A complete Airbnb host checklist contains all the furniture, decor pieces, consumable items, and ongoing supplies that you need to get your Airbnb running, impress your guests, and generate a steady stream of 5-star reviews. This, in turn, will help you secure high Airbnb occupancy rates, boost income, and maximize ROI.
Here, we’ve compiled the ultimate checklist for Airbnb hosts with all must-have and nice-to-have items to enhance the performance of your short-term rental. The items on this list have been recommended by our network of experienced Airbnb hosts and reviewed by our team of vacation rental managers.
Meanwhile, you can also check out this breakdown of the cost to furnish a house by room and type.
Bathroom Airbnb Host Checklist
The bathroom is the room that has the highest risk of resulting in negative reviews by Airbnb guests. Failing to provide guests with the essentials as well as some extras will leave them unhappy and unsatisfied. Guests expect the bathroom of a short-term rental to provide at least what a hotel bathroom offers, potentially even more. This includes accessories, toiletries, towels, amenities, and instructional signs.
Moreover, the bathroom has one of the highest chances of leading to investor’s liability as it can turn into a source of various threats and risks unless everything is well thought-through, carefully executed, and perfectly maintained.
With this in mind, the must-have Airbnb bathroom accessories include:
- Soap and shampoo dispensers
- Soap dish
- Toothbrush holder
- Waste basket
- Bath mat
- Shower curtain
- Shower liner
- Plunger and bowl brush
- Toilet roll holder
- Towel rings
- Towel rails
- Grab bars
In your selection of all bathroom items, make sure to rely on simple styles to match any decor, guest group, and Airbnb location. The style should be aligned with the furnishing of the bathroom and the entire rental. Don’t go overboard with complex, expensive, and eccentric Airbnb bathroom ideas that will be truly appreciated by only a handful of guests, while others might find them bizarre and potentially unwelcoming. Also, you’ll want to have a backup available on request or for a quick replacement.
The Airbnb bathroom essentials and toiletries to go with every well-stocked vacation rental include:
- Shampoo & conditioner
- Body wash
- Hand soap
- Toilet paper
- Toothpaste
- Toothbrush
- Tissues
- Facial cotton rounds
- Cotton swabs
- Bandages, assorted sizes
All of the options for Airbnb toiletries should be scent free, hypo allergenic, and sold in bulk. Buying shampoos, conditioners, and other essentials in bulk will not only help you reduce the cost but also facilitate the management of your vacation rental by having to repurchase items less frequently.
It’s important to continuously keep an eye on your inventory to ensure that you reorder Airbnb supplies before they run out. Moreover, it should be clear for guests where they can find replacements around the bathroom or the house so that they don’t have to contact you all the time or get frustrated every time they run out of tissues.
Of course, every Airbnb host needs to supply enough towels in their bathrooms that include:
Like other items on an Airbnb host list, towels need to be selected for affordability, ease of cleaning, durability, comfort, and sensitivity. Having a rotation of towels is recommended to reduce the pressure to wash and dry everything between guests, especially in high season.
Other Airbnb bathroom amenities that the best hosts provide include:
- Hair dryer
- Bathrobes
- Magnified makeup mirror
- Lint roller (recommended if you host pets)
- Iron (recommended if you host business travelers)
- Ironing board
While they aren’t absolutely required, given their affordability, bathroom amenities are a great way to make your Airbnb stand out, get bookings, and generate positive reviews by guests.
Instructional signs that work best in an Airbnb bathroom include:
While guests usually do their best to treat your Airbnb like their home, sometimes they need a gentle reminder. A sign can go a long way in helping your guests treat your towels, your plumbing, and your bathroom in general with care and respect, for the benefit of you as the host as well as for future guests.
If you put the necessary effort into providing all above-listed items and coordinating them well with one another in addition to the entire bathroom, you will be one step closer to having happy guests. You will offer a stress-free experience to your renters and avoid liability. They will appreciate this and come back or recommend you to friends and family traveling to your area.
