The Top and Must-Have Amenities to Include in Your Short-Term Rental
You bought the place and now it's time to get it ready to rent out on Airbnb or VRBO. This is an overwhelming feeling--it can seem like there's a mountain of things to do. Once you've decided how you want to decorate your short-term rental (I wrote about this here). Regardless of decoration theme, your list of amenities will have to include all the obvious things people need day-to-day, like towels, bed sheets, eating utensils, etc. Over the years, I've learned that there are certain amenities that can make a big difference for guests, and can translate into better reviews. There are also things that you should be prepared to never see again because they tend to…walk away with guests. So buy those in bulk if you can. I won't complicate things, below is my must-have list for your short-term rental. I'm not including the obvious things like plates or a fork (you already know this).
Must Haves that Help You and Guests
Big items
- • Washable paint. This seems like a lot, but when cleaning a home, you'll appreciate how fast you can get greasy kid's handprints, scuff marks, or random food stains off the walls.
- • Nest thermostat. This will help your guests (and you) control the temperatures in your property. It will be especially useful for you when guests leave, so your bill isn't out of control!
- • Mounted television rack. This may seem like a lot of work, but once I hit 5 broken televisions ("sorry, my kid knocked it over" or "it just fell, I didn't touch it"), I made sure all the TVs in my properties were mounted on a wall.
- • Home fire extinguisher for the kitchen. In case of an emergency, your guests will appreciate having this on hand. They're available at most hardware stores.
- • Black out curtains and good quality window treatments. I learned this the hard way, but the plastic and cheaper window treatments break easily, and you'll have to replace them often, so get a better and more durable version.
- • Memory foam mattress or toppers. If your mattress is not a memory foams, get a topper for the bed. This is a resounding plus for guests who appreciate the comfort.
- • Different style pillows. Everyone prefers a different type of pillow, so having different types on beds can make a difference in the quality of stay for guests. For large beds, have 4 pillows, and smaller twins can have 1 or 2 pillows.
- • Luggage racks. Put one in every bedroom.
- • Nice coffee machines like Nespresso. Yes, they are expensive, but they are so appreciated. This is something that I've noticed people really enjoy having. You should also have the drip coffee machine too (keep that in a cupboard), in case people don't want to use the Nespresso.
- • Nespresso or espresso pods. If you have the machine, you need the pods. However, don't leave a whole box. If your guests are only staying 2 nights, they don't need a whole box of 10 for example. Leave 4 pods.
Smaller items
- • Emergency kits. This includes large first aid kits (band aids, gauze, etc) that can be purchased at any pharmacy.
- • Brita water filter pitchers. This may seem excessive if you live in an area where the tap water is drinkable, but it goes a long way with guests.
- • Small water bottles in rooms. Leave 2-4 water bottles, depending on how many people are staying and how long.
- • Wine bottle and can openers.
- • Pack and play. Parents will appreciate this, but don't just leave it in a property (they'll disappear). If they ask for it, have it available for folks who need it.
- • Pet crate and bowls.
Things to get but will likely disappear
- • Buy a pack of wine openers, they are the most popular item that disappears.
- • As mentioned above, pack and plays should only be given to folks upon request.
- • Hair dryer. After several missing hair dryers, I finally learned to get a $10 hair dryer in my properties.
- • Toilet paper. Like the beginning of the pandemic, people will take whole rolls of toilet paper if you leave too many out. Leave 2 rolls per bathroom depending on how much time and how many guests will be in the property.