Checkout Photo Protocol

One page. Keep it on your phone. Use it on every checkout.

Tip: Screenshot this page and save it to your photos.

Before You Touch Anything

Stop at the door. Smell the air. Note odor in your phone notes app.
Open your camera. Make sure your phone's date/time settings are correct. Do not edit or filter photos after taking them.
Photograph the entry first — front door, lockbox, key location.

Room-by-Room Wide Shots

For every room, in this order: living room, kitchen, primary bedroom, other bedrooms, bathrooms, balcony / patio / outdoor areas, garage or storage.

Rule: One wide shot from the doorway of each room before you move anything.

Close-Ups · 3+ Angles of Every Issue

Damage: 3 angles, with a hand, key, or coin for scale
Stains: straight-on, side angle under natural light, plus a wide shot showing where the stain is
Broken items: full item, then the break point
Missing items: photograph the empty space (rack, drawer, shelf)

Timestamps & Setting Indicators

Thermostat display
Smart-lock screen or app log
Any clock visible in the unit
Platform message timestamps (screenshot)

Smell / Smoke Indicators

Ashtrays, cigarette butts, vape pods, lighters
Burn marks on counters, sinks, linens, decking
Candle wax on surfaces
Pet hair / waste (if pets weren't allowed)
Air vents — close-up if discolored
Photograph the source of the smell, not just the room

Trash & Mess Documentation

Photograph trash before bagging it
Wide shot of the kitchen / trash area
Close-up of overflow, extra bags, or items left out
Bottles, cans, food containers — wide shot with count visible
Refrigerator / freezer — open-door shot if items were left

Damage Angles

Wide shot showing where it is in the room
Mid-shot of the full item
Close-up of the damage with scale reference
Side angle to show depth or texture

Receipts & Extra Supply Proof

Photograph receipts for replacement supplies before leaving the store
Photograph the labor time on your phone clock (start + end)
If you used extra products (ozone, enzyme, deodorizer), photograph the bottle next to the area you treated

Short Written Note Template

Send this as a text or email to the host the same day. Copy / paste / fill in:

Arrived at [Property] on [date] at [time]. Issues found: - [issue 1] - [issue 2] - [issue 3] Extra time spent: [X hours] beyond standard turnover. Photos and video sent in [folder / text thread]. Anything you want me to re-check before I leave?

What to Send the Host

Send all of this within 2 hours of finishing:

The photos (full resolution, not compressed)
Any video walkthroughs
Your written note (above)
Receipts for any extra supplies
Your invoice for any extra time

Tip: Drop everything into a shared folder named [Property]_[Date] so nothing gets lost.

When to Escalate to StayEvidence

Tell the host to send it to StayEvidence if any of these are true:

Smoke or odor that needs deodorizing
Damage the host might want reimbursed
Missing items (linens, decor, appliances)
Over-occupancy signs (extra trash, extra bedding used)
Party signs (cans, bottles, vomit, broken items)
Stains on furniture, mattresses, or carpet
Review-risk checkouts where the guest may leave a bad review first
The host plans to file a platform reimbursement, insurance claim, or owner update

Hard Rules

Don't break these:

Never delete photos for at least 30 days.
Never edit photos — no filters, no crops, no "enhance."
Never throw away receipts, packaging from broken items, or stained linens until the host says it's okay.
Never speculate in writing about what the guest did. Document what you saw.

$25 Referral Program

Send a host. Get $25.

You're already on the front line of bad checkouts. If you refer a host who buys a StayEvidence Exception Report, we send you $25 — Venmo, Zelle, PayPal, or Cash App.

Step 1 Tell the host about StayEvidence and share stayevidence.com (or this protocol).

Step 2 Have the host mention your name and phone number in the intake form's "anything else" field.

Step 3 Once their report is paid and delivered, we Venmo / Zelle / PayPal you $25.

Text this to the host

This checkout may need better documentation. I use StayEvidence for messy/damaged/smoky checkouts — they turn photos, notes, receipts, and messages into a clean report you can use for reimbursement or owner documentation. Here's the link: stayevidence.com

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Bounty paid after the host's report is paid for and delivered. One bounty per unique host. We may pause the program at any time. Bounty is income — track it with whatever payment method you choose.