Mid-Term Rental SOP Templates — Ready-to-Use Ops Pack

What you’ll get

Get copy-paste ready mid-term rental SOP templates — one-page SOPs for listing, check-in/out, turnover, maintenance, guest screening, and lease/extension — plus actionable checklists you can drop into cleaner apps or task cards, hire plans that spell out who to hire and when, exact automation pairings (trigger → action), and a 7-step rollout checklist to implement the system fast.

How to use these templates

1. Copy a template into a doc (Notion / Google Doc).
2. Edit the unit-specific fields (address, Wi-Fi, lock codes, vendor names).
3. Convert each step to a task in your PMS or a Zapier action.
4. Train a VA/cleaner with one run-through + one QA check.
5. Track KPIs and iterate.

SOP Template — Listing Creation (one page)

Purpose: publish a consistent, high-converting listing for 30+ day stays.
Owner: Host / Content VA
KPI: Listing conversion rate, leads/week

Steps:

1. Title formula: [Stay length] + [Bed/Bath] + [Top benefit] — [Neighborhood]
   e.g. “30+ Day Furnished 1BR — Steps from St. Mary’s Hospital — Downtown”
2. Top 5 bullets (copy from persona bank: nurse, remote worker, family) — 3–6 words each.
3. Photo order & captions: exterior, living, workspace, kitchen, bedroom, bathroom, storage, neighborhood.
4. Price tiers: publish 30/60/90 monthly rates and include what’s covered (Wi-Fi, utilities).
5. Add schema/local markup notes (address, check-in rules) in listing notes.
6. Publish and schedule a “freshen” post (promo) on day 3 and day 14 if unbooked.
7. Add listing link + live calendar snapshot to your Market Sheet.

SOP Template — Check-In (one page)

Purpose: flawless guest arrival, fewer support messages.
Owner: Co-host / Cleaner / VA
KPI: Time-to-first-response, first-night issues

Steps:

1. 48h before arrival: send the automated welcome message with Wi-Fi, parking, and check-in steps.
2. 24h before: confirm arrival time if guest hasn’t replied.
3. Smart-lock / key handoff: generate code or meet guest. Confirm ID if required.
4. Photo on arrival: take a photo of door/code confirmation (timestamp).
5. Walkthrough: check the desk, lights, water, heat/AC, and internet (speed test link).
6. Send a “you in?” message once guest confirms inside.
7. Log any issues to ops board within 2 hours.

Copy-paste welcome message (template):

Hi [Name] — welcome! Your check-in is [date/time]. Wi-Fi: [SSID] / [password]. Parking: [info]. Need anything, reply here. Enjoy!

SOP Template — Turnover / Cleaning (one page)

Purpose: consistent, photo-validated turnovers.
Owner: Cleaner Lead
KPI: Photo-complete turnovers %, time between checkout and ready

Steps:

1. Receive automatic task (time window + checklist link) when booking ends.
2. Arrive within scheduled window; take a front-door photo on arrival.
3. Clean by zones: kitchen → bathroom → living → bedroom → linens → floors.
4. Replace consumables per supply list (TP, soap, coffee filters).
5. Photo checklist: 10 photos (kitchen, counters, fridge, living, workspace, bed, mattress tag, bathroom, entry, trash). Upload within 2 hours.
6. Run a Wi-Fi quick test (open speedtest link) and note results.
7. Mark task complete; if damage noted, create a damage ticket and notify host + accounting.

Turnover checklist (copyable):

• Remove trash; replace liners
• Run dishwasher / empty filters
• Strip beds, replace linen set(s)
• Vacuum + mop floors
• Sanitize high-touch surfaces
• Replenish starter supplies (list)
• Take and upload 10 photos

SOP Template — Maintenance Triage (one page)

Purpose: fast decisions on what’s urgent and what can wait.
Owner: Ops Lead / Co-host
KPI: Mean time to repair (urgent vs non-urgent)

Steps:

1. Ticket created by cleaner or guest (photo + short note).
2. Ops triage: classify as Emergency (no hot water, gas, major leak), Urgent (AC failure, toilet), Routine (lightbulb, squeak).
3. Emergency: call emergency vendor + notify guest. Log response within 30 minutes.
4. Urgent: schedule vendor within 24 hours.
5. Routine: schedule within 72 hours or next turnover.
6. Record cost estimate and attach invoices.
7. Close ticket once fixed; log time and cost into accounting sheet.

SOP Template — Guest Screening & Onboarding (one page)

Purpose: reduce risky bookings for 30–180 day stays.
Owner: Host / VA
KPI: Lead→approved conversion rate, damage incidents per 100 bookings

Steps:

1. Pre-qualify form: dates, reason for stay, pets, employer/assignment.
2. Request ID photo (secure upload) if stay >30 days or off-platform.
3. Verify employer/assignment email or document for corporate bookings.
4. Run background/eviction check for stays >60 days (if applicable).
5. Send lease + inventory; require signature and deposit before check-in.
6. Onboard: send welcome guide and house rules upon receipt of signed lease.

Pre-qualify message (copy/paste):

Thanks for your interest. Quick Qs: exact dates, reason for stay, number of guests, any pets? I’ll confirm fit.