Kitchen Airbnb Host Checklist
The kitchen is the place where Airbnb guests will spend a significant portion of their time, especially if you cater to families on vacation. Many guests book Airbnbs - rather than hotels - specifically because they can access a kitchen, cook their own meals, and enjoy foods that might not be available in their hometown.
While you likely aren’t hosting many professional chefs, having a set of appliances, tableware, utensils, cookware, and other Airbnb kitchen essentials like spices is a must in order to provide a pleasant and satisfactory experience.
In choosing the furniture and other items for your Airbnb kitchen, keep in mind that - together with the bathroom - this is yet another risky place in a short-term rental that can lead to injuries among guests. So, be guided by the principles of safety at all times.
The main appliances in the best Airbnb kitchens include:
- Coffee maker
- Dishwasher
- Fridge
- Mini fridge
- Hot plate
- Oven
- Range Hood
- Microwave
- Toaster
- Blender
- Hand mixer
- Air fryer
- Electric kettle
- Water purifier
- Water cooler dispenser
- Big garbage can
- Small trash can
If you already have appliances built into the walls of your kitchen, there is no need to get duplicates. However, you’ll need to make sure that everything works well and that your guests have access to the tools for daily needs like coffee and microwave pizza.
Furniture in Airbnb kitchens includes:
- Countertop
- Dining table and chairs (if your Airbnb doesn’t have a dining room)
Furniture should match the overall decor of the room. In most cases, you’ll be well-served by adding a small table with two chairs, if your kitchen can accommodate it. This is a must if your vacation rental does not have a separate dining room and the living room is not well-fit for eating comfortably.
The most important pieces of Airbnb cookware and bakeware include:
- Kitchen utensils
- Mixing bowls
- Individual pots & pans
- Baking sheets
- Cookware set
- Can opener
- Bottle opener
- Chef’s knives
- Skillet
- Saucepan
- Colander
- Cutting board
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Tongs
- Strainer
- Grater
- Scissors
- Vegetable peeler
- Lemon squeezer
- Food storage containers
- Ice tray
You may be tempted to save money on cookware, but Airbnb guests don’t like to see cookware that is stained, scratched, or obviously used by other people. If you spend a little more on a good set, your cookware will last longer and you’ll earn better reviews.
When going through your Airbnb kitchen host checklist, don’t forget to stock your pantry and fridge with:
- Bottled water
- Salt & pepper
- Sugar & sweetener packets
- Spices
- Cooking oil
- Cooking spray
- Coffee
- Tea
- Coffee filters
- Condiment packets
- Snacks
- Spices and condiments typical for your area
These are the essentials for your Airbnb kitchen. There is no need to keep bulk amounts of everything on hand for refills. Instead, simply order 2 sets of each item to ensure that you have enough. The delivery on these items is quick, if you need something in a pinch.
Meanwhile, make sure that all food items have the original packaging and are clearly marked for allergens or other dietary requirements and preferences. The last thing you want as an Airbnb host is to risk the health of your guests.
Essential items for the kitchen include:
- Kitchen towels and dishcloths
- Cling wrap
- Baking paper
- Aluminum foil
- Napkins
- Paper towels
- Trash bags
- Dish soap
- Dishwasher pods
- Hand soap
- Sponges
- Disinfectant wipes
You’ll notice that many of the recommendations on this list are brand names. Refrain from trying to save money here. Airbnb guests don’t use a huge amount of paper towels or trash bags. In fact, when they use these items and they work well, you’ll find that your Airbnb is cleaner and better taken care of.
So, these are all the things that caring Airbnb hosts need to provide for their guests as long as the kitchen space is concerned. While the checklist might seem long, these items are needed to improve the stay of your guests and allow them to enjoy some homemade local food. If you are a beginner, you might be surprised how often guests comment on the ability to prepare their own food in a comfortable and clean environment when reviewing Airbnb listings.
