Quick answer: Room status codes are short abbreviations that tell housekeeping and front office the exact condition of every guest room at any moment. The most used room status codes are OC (occupied clean), OD (occupied dirty), VC (vacant clean), VD (vacant dirty), VR (vacant ready), OOO (out of order), OOS (out of service), DND (do not disturb), DL (double locked), SO (sleep out), SK (skipper), ED (expected departure) and EA (expected arrival). Housekeeping reports these codes in the room status report so the front desk sells only ready rooms.
These revision notes cover BHA105 (Foundation Course in Rooms Division Operations, NCHMCT B.Sc. HHA, Semester 1), Unit 3 "Preparing to clean", where the syllabus lists room status reporting. They follow the NCHMCT syllabus topic and are written for IHM and hotel management students. They are not official NCHMCT material, so use them with your institute's handouts. The National Council's programme pages are at nchm.gov.in.
Table of contents
- What is room status? Meaning of room status codes
- Common room status codes in housekeeping
- Room status codes table for quick revision
- Room status reporting: how housekeeping prepares the report
- Room status discrepancy: sleeper, skipper and sleep out
- How room status codes decide the cleaning order
- Exam tips for BHA105 Unit 3
- Housekeeping jobs where room status is used daily
- FAQ: room status codes
What is room status? Meaning of room status codes
Room status is the current condition of a room from two angles at the same time: occupancy (is a guest registered in it?) and readiness (is it clean, inspected and fit to sell?). A room can be occupied and dirty, or vacant and clean, or blocked for repair.
Writing "the guest in 512 has gone out but the room still needs servicing" takes too long on a busy morning. So hotels use room status codes: two or three letters that everyone in the rooms division understands. The codes appear in the property management system (PMS), on the floor supervisor's checklist and on the housekeeping control desk board.
Codes differ slightly between hotels and software, so always learn the list your hotel uses. The common ones below are widely followed in Indian and international hotels.
Common room status codes in housekeeping
Occupancy and cleaning codes
- OC – Occupied Clean: a guest is registered and the room has been serviced today.
- OD – Occupied Dirty: a guest is registered and the room still needs daily service.
- VC – Vacant Clean: no guest; the room is cleaned but may still await inspection.
- VD – Vacant Dirty: no guest; the room needs cleaning, usually after a departure.
- VR – Vacant Ready / Vacant Inspected: cleaned and checked by the supervisor, ready to sell. Some hotels write VI.
Arrival and departure codes
- EA – Expected Arrival: the room is assigned to a guest due today.
- ED / DO – Expected Departure / Due Out: the guest is due to check out today.
- CO – Checked Out: the guest has left and settled the bill; the room becomes VD.
- LCO – Late Check-out: the guest has permission to leave after the standard time.
Blocked room status codes
- OOO – Out of Order: the room cannot be sold because of a fault, such as a leak or broken AC. It is taken out of inventory until engineering repairs it.
- OOS – Out of Service: the room is held back for a short, minor reason, such as deep cleaning or a missing item, and is usually still counted in inventory.
- HU – House Use: used by hotel staff, for example the duty manager.
- COMP – Complimentary: occupied without room charge.
Guest request and security codes
- DND – Do Not Disturb: the guest has asked for no entry. Staff do not knock; they follow the hotel's DND policy and inform the supervisor.
- DL – Double Locked: the room is locked from inside, or by the hotel with a special key for security.
- NB / LB – No Baggage / Light Baggage: a registered guest has little or no luggage; the front desk watches the account.
- SO – Sleep Out: the room was registered but not slept in, and the luggage is still there.
- SK – Skipper: the guest has left without settling the bill and without checking out.
- SL – Sleeper: the front office shows the room occupied, but the guest has already left; the status was not updated.
Room status codes table for quick revision
| Code | Full form | Housekeeping action |
|---|---|---|
| OC | Occupied Clean | No action until evening turndown |
| OD | Occupied Dirty | Service when the guest is out or permits |
| VD | Vacant Dirty | Clean as a departure room |
| VC | Vacant Clean | Supervisor to inspect |
| VR | Vacant Ready | Release to front office for sale |
| OOO | Out of Order | Raise a maintenance work order, follow up |
| OOS | Out of Service | Finish the minor job and release |
| DND | Do Not Disturb | Do not enter; follow DND policy |
| DL | Double Locked | Report; enter only with authority |
| SO | Sleep Out | Report to front office |
| SK | Skipper | Report at once to front office and security |
| ED | Expected Departure | Clean after check-out as a priority |
| EA | Expected Arrival | Make ready and inspect before arrival time |
Room status reporting: how housekeeping prepares the report
Room status reporting means checking every room and passing its correct code to the front office. The housekeeping room status report (also called the occupancy report or HK report) is the result. A typical routine:
- Morning check: floor supervisors or room attendants physically check each room, look for luggage, see if the bed was used and note DND or DL signs.
