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WHITE BARN BNB · TECH

The back-end tech that turns your rental into a real business.

HOSPITABLE HOW-TO SERIES · GUIDE 3

The Task App

Cleaners, turnovers & automation — getting the right job to the right person, every time.

Prepared for Tammy & Justin — Hygge Hosting & Design

Plan Any Hospitable plan (Mogul not required)

Prepared by Ahman Grayson, White Barn BnB Tech

Date July 17, 2026

WHAT'S INSIDE

•How the three pieces fit together
Part 1Add your team (Teammates)
Part 2Auto-create cleaning tasks (Task Rules)
Part 3Alert the cleaner (Notification Rules)
Part 4The Tasks app — how cleaners use it
Part 5Troubleshooting

HOW TO USE THIS GUIDE

Work top to bottom. Each part tells you exactly where to click, gives you a tick-box list of steps, and points to your own team and properties so it's concrete. Keep it open beside Hospitable the first couple of times — after that it's a quick reference. Tick each box as you go — checked steps strike through, and your progress is saved on this device. The Print / Save PDF button opens your browser's print dialog; if it doesn't respond, open this file in a web browser (Safari/Chrome) rather than a preview pane.

How the three pieces fit together

Automating a turnover takes three settings working in a row. Skip any one and the cleaner never gets the job.

Teammates — who does the work (your cleaners: Isabel, Jordan, Magaly, Prime Cleaning, Super Dazzling Clean).
Task Rules — automatically create the cleaning job the moment a guest checks out.
Notification Rules — actually text or email the cleaner that the job exists.

The #1 gotcha A Task Rule creates the job silently — it does NOT message anyone. You must also add a Notification Rule or the cleaner never hears about it. Parts 2 and 3 always go together.

Where your account stands Your team is already loaded in Hospitable (nine teammates: five cleaners, two maintenance vendors, and both owners). What isn't running yet is the automation — when I looked, no cleaning tasks were being auto-generated. Parts 2 and 3 are the piece that turns your existing team into hands-off turnovers.

Part 1Add Your Team (Teammates)

A “teammate” is an operational helper — a cleaner, inspector, or handyman. They only ever see their own jobs, never your guests, messages, calendar, or money.

Where to find itOperations → Teammates → “+ Add new” (top-right)

Your team is already in here Cleaning: Isabel Reyes-Avila, Jordan Medina, Magaly Tejada, Prime Cleaning, and Vida Urias (Super Dazzling Clean). Maintenance: Mike Hepburn and Jake (Island Pools & Spas). Owners: Justin Reed and Tammy VanSkiver, both set to “all properties.” Use the steps below when you add someone new or update contact info.

Add or update a cleaner

Go to Operations → Teammates and click “+ Add new.” Enter their name plus an email and/or phone number. Note: your cleaners are saved with phone numbers, not emails — so their alerts have to go by text (SMS). Keep those numbers current. Under Roles, give a cleaner the Cleaning role (your maintenance vendors use Maintenance; Justin and Tammy use Owner). Under Preferred properties, tick the specific properties they cover — for example Super Dazzling Clean on the Centreville country retreats, or Prime Cleaning on your Annapolis homes (at least one property is required). Click Create. They log in at tasks.hospitable.com/login with a 6-digit code — no password to manage.

Spanish-speaking cleaner? Handled. Isabel's teammate profile is set to Spanish. Hospitable automatically translates her task alerts into Spanish, so you can write your notification once in English and she receives it in her language.

Common questions

QWhat's the difference between a teammate and a secondary user?

A teammate (like your cleaners) only works inside the Tasks portal and can't log into your Hospitable account or see guests, messages, calendars, or finances. A secondary user is someone you'd let into the account itself. For cleaners and vendors, always use a teammate.

Part 2Auto-Create Cleaning Tasks (Task Rules)

A Task Rule is a standing instruction: “every time a guest checks out of these properties, create a cleaning job.” Set it once and it runs forever.

