LiteLog — Digital Workflows for Vacation Rentals & Serviced Apartments
:::info Download PDF Cleaning, inspection and handover — brochure (German) :::
What is LiteLog for vacation rental operators?
LiteLog is a central platform for operators of vacation rentals and serviced apartments — from a single-property host to an operator with several buildings and dozens of apartments. Cleaning, inspection, defects and handovers are digitally recorded, assigned and documented with full traceability. The solution works standalone and can be introduced step by step during ongoing operations.
Your teams use the LiteLog app to:
- check in at the apartment (QR code, location suggestion or beacon suggestion)
- work through the cleaning of each apartment as a task with a checklist — offline too, with mandatory photos per checkpoint
- document defects (photo + note) and pass them on to the caretaker as a task
- fill in the move-in handover protocol and the move-out return protocol with photos, meter readings, keys and signature directly on site — at move-out with a comparison against move-in
All data comes together in the portal and is available to the office for evaluation.
The workflow: From departure to move-in ready
LiteLog maps the typical turnover of a vacation rental as a continuous chain:
- Cleaning as a task — for every departure, a cleaning task is created on the apartment: automatically from the connected booking calendar (Airbnb, Booking.com, Hospitable or any other iCal calendar), by hand as a single task, as a series for fixed changeover days, or via the REST API from the property management system. The cleaner sees in the app which apartment is due today and by when.
- Cleaning with checklist — the cleaner checks in at the apartment, works through the cleaning checklist (bathroom, beds, kitchen — with a mandatory photo per checkpoint) and submits it as a completion report
- Defect becomes a task — if damage is noticed, it is reported with a photo; an if-then rule turns it into a task for the caretaker, who completes it before the next arrival. Optionally, housekeeping additionally inspects the apartment with the housekeeping inspection form.
- Move-in handover protocol — at move-in, the team fills in the handover protocol: condition per room (OK/defect), meter readings with photo, inventory, keys and signature
- Move-out return protocol with comparison — at move-out, the return protocol follows with the same positions; via Compare, LiteLog sets move-in and move-out side by side and rates every position as new, pre-existing, fixed or unchanged. You see new damage at a glance, with photos as evidence.
- Overview in the portal — in the task list and under Reports you see per apartment which cleaning is done, which task is open and which protocol is on file
Every step is documented with timestamp, photos and the person responsible — in case of queries or disputes, the evidence is complete.
Bookings from Airbnb, Booking.com or Hospitable
LiteLog reads the booking calendars of your apartments and automatically creates one cleaning task per check-out. For each apartment you enter the iCal link of the booking portal or your property management software — Airbnb, Booking.com, Hospitable or any other iCal export (e.g. Smoobu, Guesty, Lodgify). Several calendars per apartment are possible.
This is how you set it up:
- Master data → Properties → open the apartment → choose the entry Bookings in the left panel. If the entry is greyed out, the property module is still off: switch it on via the context menu on the entry, the banner Switch on now, or — for several apartments at once — under Features (address
/apps) on the Bookings card. - Click Connect calendar and enter the iCal link (https links only; afterwards the link is shown masked).
- In the Task per check-out card, define what the task looks like: Template (e.g. the cleaning checklist), Assignee, Time on the departure day (default 11:00), Priority, Priority for same-day turnover and the Task title.
LiteLog then fetches the calendar immediately and afterwards every 30 minutes. If a departure is rescheduled, the due date of the open task moves with it; if a booking disappears from the calendar, the task is marked "Cancelled · …" and set to priority Low — nothing is deleted. For extra reactions (e.g. a push on cancellation, assignment to the on-duty team) the triggers Check-out (booking), Check-in (booking) and Booking cancelled are available under Automation.