Dining Room Airbnb Host Checklist
While not every short-term rental features a dining room, it is important to furnish it, decorate it, and stock it well in case your property does. The good news is that there are significantly fewer items that go into an Airbnb dining room than into an Airbnb kitchen.
Airbnb dining room must-have furniture pieces include:
- Dining table
- Dining chairs
- China cabinet
- Baby high chair (recommended if you target families with small children)
Meanwhile, the obligatory Airbnb tableware includes:
- Plates and dishes
- Bowls
- Serving dishes
- Drinking cups
- Silverware
- Cutlery
- Steak knives
- Serving spoons
- Coffee mugs
- Wine glasses
If you don’t have a dining room, don’t forget to add all the above-listed items to your Airbnb kitchen checklist.
Tableware will need to be replaced occasionally due to wearing off as well as breaking. Selecting items that are durable and free of unnecessary designs and textures will reduce the breakage in addition to giving your rental a modern look and feel. Ensure you have enough of each tableware to accommodate your maximum number of guests, with a few extras.
Since there are so few items in a typical dining room, checking off every item on the list should not take too much time, effort, and money.
Bedroom Airbnb Host Checklist
Bedrooms are relatively simple, but guests expect to sleep comfortably through the night. No matter if they travel for work or leisure, it is essential to have everything needed for a relaxing night after a busy day.
This means you should pay special attention to your bedding selection. Avoid anything that will be difficult to clean or will require regular upkeep. You don’t want to put off your guests and make them leave a negative review by expecting them to sleep in what looks like a poorly cleaned set of sheets.
Quick tip here, rotate your mattress every month or so to ensure even use and save money on having to change it every couple of years.
Bedrooms in an Airbnb need the following furniture set pieces:
- Bed frame
- Bunk beds
- Night stand
- Bedside lamp
- Closet
- Dresser
- Blinds
- Baby crib with all the essentials (recommended if you target families with small children)
Your furniture selection will depend on the size of the room, but these essentials are a must in every bedroom. We selected options that are quick to deliver, easy to assemble, durable to stay, and fast to fix.
Beds in an Airbnb rental property should be supplied with:
- Mattress
- Mattress protector
- Mattress pad
- Mattress cover
- Bedding sets
- Pillows
- Pillow protectors
- Pillowcases
- Comforter
- Sheets
- Wrinkle-free sheets
- Colored sheets
- Duvet
- Duvet cover
- Blankets
Bedding is key because Airbnb guests want a good night’s sleep. You’ve likely experienced good sleep in a great hotel, so many of these items are inspired or even directly used by major hotels around the country. As a host, you want to make sure that your guests get the same comfortable and trouble-free sleep as they would in the best hotels.
Closets in Airbnbs should have:
Closets are relatively simple to complete, just add hangers and a mirror, and everything else can be stored in drawers.
Airbnb bedroom decor ideas and other additional items that can elevate guest experience include:
These extra Airbnb bedroom ideas are all cheap and easy to implement, while they can really make the difference between your guests feeling at home or feeling like they are staying at an impersonal hotel.
All in all, while there are many items that go into preparing an Airbnb bedroom, hosts need to put the necessary effort into getting everything required for a relaxing night at their property. Unless guests are able to rest well, they are guaranteed to write bad reviews.
Living Room Airbnb Host Checklist
The living room is a versatile space used by Airbnb guests to hang out, relax, work, or even sleep. Whether you have one guest or many, you’ll need to create a space that is comfortable and offers them the necessary seating options to enjoy their stay. Depending on the type of guests that you host and their primary reason to visit your city, they might end up spending multiple hours a day in your living room.
Moreover, the living room is often the first room that guests see in a short-term rental, so it’s your chance to grab their attention and start building the positive impressions that you need in order to obtain that coveted 5-star review.
The most common Airbnb living room furniture items include:
Regardless of what Airbnb living room ideas you have, keep in mind that you have to furnish the space based on its size and organization. Don’t try to fit unnecessary furniture and decor pieces because this might make your living room feel stuffed and unwelcoming.