Where to find itOperations → Task rules → “+ Add new”

Build the rule

Go to Operations → Task rules and click “+ Add new.” Choose the task type Cleaning, then the trigger After check-out. Set the Duration with the slider — a good default is the gap between check-out (10 AM) and the next check-in (4 PM) — and set the Timing for when it starts. Add a checklist if you want the cleaner to tick off steps, like resetting the Cape House hot tub or restocking paddleboard towels (optional). Under Scope, tick each property this rule covers. You might make one rule for the Centreville country retreats and another for your Annapolis homes so you can assign different cleaners. Under Assignment, choose Automatic and pick the cleaner for those properties (e.g. Super Dazzling Clean) so every checkout auto-assigns to them — OR choose Manual to assign each job yourself (manual jobs wait, unassigned, on the Operations Overview page). Save the rule.

Remember Auto-assignment only works if that teammate has the Cleaning role AND is scoped to the property in the rule. And this rule still won't message anyone until you add the Notification Rule in Part 3.

Part 3Alert the Cleaner (Notification Rules)

This is the piece that actually pings your cleaner the moment a job is theirs. Because your cleaners are text-only, this is what makes the whole thing work.

Where to find itOperations → Notification rules → “+ Add new”

Create the alert

Go to Operations → Notification rules and click “+ Add new.” Choose the type Task assigned. (Consider adding Task updated and Task cancelled rules too, so cleaners hear about changes.) Choose the delivery method SMS (text) — that's the right channel for Isabel, Jordan, Magaly, Prime Cleaning, and Super Dazzling Clean, since they have no email on file. Write the message the cleaner receives. Write it in English — Hospitable auto-translates it into Spanish for Isabel. Set the Team/role to Cleaning and the Scope to the matching properties — the cleaner only gets the alert if they share the same role and property as the rule. Save, and confirm the rule's toggle is green/active.

Two different alerts The “Task assigned” rule fires the instant a job is assigned. Separately, a Task Reminder is ON by default and automatically nudges the cleaner 24 hours before the job starts. They're independent — turning one on doesn't turn on the other.

Part 4The Tasks App — How Cleaners Use It

This is what your cleaner sees on their end. Nothing to install — it's a web page they pin to their phone's home screen.

Where to find ittasks.hospitable.com/login · 6-digit code by text/email · web app only (Add to Home Screen for an app icon)

What the cleaner can do

See today's and upcoming jobs, plus a running total of their earnings. Accept or reject a job, then Start it and mark it Complete. Share a job with a helper by entering the helper's name and email — handy for a cleaning company like Super Dazzling Clean or Prime Cleaning sending a second person. Tick off any checklist you attached, and upload arrival and completion photos. Message you directly, and view their payout status: Pending, Scheduled, Paid, or Failed.

Part 5Troubleshooting

When a turnover slips, it's almost always one of these — walk them in order.

Where to find itEverything below lives under Operations → Teammates / Task rules / Notification rules

The cleaner isn't getting notified

No active notification rule — the #1 cause. Create a “Task assigned” rule and make sure its toggle is green (Part 3). Role or property mismatch — the cleaner must share the same role (Cleaning) AND at least one property with the notification rule. Missing contact info — open the teammate and confirm the phone number (for SMS) is present and correct. Your cleaners have no email, so an email-only rule would never reach them. Nobody assigned — if the task rule is set to Manual, the job sits unassigned on the Operations Overview page and never notifies until you assign it.

A task didn't auto-create

Check the task rule's Scope actually includes that property (all nine of yours, or just the ones you intended). Check the trigger matches the event — an “After check-out” Cleaning rule for checkout cleanings. Confirm the reservation actually synced for that property and those dates.

Rule of thumb If a turnover ever slips, walk it back through the three pieces in order: Is there a cleaner on that property? Is there a task rule scoped to it? Is there an active Task-assigned notification rule matching the Cleaning role and that property? One of those three is the answer almost every time.

You're set.

Your team's already in Hospitable — these three settings turn them into hands-off turnovers across all nine doors. Ping me any time you want help wiring up the first task and notification rule; I can set them up with you.

White Barn BnB · Tech · Hospitable How-To · Guide 3July 17, 2026