2020 has been an unprecedented year. With the COVID-19 pandemic affecting practically every facet of day-to-day life across the globe, many businesses have been forced to reconsider how they operate and what needs to be done to ensure the safety of both their customers & their employees. So, as countries like Australia begin the slow, careful process of reintroducing travel & opening borders between states, short-stay rental providers are doing everything they can to provide accommodation to those that need it without risk to the tenants, owners or staff involved.

This has led to Airbnb introducing more rigorous cleaning measures, known as the Enhanced Cleaning Protocol. At Cozy Hosting, we are dedicated to providing a safe, comfortable experience for guests, homeowners, and the Airbnb community at large. Because of this, we have officially committed to the Airbnb Enhanced Cleaning Protocol and will be following it stringently across all Airbnb properties we manage.

So, in an effort to provide you with some extra peace of mind when choosing to be one of our guests, let’s take a look at what the Enhanced Cleaning Protocol means for both you and your guests.

First thing’s first…

What is the Enhanced Cleaning Protocol?

With concerns regarding cleanliness and safety at an all-time high, those the short-stay rental industry acknowledged that more needed to be done to ensure standards were met. For Airbnb, this meant completely overhauling their cleaning guidelines and working with the experts in hygiene and disease prevention to create a system more suited to the current situation. This led to the development of the Enhanced Cleaning Protocol.

The Enhanced Cleaning Protocol was developed in partnership with Ecolab, a leading name in the development of hygiene, water & energy technology, with guidance from the former US surgeon general, Dr Vivek Murthy. Following recommendations from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the ECP aims to provide Airbnb hosts with a simple, effective guide to mitigating risk within their properties.

How Does the Enhanced Cleaning Protocol Work?

For the sake of simplicity, Airbnb has broken the process into 5 easy-to-follow steps:

• Prepare for safer cleaning
• Clean dust and debris
• Sanitize with disinfectant
• Check your room-by-room checklists
• Reset the room

Additionally, while adhering to the ECP, Cozy Hosting’s cleaning experts will use face coverings, safety glasses, shoe coverings, aprons & disposable gloves at all times to reduce risk of exposure to any germs or chemicals. We will also be providing extra cleaning supplies to guests, such as disposable paper towels, disposable gloves, multi-surface cleaners, disinfectant wipes or sprays, antibacterial hand sanitizers, and hand soaps.

How Can You Tell if an Airbnb Host is Compliant with the Enhanced Cleaning Protocol?

While Airbnb has strongly advised that hosts & cleaners should be stringently following the Enhanced Cleaning Protocol, they have not made the system mandatory. However, to incentivise the program, as well as provide guests with the information they need to make an informed decision about where they stay, hosts who agree to the protocol will be granted a highlight on their hosting pages. So, if you’re a guest and want to make sure that your next Airbnb stay has been cleaned to the highest possible standards, make sure that you check the host’s page to see if they have been highlighted.

As hosts on Airbnb, Cozy Hosting is proud to say that each of their property managers has completed the full Enhanced Cleaning Routine. This can be seen on their hosting pages, each of which has been granted the Enhanced Cleaning Protocol highlight.

~

Governments, businesses & individuals across the globe are still working diligently to ensure that safety measures are upheld, and systems like the Enhanced Cleaning Protocol will be hugely important in preventing the spread of illnesses. To learn more, you can visit the Airbnb Enhanced Cleaning Protocol page linked above. Alternatively, if you’re interested in joining the Cozy Hosting community, click here to learn more about our Airbnb Hosting services, or simply contact us today to speak with one of our experienced, friendly team members.