Other decor and furniture ideas to consider to give your living room a sense of warmth and coziness include:
- Blinds
- Rugs
- Throw blanket
- Throw pillows
- Throw pillow covers
- Floor lamps
- Table lamps
- Candle holders
- Candles
- Vase
- Plant
- Clock
- Phone
- Electric fireplace
- Paintings
- Air mattresses (to host extra guests)
- Gift basket
The prices of living room decors can vary widely. At the same time, how you decorate the living room of your Airbnb property is almost as important as - if not more than - how you furnish it. A small detail like a throw blanket or an extra light can truly make the difference between a generic space and a cozy living room where guests want to rest after a busy day visiting tourist attractions or shopping. Thus, it’s worth putting time and effort into finding decorations that can give your space its own feel without being unnecessarily expensive.
When it comes to the living room, you should also pay attention to the flooring and paint that you use. Focus on materials and brands that are durable and easy to clean and maintain. In terms of colors, go for light, neutral, natural colors that match different types of furniture and that create a sense for a more spacious room.
Home Office Airbnb Host Checklist
If you’d like to take advantage of the remote working trend, you need to work on furnishing a home office that provides all the basics as well as some extras to remote employees. Since these are usually people who work in the digital space, known as digital nomads, you don’t have to spend thousands of dollars on getting every single piece of furniture that can be found in a standard office. But you need to offer a comfortable working environment.
If your home does not have a separate room for this purpose, you can furnish a small space in the living room.
The most important furniture that goes into an Airbnb home office includes:
Just like with all other rooms, choose items that are modern in style, neutral in color, comfortable to use, and durable to last. Don’t make the rookie mistake for falling for big - and expensive - brand names. You can find good-quality, affordable home office furniture to complete your Airbnb hosting checklist.
Entertainment & Games Airbnb Host Checklist
Unless your guests are only sleeping in the Airbnb, they’ll need to be entertained. You as the host have the option to go as simple or as extravagant as you want here. Of course, you have to provide options which fit different age groups, from babies to the elderly.
Keep in mind that guests that are busy having fun are making fewer messes and spending less time rearranging the furniture. Furthermore, the more fun they have in your vacation rental property, the more likely they are to go the extra mile and write an excellent review once they are back home.
Essential entertainment tech for an Airbnb includes:
We recommend the Smart TV over the separate attachments because it’s easier to use and troubleshoot. A bluetooth speaker is also recommended, since no one really travels with their CD collection. At the same time, people enjoy listening to their favorite music when on holiday.
Some lawn games to consider for your Airbnb include:
- Corn hole
- Bocce ball
- Tug of war (recommended for Airbnbs hosting group stays)
If you have a lawn, use it. Give your guests the option to play games outside and enjoy the good weather. Yes, you’ll have to replace some of these from time to time, but time spent outside is time not spent making your Airbnb a mess.
Some pool items to consider for your Airbnb include:
If you have a pool, you’ll want to offer some pool toys. We purposely went with things that are large and float. If you give your guests something to play with in the pool, they are less likely to repurpose other things around the house for pool games.
Some oversized games to include in an Airbnb are:
- Ping pong table and paddles
- Billiard table, accessories, and stand
- Foosball
- Multi-game sets
- Arcade machine
- Jumbo Connect 4
Oversized games are a great way to entertain and fill up an empty room or oversized living room. They also show especially well on photos, since guests can really imagine themselves playing them when booking your listing.
Meanwhile, the best table games and light entertainment include:
Simple table games are fun for everyone to play and can make a rainy day at your Airbnb a feature and not a problem. You’ll need to occasionally replace the pieces for the games or the whole game, but this is a very affordable entertainment option.
The best Airbnb entertainment options for the youngests guests include:
Whether you add these baby-specific play options or not depends entirely on your target guest group. If you’d like to encourage young couples with small children to choose your listing, adding a few extras to keep their baby entertained will work in your favor. If, on the other hand, you’d rather host families with older children or no children, you don’t have to worry about these items.
