Take Out the Guesswork: Make a Standard Property Appearance Manual

By Durk Johnson, Executive Director of Vacation Rental Housekeeping Professionals (VRHP)

Introduction

Think of housekeepers like Lego builders — they carefully follow instructions to construct a creation that matches the picture perfectly. Housekeepers similarly follow detailed instructions to restore properties to their proper state after guest departures, preparing them for incoming visitors.

What is a Standard Property Appearance Manual?

The Standard Property Appearance (SPA) is a document or set of instructions that shows with detail how a property should look when the housekeeper is done cleaning.

SPAs have been used in the hospitality industry for decades, traditionally as printed binders. However, vacation rental owners managing properties independently still need effective communication methods with their cleaning staff.

The solution is using visual checklists with property photographs paired with specific housekeeper instructions.

Key Questions for Creating Your SPA

Address these details in your manual:

• Welcome basket/gift placement and presentation
• Kitchen towel display methods
• Remote control quantity and location
• Guest amenity storage and presentation
• Bathroom towel hanging procedures
• Window covering positions for guest arrival
• Temperature settings
• Which lights should remain on
• Fan operation preferences

Implementation Recommendations

Consistency across cleanings is essential. Without standardized documentation, housekeepers may interpret tasks differently, potentially producing unsatisfactory results.

For visual documentation: pictures of the wrong way and right way are best. Professional photography isn’t necessary — simple, clear, easy-to-follow images work effectively.

As the saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words.

Looking for tools to put these ideas into practice? Explore Properly’s solutions:

• Skills library — train your team with photo-guided modules for every task
• property manager solutions — purpose-built tools for scaling your portfolio
• automated scheduling — coordinates your service providers without the back-and-forth