A property that worked perfectly in August can hold a few surprises in October: a thermostat that is hard to understand, a duvet that cannot be found or a poorly lit entrance after dark. For a holiday rental management business, the first cold spells call for careful preparation, property by property. The aim is simple: welcome guests in good conditions and give teams the instructions they need to spot a problem before guests arrive.
Start with the properties most exposed to the cold
Plan a preparation round that takes account of upcoming bookings, the local weather and the characteristics of your properties. An apartment that has been empty for a long time, an isolated house or a property with a previously reported issue deserves priority attention.
For each address, put together a short information sheet: heating type, location of the controls, owner's contact details, the professional to call and any outstanding issues. Add the date of the last known check, without treating missing information as confirmation that everything is in order.
Assign someone to this round and set a deadline. A check entered in a schedule still needs to be confirmed; only a report from the person on site shows what has actually been done.
Check the heating under normal conditions of use
Test the accessible controls as a guest would, following the instructions. Does the display turn on? Does the heating schedule match the occupancy period? Do the explanations make it easy to adjust the temperature? Record any error messages and pass them on to the right person.
The French agency ADEME recommends adjusting heating to suit each room and time of day. For a rental property, turn that principle into instructions suited to the building and its equipment, together with the owner or a qualified professional. Also check that furniture, curtains and textiles are not covering radiators.
Keep cleaning teams' involvement to the observations and routine operations included in their assignment. Any technical fault should be referred to a qualified person. A breakdown calls for more than an improvised repair between stays.
Keep airing the property part of the routine
The move into colder weather should not mean dropping fresh-air routines. ADEME advises opening windows wide for five to ten minutes every day, even in winter. Include this in property preparation and explain it simply in the welcome guide.
Air inlets and outlets must remain clear. Never block vents in an attempt to retain heat. Briefly opening windows complements the ventilation system; it is no reason to turn that system off.
Ask people working on site to report persistent condensation, unusual smells or signs of damp. The report should describe what they observe and where. It does not replace a diagnosis, particularly when the problem returns after cleaning.
Adjust bedding and comfort details
Take stock of the duvets, blankets and bedding protectors available. Check their cleanliness, condition, size and location. An extra blanket is of no use if it is in a locked cupboard that guests cannot open.
Provide quantities that match the property's advertised capacity. Tell the team what should be put out and what should remain in reserve to avoid inconsistencies between stays.
Use the visit to check lighting along the access route, working shutters and the condition of the entrance mat. If anything needs repair, create a separate action and assign it to someone rather than burying it in a general cleaning note.
Make instructions easy to find
Keep a full manual available, but explain everyday tasks in a few clear lines: where the thermostat is, how to use the controls, where to put away blankets and whom to contact if there is a problem.
Avoid conflicting instructions in the welcome booklet, arrival messages and information left at the property. After changing equipment, update all three. If the heating needs to be turned on a certain time in advance, assign the task to someone and check that it has been completed before arrival.
Also agree a procedure with the owner for periods without bookings. The necessary settings and visits depend on the property, the heating installation and local conditions.
Make one final check before the next arrival
Your final check can cover six points:
- Heating checked and instructions easy to understand.
- Radiators and ventilation grilles unobstructed.
- Clean, suitable bedding, with spare items accessible.
- Access and lighting checked.
- Issues assigned to a responsible person.
- Any problems preventing a stay resolved before confirming that the property is ready.
Keep a record of the visit date and the report from the person who carried it out. To organise this preparation with your usual teams, discover StayClean, a platform for coordinating cleaning and on-site operations. Seasonal preparation then becomes a series of clearly communicated actions that can be followed through.
