Letting your home on Airbnb: cockroaches and bed bugs dealt with between stays
Whether you let your own flat or run several addresses for owners, we find the source, treat between two bookings and email you the photo report the same day.
The changeover check
- Mattress seams and headboard
- Behind the fridge and oven
- Cupboard hinges under the sink
- Luggage rack and back of the wardrobe
At every check-out, torch in hand: bedding first, then kitchen.
A photo report that evening
Areas inspected, harbourages found, products applied, time before the next guest: all dated and sent by email.
A published price, paid online
You pick your 2-hour slot and pay when booking. The amount does not change on the day.
A follow-up visit built in
The protocol includes a return visit to read the monitoring traps and adjust the treatment if insects remain.
Key point
In a home let by the night, cockroaches settle in the warmth of the kitchen and bed bugs arrive in suitcases. A quick check at every changeover, followed by a targeted treatment at the first sign, keeps the number of nights you have to block to a minimum.
Whether you let your own flat for a few weeks a year or a studio all year round, it changes hands far more often than an ordinary home. Every guest brings luggage, shopping and habits of their own. A forgotten box of cereal, a drip under the sink, a bag dropped on the bed: that is all it takes.
We work to the Repère Protocol: locate the source with a torch and monitoring traps, treat it precisely, check on a planned follow-up visit, then prevent by sealing gaps and giving practical advice. The 2-hour slot fits around your calendar, and you do not need to be there.
What ExpertCafard does differently
Built around changeovers
We aim for the gap between a check-out and a check-in, and tell you before booking how many nights to close.
Remote access
Key box, co-host, neighbour or caretaker: you arrange access, we send you the photos of the visit.
Source first, treatment second
Fridge motor, sink duct, headboard: we find where the insects actually live, then treat that exact spot.
Certibiocide-certified technicians
Approved products, with written airing and re-occupation instructions for your cleaning team.
What an insect found too late costs you
Cancelled bookings
Until the home is treated, it should not be let again. The longer the diagnosis takes, the longer the list of lost nights.
A photo in a review
A cockroach filmed in the sink or bites on an arm stay attached to your listing long after the treatment.
Several homes affected
Laundry bags, trolleys, vacuum cleaners: for an agency, one infested flat can contaminate the next ones the same day.
A source in the building
Cockroaches travel along water risers and service ducts. If the source is next door, the building manager needs to know.
The Airbnb guides
Three short guides for you or your cleaning team to apply as they are: changeover routines, printable checklists and answers to common questions.
01Cockroaches in your rental's kitchen: how to spot and treat them between stays
A holiday-let kitchenette offers warmth, water and crumbs: perfect conditions for the German cockroach. Here is where to look and what to do.
Read the guide
02Bed bugs between guests: the changeover protocol to follow
The bed is stripped and the room is empty: the best moment to make sure no guest has left bed bugs behind.
Read the guide
03A guest reports a cockroach or bites: what to do in the first 24 hours
Reply, close the next nights, gather evidence, get an inspection: doing things in the right order protects the next guest and your listing.
Read the guidePests we treat
- German cockroaches
- Bed bugs
- Ants
- Mice
- Fleas (pet-friendly lets)
- Pantry moths
How a visit works
- 01
Locate
Torch-led inspection of warm, damp areas, sticky monitoring traps, a map of the harbourages.
- 02
Treat
Targeted insect control: bait gel in dots, growth regulator, dry steam or spot spraying depending on the insect.
- 03
Check
Follow-up visit built into the protocol, monitoring traps read, treatment adjusted if activity remains.
- 04
Prevent
Photo report, gaps sealed, cleaning and storage advice, active vigilance.
Your questions
How many nights do I need to block after a treatment?
For cockroaches, bait gel applied in small dots usually lets the next guest arrive quickly, depending on the product sheet. For bed bugs, dry steam keeps downtime short, while a spray treatment needs an airing period. The technician gives you the timing in writing.
A guest saw a single cockroach. Should I worry?
Cockroaches are nocturnal, so seeing one in daylight or out in the open often means a colony is already established. Put sticky traps under the sink and behind the fridge for a few nights, or book an inspection.
I let my own home for a few weeks a year. Is that something you handle?
Yes. The simplest approach is a visit just before or just after the letting period, while the home is empty. The photo report also gives you a record if a guest raises a concern.
Do you work with co-hosting agencies?
Yes. The report can go to both the owner and the agency, and we show the cleaning team what to do between stays.
Further reading
Our treatments
Blog articles
An insect reported after check-out?
Book an inspection in a 2-hour slot: you will know the same day whether the home is ready for the next guest.
See also: Hotels, residences and B&Bs
Airbnb and Booking.com are trademarks of their respective owners, named here for information purposes only. ExpertCafard has no partnership or affiliation with these platforms.