Raleigh requires a zoning permit for every short-term rental of 30 days or less, and the number has to appear on the listing and the property. Here is how a cleaning plan fits around that.
Guests in Raleigh may come for a university event, a business trip to the Research Triangle or a family visit. Whatever the reason, they expect a clean home, and the city expects a permitted one.
This guide sets out the local rules and how a cleaning plan fits around them. TotalCare Cleaning does not offer a separate turnover service. The visits that will be available are the Recurring House Clean, the One-Time Deep Clean and the One-Time Moving Clean, and this guide explains where each one might help a host.
Raleigh requires every short-term rental operator, for stays of 30 days or less, to get a city zoning permit and post the permit number on all listings and on the property. The city bars special events at short-term rentals in residential zones, and it caps short-term rentals at 25 percent of the units, or two units, in a multi-unit building.
North Carolina's Vacation Rental Act covers rentals of homes, condos and townhouses for vacation or leisure for fewer than 90 days. Those are separate rules with separate thresholds, so a host should check how each applies. This guide covers cleaning and is not legal advice.
Research Triangle Park, founded in 1959 between three research universities, covers 7,000 acres and is home to more than 385 companies. NC State University has been based in Raleigh since 1887. A guest here may be working for a week, or may be in town to move a child into a dorm.
That kind of guest usually does not stay long, but does cook, bathe and sleep in the home just as a resident would. A kitchen that gets light use can still pick up a greasy film on cabinet fronts over a year, and a shower used by a new person each week needs regular attention.
The reset between guests is mostly linens, bathrooms, kitchen surfaces, trash and floors. A host needs a plan for that on the guests' own schedule, because a bi-weekly visit cannot follow a booking calendar. A short list by the door helps whoever does it, including where to find spare linens and supplies.
A One-Time Deep Clean a couple of times a year covers what no quick reset reaches: hand washed baseboards, wet-wiped blinds, window tracks, ceiling fans and vents wiped in place, and degreased cabinet fronts. For an empty unit, a One-Time Moving Clean also adds the inside of the oven, refrigerator and cabinets, which makes it a good start before a first listing.
A Recurring House Clean may suit a host who rents out one room in a home they live in, because the rest of the house still needs regular upkeep.
NC DEQ says pollen in central North Carolina typically peaks in March and April when oaks and pines flower, and the highest days are usually between 1,000 and 1,500 grains per cubic meter. In those weeks, wipe sills, porch furniture and any entry table, and keep windows shut. Guests with allergies will notice right away.
Fall brings another issue. NC State Extension says brown marmorated stink bugs move to overwintering sites in mid September and October, and multicolored Asian lady beetles gather on sunny sides of houses. Vacuum them up rather than crushing them, since squashed beetles can stain fabric and painted surfaces. Check behind picture frames too.
Write down the pickup day in the guest guide and say which cart is which. When replacing a mattress or chair, the City of Raleigh collects bulky household items such as furniture and mattresses by request, for a fee per load of up to four cubic yards. Check the current fee with Customer Support at 919-996-3245.
A cleaning visit does not include hauling furniture or debris, so large items have to go out separately. Also include where the permit number is posted, so that a cleaner or guest can see that it stays in place.
The questions Raleigh homeowners ask most often about this topic, answered plainly.
TotalCare Cleaning will service Raleigh and surrounding areas with background-checked cleaners and is insured up to $1 million. Re-clean guarantee: if we missed something, tell us by the end of the next day and we come back to fix it. Beyond Clean. TotalCare.
