The STR Checkout Damage Photo Protocol Cards have to work mid-turnover: a cleaner moving room to room, phone in one hand, cards checked at a glance, and a log that files the finished set before the next guest arrives. It was built accordingly — a fillable PDF you can tap-type on your phone, flat PDFs to print for a cleaning crew, and a spreadsheet that keeps photo sets, damage, and gaps together. No special software and no subscription. This guide covers what opens each file, which device fits each step, and an honest comparison with the usual alternative: hundreds of unorganized photos in a camera roll.
The download contains five files: a flat printable PDF in US Letter, the same kit in A4, an ink-friendly black-and-white US Letter PDF, a fillable PDF with 94 tap-type fields, and a photo log spreadsheet in .xlsx format. A black-and-white A4 version is offered as a bonus through the thank-you message. It is an instant download — nothing ships.
For PDFs, free Adobe Acrobat Reader is the dependable default, particularly for the fillable version, because it fills and saves form fields consistently on iPhone, Android, tablet, and desktop. On iPhone and iPad, Apple Files and Preview open the flat PDFs for reading and markup — handy for sending one card to a cleaner. On Android, Acrobat Reader or the built-in viewer covers viewing and filling. On Windows and Mac, Chrome, Edge, Firefox, and Safari open the PDFs in the browser, but Acrobat Reader is the safer choice for the copy you fill, save, and keep with the set. For the photography itself, the phone’s own camera is the tool — originals, unedited, in set order, dated anchor frame first. Keep one folder per turnover, named by date and property, so sets stay findable and comparable.
The log opens in Microsoft Excel and in Google Sheets — Sheets is free with a Google account and keeps the log reachable from the phone at the property and from the computer when you compare sets or assemble a claim file. The workbook contains a photo set log — the demo rows show 3 sets logged and 2 marked complete; replace them with yours — plus a damage log and a gap log. Free LibreOffice Calc opens the .xlsx file too. A practical routine: log the set’s counts and storage location the same day it is shot, while the turnover is still the one in front of you.
On devices: a phone is the turnover tool — it shoots the photos, carries the cards, and starts the log, all in one hand. A desktop or laptop is best for comparing two sets side by side on a full screen and for assembling photos for a claim. A tablet sits between the two, comfortable for a walkthrough review with a cleaner. For printing, any standard printer works — the cards are made to be printed, one per room group, and carried or posted at the property; use the US Letter or A4 file to match your paper, and the black-and-white version to keep crew copies cheap.
Pairings cover the claims that photos feed into. Inside DealShore, the AirCover Damage Claim Filing Kit takes over when a damage set becomes a claim. The STR House Rules Acknowledgment & Violation Log proves which rules were signed before the stay the photos document. The Airbnb Party Shut-Down & Eviction Incident Report covers the serious incident itself, documented as it unfolds. [Affiliate slot: cloud photo storage plan for hosts archiving turnover sets] [Affiliate slot: printable card stock or lamination pouches for reusable cleaner cards]
Against the alternatives, honestly: photographing without a protocol is free, and everyone already does it — but angles vary by person, rooms get skipped, as-found shots are missed before stripping, and months later no set can be found or compared. A generic cleaning checklist tells a crew what to clean, not what to photograph, in what order, or how to escalate damage with scale and comparison frames. Writing your own protocol from scratch is doable — the pieces usually missed are the dated anchor frame, the honesty page that names missed shots, and retakes labeled with their real dates. This kit’s value is that complete, repeatable standard. Its limit is plain: it produces consistent, findable photo sets; it states no platform evidence or claim rule, and it decides no claim.
This pack is a general photo-protocol and filing tool you complete from your own turnovers. It is not legal advice, consult an attorney about your situation. It states no platform evidence, claim, or deposit rule as applying.
Get the STR Checkout Damage Photo Protocol Cards here:
Get it on DealShore: https://dealshore.com/str-checkout-damage-photo-protocol/ Get it on Etsy: https://dealshore.etsy.com
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