SOP Template — Extensions & Lease Addendum (mid-term rental SOP templates)

Purpose: lock in longer stays with clear terms.
Owner: VA / Host
KPI: Extension conversion rate

Steps:

1. 14 days before checkout: automated extension offer (30/60/90 tiers + deadline).
2. If guest replies YES, send lease addendum with new dates and updated payment terms.
3. Collect payment for extended period (first month + deposit as applicable).
4. Update calendar, cleaner schedule, and accounting row.
5. Send confirmation and updated welcome guide.

Extension message example:

Extend 30 days at $X/month or 60 days at $Y/month. Reply EXTEND to lock the rate. Offer holds 48 hours.

Hire plans — who to hire and when (mid-term rental SOP templates)

Small portfolio hiring roadmap:

1. 1 unit — Owner + reliable cleaner. (No hires required.)
2. 2–5 units — Hire a part-time VA (messaging, bookings) + 1 reliable cleaner + handyman on call.
3. 5–15 units — Add ops lead (part-time/full-time), dedicated bookkeeper, 2–3 cleaners, local vendor panel.
4. 15+ units — Head of Ops, regional managers, full finance team.

Role snippets (copy/paste):

VA — Listings & Guest Ops (PT)

• Respond to inquiries <2 hours, send pre-qualify, manage listings.
• Send leases and collect signatures.
• KPI: Lead→booking conversion, response SLA.

Cleaner Lead (contract)

• Execute turnovers per SOP, upload photos, report damages.
• KPI: Photo-complete turnover %, on-time rate.

Ops Lead

• QA turnovers, supervise local vendors, manage escalations.
• KPI: Damage incidents, time-to-repair, occupancy targets.

Payment models:

• Cleaners: per-turnover flat fee + small bonus for photo-complete work.
• VA: hourly or per-booking fee.
• Ops lead: salary or revenue-share depending on scale.

Onboarding & QA (mid-term rental SOP templates)

• Onboard new hires with: SOP packet + 5-minute screencasts + 1 paid test turnover.
• QA schedule: First 5 turnovers audited by owner/ops lead, then weekly audits for 4 weeks, then monthly spot checks.
• Feedback loop: Record issues, update SOP within 48 hours, and re-train if needed.

Automations to pair with mid-term rental SOP templates

Automate these core flows with Zapier/Make or your PMS:

1. Booking → create cleaner task
   Trigger: booking confirmed → Action: create task in Asana/Trello with time window + SOP link.
2. Booking → send welcome message
   Trigger: booking confirmed → Action: send templated email/SMS (Wi-Fi, check-in).
3. Checkout → cleaner photo validation
   Trigger: checkout occurred → Action: notify cleaner; on photo upload, run QA Zap that notifies ops lead if any “damage” keywords detected.
4. Extension accepted → lease addendum + invoice
   Trigger: guest reply “EXTEND” → Action: send DocuSign addendum + create invoice in QuickBooks draft.
5. Payment received → accounting row
   Trigger: payment webhook → Action: append row to Google Sheet or QuickBooks.

Example Zap layout (Booking → Cleaner):

• Trigger: New booking in Google Calendar / PMS
• Step 1: Formatter parse dates → Step 2: Create task in Trello with checklist URL → Step 3: Send SMS to cleaner with task link → Step 4: Add row to Bookings sheet.

Quick checklists (mid-term rental SOP templates)

Listing publish checklist

• Title, top 5 bullets, 3 price tiers ✓
• 8+ photos, alt text, filenames ✓
• Wi-Fi, parking, access info ✓
• Publish & share link in Market Sheet ✓

Turnover 10-photo list

1. Front door / entry
2. Living room overview
3. Kitchen counter + fridge interior
4. Workspace / desk
5. Bedroom + bed (make visible mattress tag)
6. Bathroom overview
7. Washer/dryer area
8. Trash & recycling bins
9. Thermostat reading
10. Exterior/porch

Maintenance triage quick flow

• Photo + short note → Ops triage → classify (Emergency/Urgent/Routine) → Schedule vendor → Log cost

KPIs to track for mid-term rental SOP templates

• Photo-complete turnovers (%) — goal ≥98%
• On-time turnover rate (%) — goal ≥95%
• Damage incidents per 100 bookings — goal <2
• Lead → booking conversion (%) — benchmark per market
• Extension conversion rate (%) — aim for 10%+ initial

Track these in a single dashboard (Google Sheet / BI) and update weekly.

Implementation checklist — 7 steps to roll this out this week (mid-term rental SOP templates)

1. Paste the SOPs into a shared doc and replace unit specifics.
2. Create Trello/Asana templates with a Task card for each SOP.
3. Build Booking → Cleaner Zap and test on one unit.
4. Hire a part-time VA for messaging and train with SOP packet.
5. Run one paid test turnover and audit photos.
6. Add SOP KPIs into your dashboard and track first month.
7. Iterate: update SOPs based on QA notes.

Second-last paragraph — tieback to the playbook

Treat these mid-term rental SOP templates as the Systems core of your Scale playbook. Document every market test, SOP version, and vendor score so your Scale / Systems / Ops records let you reproduce a successful unit in a new city without starting from scratch.

Final note & where to list micro-tests

If you want a channel built for month-plus stays while you implement these SOPs and automations, list your micro-tests on MiniStays — it focuses on 30+ day demand and tends to attract guests who match the mid-term profile you’re optimizing for.
Start hosting on MiniStays → https://ministays.com