Keeping a good cleaner
The most expensive thing in this business is losing the person who knows your place.
A cleaner who knows your property is worth more than one who is cheaper. They know which window sticks, where the spare linen lives, and what the previous guest is likely to have moved. Replacing them costs you several imperfect cleans while somebody learns all of that again.
Pay predictably. Certainty matters more than rate. A guaranteed number of cleans a month — paid whether or not the bookings came — is what lets somebody sign a lease. It costs you little in a busy month and buys loyalty in a quiet one.
Be specific rather than disappointed. "It wasn't up to standard" teaches nothing. A photograph of how the lounge should look teaches it in one second and keeps teaching it.
Do not make them chase you for money. Every payment recorded, every amount visible. What somebody is owed should never be a matter of memory on either side.
Tell them what changed. A new guest type, a new rule, a fussy neighbour. People do better work when they understand the place they are working in.