- Record: the code of each room is marked on the floor sheet or a handheld device.
- Compile: the housekeeping control desk compiles all floors into one report.
- Send to front office: the report reaches the front desk at a fixed time, often before the busy check-out period, and again in the afternoon and evening.
- Update during the day: as rooms are cleaned and inspected, the status moves from VD to VC to VR in the PMS, by phone, by the room phone code or by a mobile app.
This flow depends on good teamwork between the two departments, explained in housekeeping coordination with other departments.
Room status discrepancy: sleeper, skipper and sleep out
A discrepancy is a difference between the room status shown at the front office and the actual status found by housekeeping. The housekeeping report is compared with the front office report, and every mismatch is listed in a room discrepancy report.
| Front office shows | Housekeeping finds | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Occupied | Vacant, no luggage | Possible sleeper or skipper |
| Occupied | Bed not used, luggage present | Sleep out |
| Vacant | Guest or luggage in room | Unregistered occupancy; check at once |
Why it matters: a sleeper means a sellable room is lying empty, which is lost revenue. A skipper means an unpaid bill. Vacant rooms showing occupied guests is also a security risk. The front office manager investigates each discrepancy and corrects the PMS.
How room status codes decide the cleaning order
Room status codes also tell attendants which rooms to clean first. Most hotels give priority to rooms where an arrival is waiting, then VIP and early-arrival rooms, then departures, then occupied rooms on request. DND rooms are taken up later as per policy. Setting cleaning priorities is the next point in the same syllabus unit and will be covered in detail in a separate post.
Attendants note these codes on the assignment sheet before loading the trolley; see maid's cart setup and the housekeeping pantry layout.
Exam tips for BHA105 Unit 3
- Learn at least twelve room status codes with full forms; a code, full form and one-line meaning earns full marks.
- Explain the difference between OOO and OOS clearly; it is a favourite short question.
- Define sleeper, skipper and sleep out separately and say which department acts.
- Draw the VD → VC → VR flow if the question asks about room status reporting.
- Write that codes can vary by hotel and PMS.
Likely questions
- What is room status? Explain any ten room status codes. (10 marks)
- Differentiate between out of order and out of service rooms. (5 marks)
- What is a room discrepancy? Explain sleeper and skipper. (5 marks)
- Write short notes on the housekeeping room status report. (3 marks)
Housekeeping jobs where room status is used daily
Room attendants, floor supervisors and control desk executives work with room status codes every shift. Interviewers often ask freshers to explain VD, OOO and DND, so revise the housekeeping interview questions and the room attendant duties before applying.
- Entry roles: room attendant, public area attendant, housekeeping trainee, control desk assistant.
- Typical pay ranges (indicative only): entry-level housekeeping roles in India often fall roughly between ₹10,000 and ₹20,000 a month; Gulf and cruise employers may add accommodation and meals. Pay varies, so read each job post.
See live housekeeping jobs and register free on Hospitality Vacancy to be found by hotels in India, the Gulf and Europe.
FAQ: room status codes
What are room status codes in housekeeping?
They are short abbreviations such as OC, VD, VR, OOO and DND that show whether a room is occupied or vacant and whether it is clean, ready or blocked.
What is the difference between OOO and OOS?
An out of order room has a fault and is removed from saleable inventory until repaired. An out of service room is held back for a short, minor reason and is usually still counted in inventory.
What does VR mean in a hotel?
VR means vacant ready: the room is cleaned, inspected by the supervisor and ready to be sold to an arriving guest.
What is a skipper in housekeeping?
A skipper is a guest who leaves the hotel without settling the bill and without checking out. Housekeeping reports it to the front office and security at once.
What is a sleeper in a hotel?
A sleeper is a room that the front office shows as occupied, though the guest has already left. It happens when the check-out is not updated.
Read next
- Housekeeping Coordination with Other Departments (BHA105)
- Maid's Cart Setup: Stocking the Trolley and Caddy (BHA105)
- Room Attendant Duties and Responsibilities in Hotels
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About the author: Sumit Manwal
Sumit Manwal is the founder of Hospitality Vacancy, the job site built for the hotel industry, which he has run since 2017. With more than 20 years of experience in hospitality, he received the Excellence in Hospitality Sector of Uttarakhand award (January 2023) and the Dainik Jagran inext Uttarakhand Ratan award. He is passionate about helping hotel management students and hospitality professionals build successful careers, and connects talented people with hotel jobs across India, the Gulf and Europe. Through these notes he shares practical, easy-to-follow hospitality knowledge so every reader can learn, grow and get hired.
