Picking out a couch for your Airbnb can sound like a dauting task. We are here to guide you through the questions to ask before purchasing a new couch for your vacation rental! There are several things you need to think about like… material, size, color, and durability. This post will share everything you need to know about choosing the best couch for Airbnb.
Similar to if you were picking out a couch for yourself at your own house, you want to make sure to be thorough in your search. If not, you may be spending too much money or wind up having to buy another couch in a few years if you don’t get one that will last.
OK, here are a few of my top couch picks for Airbnb!
Unlike your own home, vacation guests will not take care of the couch as if it were their own. Yes there will be people that make sure nothing spills on it but you will also get the opposite.
But you should count on guests not caring what happens to the couch. So you want to make sure you pick a couch that is rental friendly, easy to clean, stain resistant, and will last a long time! Having
In this post, I am going through some of the important questions to ask when trying to pick out a rental friendly couch. Now let’s dive in…
Where to buy a couch for an Airbnb or rental property?
One of the first things you may be asking yourself when picking out all of your Airbnb furniture is where to buy everything. You want quality options at affordable prices. Here is a list of great options:
- Wayfair Short Term Rentals Section
- Local Furniture Store
- Amazon Durable Couches (look for great reviews)
What is the best couch material for an Airbnb property?
When choosing a couch, the material is very important, especially for an Airbnb vacation home. You want to make sure it is stain resistant, easy to clean, and comfortable for guests to sit on.
Let’s look at the top materials for a couch…
- Microfiber
- “Microfiber is an ultra soft polyester fabric made to be stain-resistant. This fabric is perfect for furniture upholstery for a few reasons. First, its velvety texture means you’re always sitting in comfort. Second, microfiber is durable and water-resistant, which makes it ideal for well-used furniture and homes with kids and pets. Last, the fabric holds its color well, so it will look fresh and new longer than many other fabrics.” – Overstock.com – Microfiber Furniture FAQs
- “Microfiber is an ultra soft polyester fabric made to be stain-resistant. This fabric is perfect for furniture upholstery for a few reasons. First, its velvety texture means you’re always sitting in comfort. Second, microfiber is durable and water-resistant, which makes it ideal for well-used furniture and homes with kids and pets. Last, the fabric holds its color well, so it will look fresh and new longer than many other fabrics.” – Overstock.com – Microfiber Furniture FAQs
- Leather
- “Experts estimate that a leather sofa can last up to four times longer than a fabric couch. Leather is tough but flexible, meaning it naturally resists punctures and tears. Because of its natural properties, it remains strong even around seams. It is also resistant to spills and dirt. Most of the time leather furniture can be cleaned merely by wiping it with a damp cloth.” – Victoria Advocate
- “Experts estimate that a leather sofa can last up to four times longer than a fabric couch. Leather is tough but flexible, meaning it naturally resists punctures and tears. Because of its natural properties, it remains strong even around seams. It is also resistant to spills and dirt. Most of the time leather furniture can be cleaned merely by wiping it with a damp cloth.” – Victoria Advocate
- Cotton
- “Quite similar to linen, cotton is also a breezy and durable fabric but doesn’t hold up well in areas where there is a chance of too many people gathering at a time, like the living room.” – Livespace (in other words, this may not be the best option for a rental property couch)
There are several other couch fabric choices but these top 3 are seen most commonly. Microfiber or Leather are the clear winners for your Airbnb couch!
Another thing to consider is a slip cover for the couch….
If you purchase a couch with a material that is not easy to clean, another alternative is to put a slip cover on it. A high stretch slip cover is a cheap way to transform your couch if it gets stained or ripped!
Renters won’t even need to know why the slip cover is on there, and they probably won’t even notice. A slip cover can also help create a new look in your living room by changing it to another color.
If you have a gray couch and want to change your decor theme to something a little more vibrant, get a colorful couch cover and it can be a game changer for your space!
What size couch should you put in your Airbnb?
You want to maximize seating options without overcrowding your space. If your Airbnb is a place that gets booked by families, they will probably want to hang out together in the living room.
