How to Document a Turnover Before and After Every Guest
A step-by-step routine for photographing and logging each turnover so a host has a consistent record for every stay.
Documentation is a routine, not an event
The turnover is the only moment when a property's condition is known. A host who documents only when something looks wrong has no baseline to compare against, and comparison is exactly what the published text asks for when it requires the condition of an item "at the time of the loss or damage" as an inventory field (article 2869 §3.3.2). So the routine has to run every turn, including the boring ones.
The before pass
Walk the same route every time. Rooms in the same order, the same fixed angles per room, then close-ups of the items that cost the most to repair or replace. Capture with the device's camera app rather than through a messaging app, because messaging apps commonly recompress images and a recompressed copy is not the original file.
Timestamps are a defined field in the image standard rather than a nice-to-have. Exif defines DateTimeOriginal as "the date and time when the original image data was generated," recorded as "YYYY:MM:DD HH:MM:SS" in 24-hour format, alongside DateTimeDigitized and companions such as OffsetTimeOriginal and SubSecTimeOriginal (Exif 2.32). No fetched Airbnb or Vrbo page states that either platform requires or evaluates timestamp or metadata provenance, so treat any such requirement as [U].
The after pass
Repeat the route. Same rooms, same order, same angles. Identical framing is what makes a difference obvious without argument, and it removes the temptation to hunt for a flattering angle later.
If something has changed, photograph it in context and then in close-up, and do not clean, repair, or discard it yet. The published text asks hosts to "protect and preserve damaged Eligible Property from further loss or damage" and contemplates exhibiting "all that remains of any damaged Eligible Property" on request (article 2869 §§3.4.3, 3.4.4).
Write the turnover note while you are standing there
A turnover note is a short factual note per stay: who cleaned, when they started and finished, what was found, what was replaced, what was ordered, what was left for later. Written in the moment it takes two minutes. Written a week later it becomes an act of recall.
Keep it factual and keep it separate from opinion. The published standard is that documents and information "must be true and accurate and not be doctored or falsified in any way, including by the use of artificial intelligence" (article 2869 §3.3.3). A log that records only what was observed satisfies that comfortably.
Keep the originals as originals
Store the camera files unmodified. If you need a smaller version for a message, or an annotated version with an arrow on it, save that as a separate file kept next to the original rather than on top of it. StayTurn never edits originals.
There is a general reason this matters beyond any one platform. United States federal evidence rules recognize authentication of digital records by process and by digital identification, at Rule 902(13) and Rule 902(14) (FRE 902). The 2017 committee note explains hashes plainly: if the hash values for an original and a copy differ, "then the copy is not identical to the original," and if they match, "it is highly improbable that the original and copy are not identical." The same note bounds the claim, since a certification "can establish only that the proffered item has satisfied the admissibility requirements for authenticity" (FRE 902 committee notes).
File by stay, not by month
The organizing unit is the reservation. One folder per stay, containing the before pass, the after pass, the turnover note, the invoices for that turn, and the inventory changes made during it. Filing by month or by room makes the boundary between two guests invisible, and that boundary is what matters when eligibility depends on damage "directly caused by the Responsible Guest or an Invitee" during the stay, with losses after the stay expires excluded (article 2869 §§6.3.1, 6.4.1).
Keep the money trail with the photos
Invoices belong in the same folder as the images. General guidance states that supporting documents "include sales slips, paid bills, invoices, receipts, deposit slips, and canceled checks," that expense documentation "should identify the payee, the amount paid, proof of payment, the date incurred, and include a description of the item purchased or service received," and that "all requirements that apply to hard copy books and records also apply to electronic records" (IRS recordkeeping).
Make the routine cheap enough to survive
Any routine that depends on willpower dies in month two. The point of tooling is to make the correct behaviour the path of least resistance.
StayTurn is a $39 one-time purchase that keeps each stay's turn prep, cleaner handoff, photos, receipts, notes, and costs together in one dated record you own, on your device. Your photos and files stay on your device unless you choose to send them.
StayTurn organizes evidence for export. It does not submit claims, does not give claims-handling advice, and no documentation practice determines any outcome.
StayTurn is an independent tool, not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Airbnb or Vrbo.
Source. Airbnb Host Damage Protection Terms, article 2869. Live page checked July 31, 2026. The page displayed "Last updated: August 1, 2026." The quoted sections in this article were compared with the text displayed during that check. Platform terms can change, so operators should verify the current source directly (article 2869).
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