Property Management Council

Sanitation 101

By: Liz Berry, Associate Advisor, SVN | Commercial Advisory Group

Feeling a little foggy over the gray area in the state’s new approved sanitation protocol for vacation rentals in Sarasota and Manatee counties? Look no further for tips and advice on how to traverse a great guest check-out or check-in to a fully sanitized unit. The best place to start is by referring to local associations, municipalities, county, and state policies for their minimum guidelines.

The minimum guidelines can be used to create a sanitation handbook that can be shared with all property managers, employees, vendors, and guests to make clear the sanitation policy implemented in all rental properties. Further, define the provided requirements in the manual such as setting a clear time period between one guest departing and another checking in. A good rule of thumb is 24-48 hours. For service providers who are unclear on what cleaning products to use, it is suggested to follow the EPA’s list of disinfectants approved for use against COVID-19.

Many common cleaning products are successful at eliminating coronaviruses when used properly. These include hydrogen peroxide and isopropyl alcohol. The EPA explains how to correctly use and apply these sanitizers to rid living environments of germs. Employees and cleaners who are uncomfortable disinfecting can turn to many local businesses that are providing virus-specific sanitation services.

Multiple community businesses in Sarasota and Manatee are currently available to completely sanitize vacation rental units upon guest check-out and prior to guest check-in. Some of these same local businesses are additionally offering training classes for employees, managers, and cleaners on the proper sanitation practices per county and state guidelines. Make sure to inform vacation rental guests of all company sanitation procedures and denote in the property that is has been sanitized.

Guests should be informed ahead of time of all sanitation procedures and upon arrival know what sanitation methods were used in the cleaning of their rental unit to assure their comfort. Remember this is new territory for everyone and modify procedures to be more stringent as needed. When in doubt, do not hesitate to contact the CDC or the EPA for further instruction.

REOPENING GUIDELINES & RESOURCES Manatee County Guidelines: https://www. mymanatee.org/UserFiles/Servers/Server_7588306/File/ Departments/Public%20Safety/Coronavirus/Manatee%20 County%20Vacation%20Rentals%20Plan.pdf

Sarasota County Guidelines: https://www.scgov.net/ Home/ShowDocument?id=45481

CDC Guidelines: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019- ncov/community/reopen-guidance.html

EPA Approved Cleaning Products: https://www.epa. gov/pesticide-registration/list-n-disinfectants-use-againstsars-cov-2-covid-19 •