The Cleaning Layer Guesty & Hostaway Don't Have

Full disclosure: PrepBnB is our product, so we are biased. This guide is for hosts who already pay for Guesty or Hostaway and have noticed the cleaning side is the weakest part of an otherwise strong stack. We are not going to ask you to rip out your PMS.

What the Guesty / Hostaway task module actually does

Both platforms can create a cleaning task automatically when a booking ends. You can assign it to a cleaner, attach a checklist (usually a fixed template), and mark it complete. That is roughly the extent of the workflow.

What is missing, in the typical host's words:

• No real photo verification workflow. You can attach photos to a task, but there is no enforcement of one photo per room, no per-room grouping, no easy review.
• No AI-generated checklist. You write the checklist yourself, per property, by hand.
• No cleaner-friendly link. Cleaners either need a Guesty/Hostaway user account or they get a generic task email that does not look purpose-built.
• No payment tracking. If you pay your cleaner outside the PMS (Zelle, Venmo, direct deposit), the PMS has no idea who you owe.
• No damage / low-supply reporting by the cleaner. They can message you, but it is an unstructured thread, not a tracked issue.

The “keep your PMS” stack

The cleanest way to close the gap is to keep Guesty or Hostaway as your PMS — for channel sync, messaging, pricing — and add a dedicated cleaning tool that runs alongside it via iCal.

Both platforms expose an iCal feed of bookings per listing. Point PrepBnB at that feed and every checkout automatically creates a cleaning job with an AI-generated room-by-room checklist. Your cleaner gets an email with a link — no Guesty/Hostaway account needed, no PrepBnB download. You see progress in real time, photos upload per room, and payment tracking lives in one place.

The only thing you disable on the PMS side is the built-in cleaning-task module. Everything else keeps working.

Setup: connecting PrepBnB to Guesty or Hostaway

1. Export the iCal URL for each listing from your PMS. In Guesty, this is under Listing Settings → Calendar Sync. In Hostaway, under the listing's Channel Manager → iCal export.
2. Sign up for PrepBnB (free for up to 2 properties) and paste each iCal URL into its matching listing.
3. Let PrepBnB generate your cleaning checklist from the listing's beds, baths, and amenities. Review, edit anything specific, and save.
4. Add your cleaner's email to your cleaner pool. PrepBnB emails them a link for the next turnover — no Guesty/Hostaway account required.
5. Optional: disable the built-in PMS cleaning task so you do not get duplicate notifications. Your PMS still drives channel sync and guest messaging; PrepBnB handles the turnover.

When you should NOT add PrepBnB alongside your PMS

There are cases where stacking a second tool is not worth it:

• If you run 20+ units and need deep API integration (not iCal), Breezeway or Properly with a direct PMS connector is a better fit.
• If your cleaning contractor operates with dispatching software (Operto Teams, EZCare), they have their own workflow and do not need a host-side tool.
• If your PMS task module is actually working well for you — honest question — do not change it. Tools should earn their spot.

What you gain by closing the cleaning gap

Hosts who add a dedicated cleaning layer typically report three things inside 30 days:

• Fewer missed or late turnovers. The cleaner gets a structured job with checkout time front and center, not a generic task email.
• Actual photo proof, per room. When something goes wrong (missed task, damage dispute), there is a time-stamped photo for every room, not a wall of messages.
• Clean payment records. A per-cleaner running total makes monthly reconciliation five minutes instead of thirty.