Details: Bookings (property), Automation → Bookings (iCal import), Guide for the office
Which roles are there?
| Role | Responsibilities in LiteLog |
|---|---|
| Office | Create cleaning tasks, manage tasks, view and compare reports and form responses, send protocols, exports and scheduled reports, configuration |
| Cleaner | Check in at the apartment, work through the cleaning task with checklist, record defects with photo and note |
| Housekeeping / handover team | Housekeeping inspection, assign defects as tasks, move-in handover protocol and move-out return protocol with signature |
| Caretaker | Work through and document assigned tasks (repairs, defects) |
| Owner (optional) | Own customer access: view released reports and protocols of their own apartments |
Roles in LiteLog are freely definable — you can tailor the permissions exactly to your operation. Details: Roles & permissions, Customer portal
What makes LiteLog special
- Booking calendar per apartment — connect iCal links from Airbnb, Booking.com, Hospitable or other rental software; the cleaning task per check-out is created on its own, see Bookings (property)
- Five templates ready to go — when you choose the industry "Vacation rentals / serviced apartments" during onboarding, LiteLog automatically creates the form templates "Liegenschafts-Stammdaten" (property master data), "Reinigungscheckliste" (cleaning checklist), "Housekeeping-Abnahme" (housekeeping inspection), "Übergabeprotokoll Einzug" (move-in handover protocol) and "Rücknahmeprotokoll Auszug" (move-out return protocol) as drafts; the hierarchy is then called "Building" and "Apartment"
- Works without internet (offline) — important in basements, underground garages or buildings with poor reception
- Easy to use — even for teams without technical experience, in each person's own language
- Reuse existing checklists — Excel checklists become digital form templates via AI import
- Open REST API — for property management systems without an iCal export or for feeding results back from LiteLog, see the REST API reference
In short: LiteLog ensures that every apartment is reliably cleaned, inspected and handed over after departure — documented and traceable across all buildings.
Guides by audience
| Audience | Guide | Content |
|---|---|---|
| Operator & office (setup) | Setup | Create buildings and apartments, activate the supplied templates or import your own checklists, check-in methods, roles |
| Cleaners | Guide for cleaners | Check in at the apartment, complete the cleaning task with checklist offline, record defects |
| Housekeeping / handover team | Guide for housekeeping | Inspection, assign defects as tasks, move-in handover protocol, move-out return protocol with comparison |
| Office | Guide for the office | Connect booking calendars, create cleaning tasks, caretaker maintenance plan as a series, compare, correct and send reports, exports, REST API, customer access for owners |
Hardware and rollout
What you need
- Smartphones (Android or iOS) for cleaners, housekeeping and the caretaker — company phones or the persons' own devices, each with the LiteLog app from the App Store or Google Play Store. No tablet is needed; the guest's signature is also made on the smartphone. If you buy new devices, an entry-level Android such as the Samsung Galaxy A16 is sufficient.
- Portal access for the office via the browser — nothing is installed.
- QR codes for checking in at the apartment: generate them in the portal on the property, print them and post them in the apartment (e.g. hallway or storage room). Alternatively use the location suggestion via GPS — then no hardware in the apartment is needed at all.
- Optional: NFC chips or Bluetooth beacons in the apartment if you prefer a tap or an in-range suggestion instead of a QR code. Both are accessories, not prerequisites.
How the rollout works
- Start the trial — register at portal.litelog.de/signup, 14 days free with the full feature set, no setup fees.
- Set up — create buildings and apartments, activate templates, connect booking calendars, create persons: step by step in the Setup.
- Brief the team — the industry film shows the chain in 90 seconds; pass the guides for cleaners and housekeeping on to the teams. The app guides each person in their own language.
- Support by arrangement — clarify rollout questions with the LiteLog team by email to info@litelog.de or via a demo request on litelog.de; there is no mandatory onboarding session.
Frequently asked questions
Do my cleaners need a company phone? No. The LiteLog app runs on any current Android or iOS smartphone, including private devices. Whether you hand out company devices is up to you.
Do I have to buy NFC chips? No. For vacation rentals a printed QR code per apartment or the location suggestion via GPS is enough. NFC is an option for operations that already use chips.
Can a person be checked in automatically as soon as they enter the apartment? No. Location and beacon only provide a suggestion that the person confirms with a tap. There is no check-in without a device or without confirmation.
How long does the setup take? For a building with a handful of apartments, one afternoon: create the structure, activate the supplied templates, connect the booking calendars, create persons. Your own Excel checklists are taken over by the AI import.