Once you start working on listing your property on the Airbnb platform, make sure to note all the different game and entertainment options that you offer. If you provide more options than your competitors, you will generate more bookings, which will push up your Airbnb occupancy rate and your profit.
Amenities Airbnb Host Checklist
Amenities help you secure bookings, allow you to charge higher daily rates, and give you the opportunity to host guests that have specific requirements, like people with kids and pets. In our Airbnb hosting checklist, we focused on the amenities that are most requested and most looked for by guests around the country.
The best amenities to feature in your Airbnb include:
While hot tubs and pools are in high demand across the US market, you’d need to do some quick research to figure out the most demanded other amenities in your location. You can check out nearby listings to see what amenities they offer and try to provide more than they do. Sometimes this proves to be the easiest way to boost your occupancy without compromising your daily rates.
Backyard & Lawn Airbnb Host Checklists
Since the pandemic, Airbnb hosts have reported an increased interest in rentals that offer opportunities to spend time outside and have fun with friends and family. Thus, to ensure comprehensive furnishing and decoration of a short-term rental, you have to take care of the backyard, patio, lawn, garden, or any other outdoor space that your house has.
The most important backyard ideas and items for an Airbnb property include:
- Outdoor patio furniture
- Outdoor dining set
- Swing chair
- Sun shade
- Grill
- Grilling set
- Grill cleaner
- Barbeque charcoal
- Kids’ slide
- Kids’ rocking toy
- Fire pit
- EV charger
Offering a comfortable and fun outdoor time is particularly important in Airbnb markets where guests go to enjoy the sun, such as Florida, California, and Hawaii. But it can also make you stand out from the competition in just about any location. So, make sure not to ignore the backyard or patio when preparing your Airbnb for guests.
Security & Home Automation Airbnb Host Checklist
Security is an important piece of your Airbnb because it ensures that you can help your guests feel safe and know that your property is being used responsibly. Additionally, you’ll find that home automation helps with keeping costs low and otherwise catering to guest needs. For instance, you won’t need to personally check in and check out every single guest if you provide them with keyless access.
Connectivity essentials for Airbnb hosts include:
- Wi-Fi router
- Wi-Fi extender (recommended for large houses)
- Streaming service
Your guests are dependent on having a good Wi-Fi connection. Investing in a good router can save you a significant headache. You can also get extenders if your home is large or parts of it have coverage issues. You don’t want guests complaining about connectivity problems on your listing on Airbnb.
Security essentials for Airbnb hosts and their rentals include:
- Smart lock
- Door lock
- Keyless deadbolt
- Security cameras
- Security system (such as Vivint Smart Home)
- Lockbox
- Safe
- Noise monitor
The type of lock you use on your Airbnb is really up to you. However, smart locks are the ideal solution for Airbnb hosts since keys don’t need to exchange hands. You’ll want external security cameras as well and a security system, especially if you are located in a remote area or your Airbnb sits vacant for extended periods of time.
Utility management tech for Airbnb hosts includes:
A smart thermostat can help reduce your heating and cooling costs throughout the year. We don’t recommend limiting access to the thermostat for your guests (some people just run a little hot), but we do recommend monitoring the temperature and saving money where you can when the property is not booked. Meanwhile, smoke and carbon monoxide detectors and alarms are non-negotiables in an Airbnb property.
While setting up a smart Airbnb home might run a little costly at the beginning, it will end up saving you lots of money and troubles down the road. Thus, it’s totally worth the initial cost.
Cleaning Equipment & Supplies Airbnb Host Checklist
No matter how awesome your Airbnb is, if it isn’t clean in time for guests, it’s not going to work. Having the right tools and chemicals for the job on hand makes everything easier. Besides some gadgets like a vacuum, most of the items on this Airbnb host checklist are relatively simple and reliable for regular cleaning.
