Airbnb Inventory Checklist: What To Keep Stocked to Impress Guests

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As an Airbnb host, you hope every guest that stays with you has a great experience. A big part of making that happen is anticipating what your guests might need and providing five star amenities to meet those needs. Any outstanding host will want to have a full Airbnb inventory checklist in order to accomplish this and get the most positive reviews.

While guests expect to find essentials like toilet paper, soaps, linens, and towels, they won’t be expecting you to go above and beyond. A great way to impress your guests and ensure they have a top notch customer experience while staying at your Airbnb property, you will need to understand the type of guests your property attracts and stock and stage essentials accordingly.

For example, if your rental caters to families, you may want to keep a collection of board games or family-friendly movies for downtimes or when the weather doesn’t permit outside activities.

As a property owner or property managers, it can be challenging to make sure your Airbnb is stocked with all the things your guests might need. To help you make sure you have everything covered, we’ve put together an in-depth inventory checklist of essentials and basic amenities you should supply to impress your guests and make their stay memorable.

The best way to remember all the essentials is to keep an Airbnb Inventory Checklist, which is exactly what we’re giving you in this post. This is especially important if you own or manage multiple Airbnb listings.

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Bathroom Essentials for Your Airbnb

The bathroom is one of the most-used rooms in any rental, so be sure the supplies you stock are plentiful and in good working order. Your Airbnb listing should highlight that you are providing all of these bathroom essential amenities.

For a deeper dive into the bathroom basics and extra amenities, check out our post on how to elevate your rental property bathroom.

• Hand soap
• Shampoo
• Conditioner
• Body wash
• Toilet paper
• Bath towels
• Hand towels
• Makeup towels
• Bathmat
• Toothpaste
• Disposable toothbrushes
• Disposable razors
• Lotion
• Shower cap
• Hooks or hangers for hanging wet towels/clothing
• Hair dryer
• Garbage can

Kitchen Essentials for Your Airbnb

Another busy room in any Airbnb is the kitchen. That’s why you should keep this at the top of your Airbnb host checklist. Some guests will opt to dine at the area’s local restaurants, but for those that prefer to stay in for meals, you’ll want to make sure they have everything they need to prepare and enjoy a great meal.

In addition to the kitchen essentials, I also like to add a practical coffee bar to the countertop or in a separate area. This is a little thing that will go a long way!

Here is our kitchen inventory list. For a full look at kitchen basic items and extra supplies, we’ve got a full post on the ultimate list of Airbnb kitchen cooking essentials.

• Dishes
• Pots and pans
• Salt, pepper, sugar, and other common seasonings
• Coffee
• Coffee maker
• Tea
• Tea kettle
• Silverware
• Sharp knives
• Cups
• Wine glasses
• Corkscrew wine bottle opener
• Coasters
• Ice trays
• Containers to store leftovers in
• Dishtowels
• Oven mitts/potholders
• Broom/dustpan
• Mop
• Dish soap
• Trash bags
• Hand soap

Airbnb Bedroom Essentials

By the time your guests retire to the bedroom, they’re tired and ready to get a good night’s sleep. To make sure that happens, provide these items:

• Bed linens
• Pillows (at least two per guest)
• Tissues
• Safe
• Nightstand
• Bedside lamps
• Notepad with pen/pencil
• Alarm clock
• Plenty of hangers for clothing

Other Amenities You Should Include On Your Airbnb Inventory Checklist

Your guests won’t necessarily spend all their time touring and sightseeing, so they should have things to do if they choose to stay in. It doesn’t have to be anything extravagant but make sure you have some of these basics.

These are mostly items that you won’t have to re-stock for the next guest.

To that end, you’ll want to provide:

• Television(s)
• Washer and dryer
• Cable TV or a subscription streaming service
• Clothes iron
• Wi-Fi

Airbnb Essentials for the Living Room

The living room in your rental should be warm, welcoming, and relaxing with comfortable seating and lots of lighting options. The goal is to create a space where anyone can unwind after a busy day or just relax with some downtime.

• Renter friendly couch
• Coffee table
• Reading materials (magazines, books, travel guides)
• Notepad with pen/pencil
• Takeout menus from local restaurants that deliver
• Lap blankets and plush pillows

Safety Essentials for Your Rental

No one likes to think about bad things happening, especially when they’re on vacation. To help put your guests’ minds at ease while they stay with you, be sure to provide these safety essentials.

I am guilty of not always remember some of these, which is why they need to be included on your Airbnb inventory checklist for every listing.

Since some of these are for guest safety, you should include where to find them in your house rules or Welcome booklet.

• Smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors
• First aid kit
• Anti-slip mats
• Childproofing (cabinet locks, baby gates, etc.)
• Disaster kit
• Fire extinguisher
• Phone numbers for emergency services
• Wi-Fi thermostat

While this Airbnb inventory checklist is not all-inclusive, it does give you a place to start when buying supplies for your basic Airbnb guest. Of course, to truly impress your guests, you’ll want to tweak your essentials checklist to include items that cater to the type of guests your Airbnb attracts.

Take a moment to consider the type of guests that frequent your rental and then read on to discover more items your rental should include to wow those specific Airbnb guests.

Airbnb Essentials for Specific Guest Types

If your listing attracts specific types of Airbnb guest, supplying them with the items they need (or don’t even know they need) will help them have an awesome and comfortable stay in your rental.

You can notify your Airbnb cleaning service what types of guests are coming during the next check in. This will help them make sure you have these special items ready to go.

Even if guests are there for a short stay, the last thing you want to do it forget the important amenities on your list.

For Guests with Children

If your Airbnb regularly attracts guests with children, you’ll want to make sure their stay is a safe and comfortable one. As touched upon earlier in this article, childproofing is important when catering to families with young children. Baby gates are a must, as are cabinet locks and even door locks to keep kids out of mischief and harm’s way.

You may even want to consider providing a crib, a playroom with toys for the kids, and nightlights throughout the rental.

Items for Couples Staying at Your Airbnb

For couples looking to enjoy a romantic getaway, you can provide things like bubble bath supplies, plush bedding, mood lighting options, and a welcome basket with a bottle of wine, cheese, crackers, and fresh fruit.

The Leisurely Traveler Staying in Your Rental

For guests on vacation, giving them a “home away from home” is the goal. You want them to feel like they can kick back, relax, and just enjoy life while staying with you. To that end, spend a little extra on quality bed sheets – not all linens are created equal, so look for the highest thread count you can afford.

Also, make sure the kitchen is fully stocked with cookware, dishes, seasonings, etc. in case your leisurely guests prefer to cook rather than eat out. Finally, providing a play area for the kids is a nice touch, too.

For the Business Traveler

Business travelers are more about convenience and efficiency rather than leisure or relaxation. This type of guest often works while staying in your rental, and thus, needs a space conducive to just that.

If your Airbnb is suitable for business travelers, be sure it has a desk or some other workspace where your guests can comfortably conduct their business. Also, you should have high-speed internet, Wi-Fi, and a few extra smartphone chargers on hand. Lastly, if your Airbnb caters to business travelers specifically, you should get it qualified as Business Travel Ready by Airbnb.com. This will advertise your property as suitable for people who are traveling for work. Certain requirements and restrictions apply.

Supplies to Provide for Guests with Pets

If yours is a pet-friendly rental, you can enhance your guests’ and their pets’ stay by providing a few basic essentials like dog beds, dog toys, food/water dishes, leashes, collars, litter boxes, and cat litter. You can either provide these items free of charge or create a welcome basket with supplies that guests can purchase if they need them.

Buying Supplies for Your Airbnb

Supplying your guests with all the essentials they might need while staying with you might seem exhausting, but if you plan and shop smart, you’ll spend less time worrying about whether you have everything in stock.

The first thing to do is buy everything you can in bulk. This will cut down on the number of shopping trips you have to make. Second, don’t forget about subscription-based shopping online.

This convenient option lets you put your supplies on a schedule that automatically ships your items when it’s time. Subscription shopping is especially helpful if you own more than one Airbnb and want to keep your properties stocked at all times. The beauty of subscription-based shopping is that you can customize the shipments to arrive when you need them.

Some popular places many Airbnb hosts shop for essentials include Costco, Amazon.com, Walmart, and Target.

Protecting Your Investment in Airbnb Essentials and Amenities

Supplying all the amenities and essentials your guests need to enjoy their stay with you is expensive, especially if you have to replace things like furnishings or other large-ticket items because a guest didn’t respect your property. While it’s impossible to predict when/if something like this will happen, you can help prevent it by vetting your guests before accepting their bookings.

Remember, your property and the items inside it are protected by the insurance you purchased for your Airbnb.

If you advertise your rental on Airbnb.com, it’s protected by Airbnb’s insurance policy, Aircover. It’s a good idea to have additional coverage but Aircover is a great perk to listing on the Airbnb platform

We recommend thinking of the cost of making your Airbnb a great experience for your guests as an investment rather than an expense, as most guests will be respectful of your property and appreciative of your efforts.

Final Tips To Inventory As A Short Term Rental Host

Guests to any Airbnb expect certain amenities and supplies to be provided by their host. As an Airbnb host that wants to stand out from the competition, you need to present an impressive front so your guests will have a great customer experience and spread the word.

Use the above information to create an Airbnb essentials inventory checklist to make sure your rental has all the things your guests need to enjoy their stay no matter the reason for their visit.

This is definitely one of the most important steps to making sure your listing is a success and elevating the guest experience!