Pro Checklist

Pre-Stay Baseline Documentation Checklist

Build the evidence that wins every dispute before the guest even arrives. The room-by-room protocol professionals run before each check-in.

52 checkpoints8 pages45 to 90 minutes per turnoverFor hosts and property managers
One-time payment. All 4 checklists. Lifetime access.

Why this beats every free checklist

  • The legal logic free checklists miss: a post-stay inspection shows damage exists, only a pre-stay baseline proves the guest caused it. Platforms require both.

  • The narrated video protocol, including exactly what to say on camera so the recording stands on its own.

  • Room-by-room shot lists for kitchen, bathrooms, bedrooms, and outdoor areas, not a vague "photograph each room".

  • Smart home data capture: lock logs, noise baseline, thermostat state. The evidence layer most hosts never collect.

  • A ready-to-print inspection summary form with a signature line, the document that turns photos into a record.

What is inside

  • 1Scheduling and preparation, 24 to 48 hours out
  • 2The narrated video walkthrough, with the exact script
  • 3Room-by-room photo protocol with per-room shot lists
  • 4Inventory verification with fill-in counts
  • 5Smart home data capture
  • 6Storage, backup, and the signed inspection summary form

Read first

Why this matters more than the post-stay inspection

Most hosts inspect after checkout. The hosts who win disputes also document before check-in. A post-stay inspection shows that damage exists. A pre-stay baseline proves the guest caused it. Platforms require both, but most hosts only ever have one.

Dollar impact

In a damage dispute, the host with a timestamped baseline from 48 hours before check-in wins by default. The host without one is asking the platform to take their word for it.

Phase 1 · 24 to 48 hours before check-in

Scheduling and preparation

  • Schedule the inspection for the final cleaning day or the morning of check-in
  • Confirm the cleaning crew will not rearrange furniture after the inspection
  • Fully charge every camera device: phone, tablet, or dedicated camera
  • Verify the device clock shows the correct date and time. Timestamps are the whole point.
  • Print or open the inspection summary form (included at the end of this checklist)
  • List any pre-existing damage to exclude from future claims

Locked in the full checklist

  • Phase 2 · do this first, every time

    The narrated video walkthrough

  • Phase 3 · photo protocol

    Room-by-room photo protocol

  • Phase 4 · inventory verification

    Count what can walk away

  • Phase 5 · smart home data

    Capture the data layer

  • Phase 6 · same day

    Organize and store the documentation

Unlock all 7 phases, plus 3 more checklists

STR Host Checklist Pack includes 4 professional checklists, all unlocked once, yours forever. $9.99 once. No subscription.

Already bought the pack? Open the full checklist

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