Airbnb must-have appliances for cleaning and laundry include:
This is an essential appliance. You’ll be doing a significant amount of laundry between guests, and you’ll want machines that are very reliable and can handle multiple towels, bedding, and more. Moreover, guests who come for extended stays, like a week or a month, would need to do some quick laundry too.
The best tools for cleaning an Airbnb are:
These are your basic tools for cleaning. You’ll want to spend a little extra here to ensure durability. We’ve found that offering guests cleaning tools leaves the Airbnb cleaner without any special requests necessary. Guests just feel obliged to tidy up their mess if hosts have supplied them with the needed tools.
The essential cleaning supplies for Airbnb hosts include:
- Laundry detergent
- Laundry softener
- Multi-surface cleaner
- Cleaning spray
- Paper towels
- Gloves
- Magic eraser
- Drano
- Air freshener
When choosing the cleaning supplies, avoid anything that is toxic or too strong or that can pose a health hazard to your guests. Moreover, make sure that all chemicals are properly stored, especially if you host families with children or pets.
These supplies will be in frequent demand. The best case is to stock them for guests and leave it alone. That’s only possible if you hire professional cleaners to tidy up after every stay so that they bring their own supplies. Otherwise, you’ll want to have enough supplies stocked for a few weeks of regular cleaning for you to clean thoroughly between stays and for your guests to clean up occasional messes.
Setting Up and Managing Your Airbnb
Once you have a property for an Airbnb business, you’ll need to get started hosting it. To do so, follow these steps:
1. Understand the Local Airbnb Laws and Regulations
Local rules are constantly changing. And just because there are Airbnbs near you, that doesn’t mean that they are fully legal and that you can simply launch your own short-term rental business.
To avoid fines and a potential shut down, make sure you study the applicable short-term rentals laws and restrictions. It’s best to do that before finding an investment property to buy and rent out on Airbnb.
Then, as you go through the Airbnb host checklist, also work on getting all the necessary permissions to start hosting. These can include different types of short-term rental permits and licenses which vary by state, county, city, and sometimes even residential zone.
2. Furnish and Prepare the Airbnb for Guests
Operating an Airbnb business is very much being in the hospitality industry. It’s different from running a long-term rental, where you basically need to provide a liveable space and not much more than that.
When setting up your Airbnb, you’ll need all the furniture, amenities, and supplies listed in our Airbnb hosting checklist in addition to a guest book, house rules, and any final touches you want for the listing. Consider who will be staying at your Airbnb carefully for this step and adapt based on their needs, expectations, and requirements.
3. Make Your Airbnb Property Safe
The last thing you want as an Airbnb host is for the safety and security of your property and your guests to be compromised. This could lead to extremely expensive situations as well as legal problems.
That’s why you should provide all the above-listed items that take care of this aspect of starting an Airbnb business. Unless you are particularly handy or have previous experience in the field, we strongly recommend hiring a professional to set up the security system of your short-term rental property. The extra cost will be more than worth it.
4. Determine the Pricing of Your Listing
Pricing your listing right is key. Too high and it will sit vacant. Too low and you will be booked but potentially lose money in the process. Moreover, there isn’t a single daily rate that’s appropriate year-round because of seasonal changes in demand and supply, typical for all the best cities to buy a rental property.
To optimize the nightly prices of your Airbnb, you should conduct competitive rental market analysis to know what rates other hosts in the area set. Focus on properties that are similar to yours and near you for the best pricing ranges.
Alternatively, you can get one of the best Airbnb pricing tools to automate the process.
5. List Your Home on Airbnb
That’s one of the most exciting steps as it’s finally time to share your vacation rental with the world and start welcoming guests. We don’t recommend listing your home on too many different platforms because you might not have the capacity to optimize every single listing for the specific website.
Instead, stick to the big names like Airbnb and Vrbo. A good Airbnb listing alone can get you way more bookings than mediocre listings on multiple platforms.
