning Checklist

Run in this order at every checkout, before the next check-in:

1. Walk the property immediately; photograph any damage or missing items with timestamps.
2. Strip all beds and start laundry (or bag for off-site service).
3. Remove all trash, recycling, and compost — including fire-pit and grill areas.
4. Sanitize kitchen and bathrooms top to bottom.
5. Handle the wood stove / fireplace and hot tub per section 5.
6. Dust all surfaces, switches, remotes, and handles; check for guest left-behinds.
7. Vacuum and mop all floors, including mudroom and entryway mats.
8. Remake beds to par standard; restock all consumables.
9. Set thermostat and staging for arrival.
10. Final room-by-room walkthrough against your SOP; log completion.

• Empty the refrigerator of all guest food; wipe shelves and door bins.
• Run and empty the dishwasher; check the filter for debris.
• Sanitize counters, sink, faucet, and backsplash.
• Clean stovetop, microwave interior, and coffee maker (descale monthly in hard well-water areas).
• Restock coffee, tea, filters, dish soap, sponges, paper towels, and trash bags.
• Check cookware for scorched pans guests won't mention — replace or re-season as needed.

• Sanitize toilet, tub/shower, sink, and fixtures; remove any hair from drains.
• Check grout and caulk lines for early mildew — humid valley summers accelerate it.
• Polish mirrors and glass; restock soap, shampoo, conditioner, and toilet paper (one spare roll per bathroom).
• Launder bath mats every turnover, not just when visibly dirty.

Most Catskills properties run on septic systems. Use only biodegradable, septic-safe products — conventional antibacterial cleaners disrupt septic bacteria and create expensive problems that surface mid-season.

Keep a 3-par linen stock minimum (one set on the bed, one in the wash, one clean in reserve) and a 4th par if you take back-to-back weekend bookings. Remake beds hotel-style with matching sets, rotate mattress protectors quarterly, and vacuum under beds — pine needles and trail grit travel.

These are the tasks that separate a Catskills turnover from a city clean, and the ones guests mention by name in reviews:

• Wood stove / fireplace (every turnover): confirm fully cold, remove ash to a metal container with a tight lid, wipe the glass and surround, restock firewood and kindling neatly, and check hearth tools.
• Chimney: schedule a certified sweep inspection at least annually before heating season — not a turnover task, but a safety requirement.
• Hot tub (every turnover): check and log water chemistry, clean the waterline, rinse filters, and wipe the cover. Guests rate hot-tub cleanliness as harshly as bathroom cleanliness.
• Fire pit and grill: empty ash, brush grates, restock propane or charcoal as advertised.
• Mudroom / entryway: boot trays emptied and washed, mats shaken or laundered, and floors mopped — this is where Catskills dirt concentrates.

• Spring (post–mud season): deep-clean entryways, boot trays, and exterior door tracks; wash windows after freeze-thaw grime.
• Early summer: pollen and screen clean — wipe all screens, sills, and porch furniture before peak season.
• Post-foliage (late October): deep clean after the highest-occupancy weekends of the year; clear gutters and leaf debris from entries.
• Winter prep: heating-vent dusting, fireplace readiness check, draft points, and a full deep clean before ski-weekend bookings begin.

Our seasonal maintenance guide maps these resets month by month. Published Hudson Valley and Catskills turnover rates run $170–$375 by size — see the rate card — and our Hudson Valley turnover program covers Woodstock, Catskill, Saugerties, Hudson, and Rhinebeck with this exact checklist.