So rule of thumb would be to try to have enough couch seating for the number of guests your rental can accommodate.
Another thing to keep in mind when spacing out the living room is to make sure you can fit a coffee table. In all Airbnb listings, this is a great place to put a welcome book or house rules so that everyone sees it.
Sometimes that is not always possible but it is definitely something to keep in mind, depending on the size of your space!
Even in my small beach bungalow living room, we were able to get a couch and loveseat – which is seating for 5 adults. We do accommodate up to 6 guests but there are extra chairs in the kitchen just in case.
What is the best color couch for a vacation rental?
You should match the color of your couch to the décor theme and color scheme you are going for. As an example, the teal blue colored couch below is perfect for their beachy living room.
If your property does not follow a specific theme, I would suggest using a neutral colored couch like gray or beige.
Gray will pair with almost any other colors and make the space feel clean. It is in line with any modern or contemporary style.
Beige has a more classic feel and has been a traditional color pick for years and years.
What about patterns?
Patterns on a couch can definitely work in certain rooms. If your living room needs something eye catching, a seating area with a patterned upholstered fabric on the couch or an accent chair would be perfect.
If adding a full couch with a pattern is too much, an accent chair is a great compromise for some texture and color.
This beautiful pattern of gray and blue below goes with so many styles. As you can see, the blue and white patterned arm chair looks great paired with the blue couch and ottoman.
How much money should you spend on a couch for your Airbnb?
There is no limit or minimum dollar amount that you need to spend on a couch. It is more about getting a couch that fits your space and style of the room.
As a reference, my beach bungalow is a 2 bedroom, 1 bathroom, about 750 square feet. Our living room is on the smaller end but we wanted to make sure to maximize the seating options.
We spent about $1800 on a brand new couch and love seat. The couch is a pull out sleeper sofa to be able to accommodate more guests!
Where should I buy a couch for my Airbnb?
In additional to retail stores, there are so many options online that offer free shipping. I personally like to shop online to see peoples reviews and opinions before buying something.
You don’t get that when you’re buying something in the store!
Can you buy a used couch for an Airbnb?
Absolutely! A lot of Airbnb hosts will choose to buy a lightly used couch to save money on furnishing expenses. There are a few things to consider if you do decide on a used couches.
Make sure there are no rips or tears. These will only get worse with time. Guests WILL complain about this.
Ask if the previous owner was a smoker or has pets. This is really important to keep in mind because you don’t want a couch that smells like smoke or pet urine. Both of these are extremely hard odors to remove and you will wind up getting bad reviews because of this.
Ask about how easily stains come out of the couch. It is very likely that someone will spill something on the couch at some point during a reservation.
Facebook marketplace is a great place to look for used furniture. Like the couch above, it is a sleeper sofa that was only used 3 times for a fraction of the price!
Does the couch in your vacation rental need to have a sleeper sofa?
There is no rule that says the couch needs to have a pullout bed. The #1 reason for getting a sleeper sofa is to accommodate additional guests and be able to charge a higher nightly fee.
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This square arm sofa bed from Wayfair is one of the highest rated and best sleeper sofas that is also affordable. For around $1000 you can add sleeping accommodations for 2 more people to your Airbnb listing. The return on this is a no brainer.
Make sure to get one of the best sofa beds you possibly can. You definitely don’t want people to complain if it’s uncomfortable.
For example, my beach bungalow has 2 bedrooms. Each has a queen sized bed. With the 2 bedrooms alone, we are able to sleep 4 people.
We decided to purchase a pull-out couch for the living room – this allows us to be able to host up to 6 guests instead of 4.
Small families with one or two kids will be able to sleep comfortably if we include the pull out mattress on the couch!
Let’s recap the best sofa choices for an Airbnb rental property…
- Durable material
- Stain resistant and easy to clean
- A color that goes with your décor and design style
- Seating for all guests, if there is room
- Don’t overcrowd the space with a sofa that’s too big
- Add a sleeper to your couch sofa if you need additional sleeping accommodations