6. Optimize Your Airbnb Listing for SEO
Once you list your property on Airbnb, your work as a host doesn’t end there. You need to continue working on it to optimize it for Airbnb SEO. You can experiment with different titles and descriptions to see which ones will yield the highest booking rates for you and your property.
7. Hire Help or Do the Work Yourself
Once your property is ready for listing and welcoming guests, it’s time to decide on the best management style for your needs.
If you invest close to home and don’t have a full-time job, you can consider being a DIY Airbnb host. In this case, you’ll be responsible for everything from marketing and communicating with guests, to cleaning and restocking between stays.
If, on the other hand, you invest remotely or just want to enjoy a passive real estate income, you’d need to hire one of the best Airbnb management companies in your market. Some of the top vacation rental property managers nationwide are:
- Awning is a leader among short-term rental property management companies, covering all residential property types and all US markets. The company provides comprehensive management services at industry-low rates, starting at 15% of monthly rental income.
- Vacasa is the largest vacation rental management company in North America, working in 35 US states and some places in Canada, Mexico, Belize, and Costa Rica. Vacasa covers full-service management, but some services are paid separately. Moreover, the company does not provide a pricing structure, so hosts need to get in touch with the local team and ask for the applicable local rate.
- AvantStay is yet another popular full-service Airbnb manager, operating in 11 US states. In terms of property types, the company manages homes with 4+ bedrooms as they focus on the group travel niche. Similar to Vacasa, AvantStay does not publish its property management fees and rates, so investors need to talk to a company representative.
How We Selected the Items for the Complete Airbnb Host Checklist
When building this Airbnb host checklist, we interviewed hosts around the country, looked at our own Airbnb management portfolio, and read online reviews of selected products. As a result, all the items we recommend and link to are high quality, durable, affordable, loved by hosts and guests, low maintenance, and cost efficient.
In our selection, we focused on the following factors:
- Hosting expertise: We relied on our experience hosting Airbnbs and interviewed successful hosts around the country to get their best recommendations on the items that have been the most enjoyed and appreciated by their hosts and that have gotten them the most 5-star reviews.
- Quality: The quality of any item in your Airbnb is an integral part of your Airbnb operations and the overall experience that you provide to guests. Items that break, need to be frequently replaced, don’t work properly, lead to high expenses and bad guest experiences, and threaten the safety of your guests have no place in a successful, profitable Airbnb business.
- Durability: Item durability is important. Guests use everything in your Airbnb without significant regard for the longevity of the item, which leads to increased wear and tear. At the same time, each furniture or decor replacement is an additional operational cost for Airbnb hosts, affecting profit.
- Affordability: While you can and sometimes should spend more on luxury items at your Airbnb, we firmly believe that something that is affordable and does the job is sufficient for short-term stays. Of course, things are different if you plan to run a luxury Airbnb.
- Guest experience: Guests can have allergies and usually have preferences for what they want available at their Airbnb. Guest experience is the key to getting good reviews and having the same guests come back again, so the items on this list are tailored toward making guests happy while providing the necessary level of comfort, security, and safety for them.
- Maintenance: Maintaining, fixing, and replacing items require both time and money. While there are plenty of nifty gadgets available, if they are difficult to fix, service, or use, they simply won’t work for an Airbnb property.
- Online reviews: We considered the reviews of selected items on trustworthy third-party websites, written by homeowners, real estate investors, and renters. We chose items that have high average ratings based on thousands (or least hundreds) of reviews.
- Value for money: Ultimately, we made sure to include items that bring the highest value for money in each category so that Airbnb hosts can boost results without breaking the bank.
Takeaway
Getting a comprehensive Airbnb host checklist and using it to furnish and stock your home with the right supplies is a great first step to earning 5-star reviews and keeping your Airbnb booked with guests. Make sure that each room is stocked at all times, not only when you first get started. Meanwhile, once you begin to host, pay close attention to the requirements and requests of your guests so that you can improve your Airbnb over time and make it even more desirable and profitable.