A standard holiday let changeover takes 1.5 to 3 hours for a one-bedroom property and up to 5-6 hours for a larger four or five-bedroom home. Deep cleans take considerably longer, ranging from around 4 hours for a small flat to 10-12 hours for a large property, since they cover far more than a typical turnover.
Knowing how long each type of clean actually takes helps you plan realistic check-out and check-in times, whether you’re cleaning the property yourself or booking a professional cleaning service to handle it.
Changeover Cleaning Time by Property Size
A changeover clean resets the property between guests: kitchen, bathrooms, bedrooms, living areas, and a general check for anything left behind. Here’s roughly how long that takes based on property size.
| Property Size | Estimated Time |
|---|---|
| Studio / 1-bed flat | 1.5–2 hours |
| 2-bed property | 2–3 hours |
| 3-bed property | 3 hours |
| 4-bed property | 4–5 hours |
| 5+ bed property | 5–6 hours |
These are estimates for a property in reasonable condition with one cleaner working through the checklist methodically. Properties with more bathrooms, larger kitchens, or extra living spaces will sit toward the higher end of each range even within the same bedroom count.
What Affects How Long a Changeover Takes
Bedroom count gives a rough guide, but a few other factors push the time up or down within that range.
- Number of bathrooms. Each additional bathroom adds 20-30 minutes, since toilets, showers, and limescale removal all take dedicated time regardless of room size.
- Property condition on arrival. A property left reasonably tidy by the previous guest cleans faster than one with spills, stains, or extra mess to deal with first.
- Outdoor space. Gardens, patios, or balconies add a tidy-up step that a property without outdoor space doesn’t need.
- Hot tubs or extras. Testing and balancing a hot tub, or maintaining other extras like a sauna, adds time on top of the standard room-by-room clean.
- Team size. Two cleaners working together on a larger property can cut the total time roughly in half compared to one person working alone.
Deep Clean Time by Property Size
A deep clean goes well beyond a changeover, covering things like behind and under furniture, inside cupboards and appliances, descaling kettles, and cleaning mattresses and soft furnishings. Because of this, it takes considerably longer per property than a standard turnover.
| Property Size | Estimated Time |
|---|---|
| Small 1-bed flat | ~4 hours |
| Large 1-bed home | 4.5–5 hours |
| 2-bed home | 5–7 hours |
| 3-bed home | 7–9 hours |
| 4–6 bed large home | 10–12 hours |
The exact time depends on how many bathrooms and en-suites there are, whether there are extra spaces like a utility room or conservatory, and how much furniture needs moving to clean underneath and behind it.
Why Deep Cleans Take So Much Longer
A changeover clean happens under a tight window between one guest leaving and the next arriving, so it’s built around what’s realistic and necessary every single time: surfaces, bathrooms, beds, floors, and a check for anything left behind.
A deep clean isn’t bound by that same time pressure in the same way, since it’s scheduled separately rather than squeezed into a changeover gap. That gives the cleaning team room to move furniture, get into cupboards and drawers properly, descale appliances, and check things like mattresses and cushions for wear, tasks that wouldn’t be practical or necessary to do every single changeover. Most holiday lets only need this two to three times a year rather than between every booking.
How Much Buffer Time to Leave Between Checkout and Check-In
The standard gap most hosts build in is 5-6 hours between checkout and the next check-in. This covers the time it takes to clean even a larger property without rushing, plus a margin for anything unexpected, a maintenance issue, extra mess, or a delayed checkout.
Guests will sometimes ask for an early check-in or a late checkout, and it’s tempting to say yes to keep them happy. But if that request eats into your cleaning window, it’s worth being realistic rather than risking a rushed clean. A guest arriving to a slightly delayed check-in is a minor inconvenience. A guest arriving to a property that wasn’t properly cleaned because the team ran out of time is a much bigger problem, and it shows up in reviews.
Same-Day Turnovers: What’s Realistic
Same-day turnovers, where one guest checks out in the morning and another checks in the same afternoon, are achievable but leave far less margin for error. A one-bedroom flat with a single cleaner is usually fine within a 3-4 hour window. Anything larger than two bedrooms on the same day typically needs two cleaners working together to finish properly without cutting corners.
If you’re running same-day turnovers regularly, it’s worth checking your actual gap against the time estimates above rather than assuming it’ll work out. A property that consistently needs 3 hours getting only 2 hours between guests will eventually show up in your cleanliness ratings.
When to Bring in a Professional Team
Doing changeovers yourself works fine if you have realistic time between bookings and the property is a manageable size. Where it gets harder is with larger properties, frequent same-day turnovers, or a calendar that’s busy enough that timing slips become a regular risk rather than an occasional one.
A professional holiday let cleaning service in London can scale a team to the property size rather than relying on one person to get through everything solo, which is usually how larger homes and tight turnaround windows get handled reliably. If you’re weighing this up against doing it yourself, our holiday let cleaning checklist shows exactly what’s involved in a standard changeover, which makes it easier to judge how long your own property realistically takes.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take to clean a 2-bedroom holiday let?
A standard changeover for a 2-bedroom property takes 2-3 hours. A deep clean of the same property takes 5-7 hours, since it covers far more than a routine turnover.
Is 3 hours enough time for a same-day turnover?
For a studio or one-bedroom property, yes, this is usually enough with one cleaner. For anything larger, 3 hours is tight and often needs two cleaners working together to finish properly.
Why does my cleaner take longer than the estimated time?
Extra bathrooms, outdoor space, hot tubs, or a property left in poorer condition than usual all add time beyond the standard estimate. A cleaner working alone on a larger property will also naturally take longer than a two-person team.
How often should I schedule a deep clean instead of a changeover?
Most holiday lets only need a deep clean two to three times a year, typically before and after peak booking periods. Every other booking just needs a standard changeover clean.
Should I leave more than 5-6 hours between guests?
It depends on your property size and condition. Smaller properties can often work with a shorter window, while larger homes, those with extras like hot tubs, or properties prone to maintenance issues benefit from leaving extra buffer time beyond the standard 5-6 hours.