What Inspections Do Airbnb Management Companies Really Do?

If you are considering working with an Airbnb or holiday let management company, one of the most important questions to ask is what inspections they actually carry out.

Many owners assume inspections happen regularly and thoroughly. In reality, this varies hugely between companies. Some only inspect when something goes wrong. Others rely entirely on guests flagging issues. Very few run a structured inspection programme designed to protect the property, improve guest experience, and increase long-term performance.

This guide explains the different types of inspections involved in professional Airbnb management, what most companies do, and what we do at Red Kite Hosts.

Why inspections matter in short-term rentals

Short-term rental homes experience far more wear than long-term lets. Guests arrive with luggage, move furniture, cook frequently, use outdoor spaces, and often stay during peak seasons when homes are under pressure.

Without regular inspections:

• Small issues become visible problems
• Homes slowly start to feel tired
• Guest complaints increase
• Reviews slip
• Maintenance costs rise rather than being controlled

Good inspections are not only about catching faults. They are about preventing decline, protecting the home, and maintaining five-star standards over time.

The four types of inspections we run at Red Kite Hosts

Most Airbnb management companies focus on one type of inspection, if any. We run four distinct layers, each with a different purpose.

1. Changeover inspections after every guest stay

Every clean is also an inspection.

After every guest leaves, our housekeepers do not just clean the property. They assess it. This happens after every single booking, without exception.

These light-touch inspections include:

• Spotting guest damage
• Noticing wear and tear before it becomes obvious
• Checking furnishings, soft items, and high-use areas
• Flagging maintenance issues early
• Noting garden condition and outdoor areas
• Reporting anything that feels off, even if it is not urgent

This is the most important inspection layer because it happens after every stay. Issues are identified immediately, not weeks later. This allows us to keep the home in excellent condition for incoming guests, resolve problems early, and, where necessary, follow up promptly with the previous guest or booking platform about any damage.

2. Housekeeping quality inspections

Separate from day-to-day changeovers, we carry out formal housekeeping inspections.

These are used:

• When onboarding a new housekeeper
• When a property has more complex cleaning requirements
• Periodically to ensure standards remain high

These inspections focus on how well the home is being cleaned rather than the home itself. They look at details guests notice:

• Hidden dust and cobwebs
• Condition of soft furnishings
• Kitchen equipment cleanliness
• Bathrooms, limescale, and silicone condition
• Under furniture and behind beds
• Linen protection and storage

The goal is consistency. Guests expect hotel-level cleanliness every time, not just most of the time.

3. Property maintenance inspections

Maintenance inspections are about the condition of the home over time.

These are more detailed, room-by-room inspections carried out periodically, usually:

• In May, after Easter and before peak summer
• In October, after the summer rush and before Christmas

This timing allows work to be completed when bookings are lighter and avoids disruption during peak demand.

Maintenance inspections look at:

• Flooring, walls, ceilings, and woodwork
• Furniture condition and stability
• Kitchens and appliances
• Bathrooms and fittings
• Windows, doors, gutters, and external surfaces
• Gardens, paths, fences, and outdoor furniture

Following each inspection, owners receive clear feedback on:

• What needs addressing now
• What should be planned for later
• Where small preventative fixes will avoid larger costs

We always recommend owners set aside a maintenance budget across the year, as short-term lets naturally need more upkeep due to usage and if you are not proactive, sooner or later, the reviews from guests will start to suffer.

As our Maintenance Manager explains, one of the biggest values of these inspections is spotting issues before guests ever raise them:

“Decoration is one of the most important things we look at. It’s something guests often won’t report until it’s in a poor state, but by that point it’s already affecting their experience. Regular inspections allow us to spot areas that need refreshing early, before guests notice and before it impacts reviews.”

4. Onboarding inspections when a home first joins us

Before a property ever goes live, it goes through a deep onboarding visit.

This is not just a walkthrough. It is a multi-hour visit designed to set the property up properly for long-term success.

During onboarding we:

• Assess cleaning and maintenance requirements
• Test heating and hot water systems
• Identify any early issues that would affect guest stays
• Review existing furniture, linen, and equipment
• Build a full inventory of appliances with make, model, and serial numbers
• Identify storage locations for supplies and linen
• Assess access, lockboxes, and spare keys
• Understand garden size and maintenance needs
• Flag anything that should be resolved before launch

This work allows us to support guests remotely and efficiently later. If a guest has trouble with an appliance, we already know exactly what it is and how it works.

Accessibility inspections: not industry standard, but incredibly effective

This is where Red Kite differs from almost all Airbnb management companies.

Most companies do not carry out accessibility inspections. We do.

Why? Because Airbnb allows homes to surface more often in search results when accessibility features are clearly evidenced. Guests with accessibility needs actively filter for these features.

Our inspections identify and document:

• Step-free access where it exists
• Doorway widths
• Ground-floor access to rooms
• Accessible showers or bathrooms
• Lighting on access paths
• Parking suitability

We photograph and evidence these features properly so they can be accurately selected on listings.

This does not require changing the home. It simply ensures existing features are used intelligently to increase bookings and reduce competition. We also think it is the right thing to do.

Who carries out these inspections?

• Housekeepers handle changeover inspections after every stay
• Senior housekeepers carry out housekeeping quality inspections
• Our maintenance manager or trusted local contractors complete maintenance inspections and accessibility inspections.
• Our onboarding lead carries out initial setup inspections and documentation

This layered approach ensures inspections are practical, consistent, and informed by people who actually know the property.

How often should an Airbnb be inspected?

In a well-run operation:

• Light inspections happen after every guest
• Formal inspections happen a few times per year
• Maintenance reviews are timed around booking patterns
• Onboarding inspections happen before launch

Anything less usually means issues are being missed.

Final thoughts

Inspections are one of the biggest differences between average Airbnb management and excellent Airbnb management.

They protect the home.

They protect reviews.

They protect long-term income.

If a management company cannot clearly explain what they inspect, how often, and why, it is unlikely they are doing it properly.

If you are looking for full-service Airbnb management that is proactive rather than reactive, we would be happy to talk through how we inspect and manage homes across the Cotswolds and surrounding areas.

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