The Complete Airbnb Host Checklist for 5 Star Ratings
If you are planning to start renting out a property as an Airbnb, you are probably wondering what you need to invest in to make your property stand out. Airbnbs are more than just a place for a guest to sleep during their vacation; your guests will want a unique experience. This is not always easy to achieve, which is why we have put together this checklist for your Airbnb.
Getting Started
Before you can rent out your property as an Airbnb, you need to fix it up. Make sure you do not have exposed wires or loose steps that someone can trip on. Make sure you have working smoke alarms and CO2 detectors, and the batteries work. If you have any old appliances, like an old stove, replace them with something newer. If any appliances need some basic repairs, get them repaired. Replace any old or unsightly furniture so your guests feel welcome in your house.
The entire house will need to be cleaned; it is easiest to hire a professional cleaning company for that. While this can be expensive, consider it an investment. You need a clean property to entice renters, and investing in a cleaning service will help you do that.
Essential Supplies & Amenities
Airbnbs are a great way to earn extra income, but you cannot just post your rental to start. You will need to do a few things before you can start renting your Airbnb. It can be hard to know what supplies you will need to have for your guests, so here is the checklist for your supplies and essentials.
Bathroom
The bathroom is going to need these items:
- At least two bath towels per guest
- At least two hand towels per guest
- A bath mat
- A mirror
- Toilet paper, multiple rolls of it
- Hand soap
- Hairdryer
Some extra bathroom supplies you can offer include:
- Shampoo
- Conditioner
- Body Wash
- Lotion
- Toothpaste
- Disposable razors and toothbrushes
- Feminine products
Kitchen
The kitchen needs the following items:
- Coffee maker
- Plates
- Glasses
- Coffee mugs
- Silverware
- Pots and pans
- Cooking utensils
- Cutting board
- Salt
- Pepper
- Sugar
- Oil
- Dishwasher soap
- Sponges
- Towels
- Paper towels
- Garbage bags
- Cleaning supplies
- Garbage can
Some extra kitchen supplies you can offer include:
- Electric kettle
- Coffee
- Tea
- Artificial sweeteners
- Complimentary bowl of fruit
- Complimentary bottle of wine, champagne, or sparkling cider
Bedroom
In each bedroom, you will need:
- Two sets of sheets and pillowcases
- Blankets
- Pillows
- Nightstand
- Lamp
- Tissues
- A closet to hang clothes
- Hangers
A few extra things you can offer include:
- A safe to store valuables
- Clothes hangers
- Dresser
- Bathrobes
- Slippers
- Iron and ironing board
- A crib/portable crib if you know the guest has an infant or toddler
Living Area
The living room will need these essentials:
- Comfortable chairs and a sofa
- TV — Smart TVs are a great choice
- Books
- Notepads
- Pens
- Coffee table
- End tables
You can also include:
- Board games
- Card games
- Face masks
- Hand sanitizer
- Box of tissues
- Toys and coloring books for kids
- Toys, food and water bowls, and treats for pets
- Streaming services
- Bluetooth speakers
- Universal chargers
Outdoor
Some of the things you can include outside are:
- Patio chairs and a table
- BBQ or grill, with charcoal or propane to use it
- Outdoor toys for kids
- A pool or hot tub
- Ashtrays, if you allow smoking on your property
- Dog poop bags and small garbage for them, if you allow dogs
- Shade
Security
For your guests' security, you can include these devices:
- Smart locks
- Video doorbell
- Security cameras, outside only
- Motion detectors
Cleaning Supplies
The cleaning supplies to include are:
- Garbage bags
- Mop and bucket
- Broom and dustpan
- Vacuum
- Disinfectant cleaner
- Glass cleaner
- Washing machine and dryer
Compelling Photos and Description
There are millions of listings on Airbnb, so you need to make your rental stand out. The short-term rental market is competitive! When making your listing for your Airbnb property, you want to make sure you have a catchy and unique title that will highlight the strength of your rental. For example, if your property is on the beach or has a pool, highlight that.
You need lots of high-quality photos of your listing and a compelling description of the rental. Include a summary of your house rules in the description too.
List all of your amenities, but if you have any little extras like complimentary fruit or board games and toys for kids, you can leave some of those off to surprise your guest when they arrive.
Becoming an efficient host
One of the best ways to make yourself an efficient Airbnb host is by automating as much of it as you can to streamline the process. This will ensure that everything will run smoothly even if you are unavailable. Let's take a look at some of the processes that you can automate.
Guest communications
Responding to guest messages can be extremely time-consuming, but thankfully, there are plenty of tools that allow you to send automated messages. You will have a much quicker response time, making your guests happy.
Check-ins
You can automate your check-in process, so you do not have to do meet and greets with your guests. You can set up a smart lock system for a keyless entry. Your guests will be given an access code to enter the property, and you will get a notification when they do.
Cleaning
Juggling the schedule of your cleaning crew with your guests' check-in and out times can be a hassle. That is why there are tools to help you automate your cleaning process too! The automatic messaging system you use for guests can also work for your cleaning crew. When someone reserves your Airbnb, you can have it automatically notify the cleaning crew so they can add it to their calendar.
Pricing
The pricing of Airbnbs is not fixed; it fluctuates often. You will have to stay on top of your nightly rates to ensure you are pricing your guests correctly, which is time-consuming. You can use an automatic tool to adjust rates as they fluctuate, so you do not have to worry about spending time on that.
Channel Distribution
You can also automate your channel distribution if you are listing your property on multiple booking sites. This will sync your property’s availability across all your booking sites so you can avoid getting double booked.
Airbnb Frequently Asked Questions
Now let's look at some frequently asked questions about owning an Airbnb.
What should I know before hosting Airbnb?
There are many things to account for when running an Airbnb for the first time, but here are some of the most important ones:
- Do you have enough time available to manage a rental?
- Develop a budget for making the Airbnb look great.
- Spend time doing market research to determine the property’s value and its base rate in Airbnb.
- Factor the Airbnb host fees into your pricing plan.
- Determine the kind of help you will need, like maintenance, cleaning, and checking in and out.
- Make sure you are up to date on the laws regarding short-term rentals in your area.
What should an Airbnb host provide?
You should provide:
- Basic amenities for every room.
- Extra amenities.
- A clean rental.
- Excellent customer service.
What do I need to run an Airbnb successfully?
To run an Airbnb, you will need:
- A fully furnished home that has the basic amenities.
- A great listing with high-quality photos.
- A permit to have a short-term rental if your local area requires one.
- Insurance to cover damages and protect you.
- Software to automate your processes.