Turno × Smoobu Setup

What the Turno–Smoobu connection does — and doesn't

Turno (formerly TurnoverBnB) is a standalone cleaning management platform that does not plug directly into Smoobu's API — it syncs via an iCal calendar feed (based on Turno's public documentation, as of 29 September 2026). That means Turno reads your Smoobu occupancy calendar — arrival and departure dates, no guest names or payment data — and automatically turns that into cleaning jobs for your team.

The difference from a real API integration matters: iCal feeds are not real-time. Smoobu and most channels typically refresh iCal exports somewhere between every 15 and 60 minutes (the interval varies by channel and Smoobu configuration). A cancellation five minutes before check-in won't show up in Turno instantly — for anything time-sensitive, still plan to send the cleaner a direct message.

If you're already using Smoobu's free cleaner account or a Google Sheets setup (see our cleaning handoff guide), Turno mainly earns its cost once you're coordinating multiple cleaners, need photo evidence for owners or insurance, or want to pay cleaners directly through the platform.

* Check current pricing at turno.com/pricing — as of 29 September 2026.

Step 1 — Prerequisites and finding the Smoobu iCal link

Before setting anything up in Turno, you need the export link from Smoobu for each property you want to coordinate.

1. In Smoobu: go to Settings → Channels → Export (menu wording may vary slightly by Smoobu version).
2. Select the property whose calendar you want to export.
3. Copy the iCal URL shown (usually ending in .ics). This is a read-only link — it shows occupied date ranges, not guest data.
4. Repeat this for every additional property the same cleaner covers.

Step 2 — Add the property in Turno and paste the iCal link

1. In Turno: click Add property and enter the name, address, and time zone.
2. Under Calendar Feeds / Calendar Sync, choose Add calendar feed and paste the copied Smoobu iCal URL.
3. Turno pulls the feed and lists existing bookings as upcoming checkouts. Confirm the dates match your Smoobu calendar.
4. Save. From here, Turno polls the feed automatically at regular intervals — the exact cadence is controlled by Turno and Smoobu, typically somewhere in the 15–60 minute range.

With multiple properties, add each one separately instead of importing one combined calendar — otherwise cleaning jobs won't map cleanly to individual properties later.

Step 3 — Assign a cleaner or team

Once the calendar is live, Turno automatically creates a cleaning job for every checkout. Someone needs to be assigned to pick it up.

1. Under Team / Staff, create a profile for each cleaner — name, phone number, and whether they use the Turno app.
2. Assign a default cleaner to each property (auto-assign), or leave jobs open so the team claims them.
3. The assigned person gets a push notification in the Turno app as soon as the job is created — not only when they manually check a calendar.
4. Set up a checklist (optional). Under Tasks / Checklist, you can define standard per-room tasks that the cleaner checks off in the app — some can require photo proof.

If a cleaner covers multiple properties, they see all assigned jobs in one list in the app, sorted by date — useful on days when several properties turn over at once.

Step 4 — Turnover buffer and same-day turn alert

The most critical case in cleaning scheduling is the same-day turn: one guest checks out, and a few hours later the next one checks in. Turno recognizes this automatically once both dates come from the same iCal feed.

1. In property settings, set the default cleaning duration (e.g. 2 hours) — Turno uses this to detect conflicts.
2. Enable same-day turn flagging so tight-window jobs are highlighted in color in both the calendar and the app.
3. Some hosts set a higher cleaning fee for same-day turns, or deliberately assign a second, available cleaner instead of relying on the regular one.

Optional: damage documentation and cleaner payments via Turno

Two features most clearly distinguish Turno from a free calendar-based setup: the photo checklist per cleaning (evidence for owners, co-hosting clients, or a guest dispute) and the built-in ability to pay cleaners directly through the app instead of manual bank transfers.

Both are optional and separate from the basic calendar sync — they need their own setup in the relevant Turno section (Payments and Tasks respectively). Check turno.com for current terms on cleaner payouts, since fee structures can change.

Troubleshooting common issues