We are often asked after home owners are ready to get started as a host "What do I need to buy or have in the house for guests". The answer is always the same as the mix of things you need to get started are similar regardless of your type of property.

It is essential to try and make your property stand out and like every investment strategy, there’s planning, preparation, and good old-fashioned hard work that goes into every short term rental.

Guest experience is at the heart of your Airbnb success and knowing what will make your property unique and enjoyable for guests is paramount.

Start with the essentials – travellers like to know they can expect the expected when it comes to having a well-prepared trip and being taken care of.

When considering what items are essential for you to supply, think of your short term rental as a professional accommodation and mirror what you tend to see in hotels. Of course, unlike a hotel, there’s room for you to create a truly memorable 5 star experience for your guests.

In this post, we’re giving you an Airbnb host checklist of 50 things you will need to invest in for the greatest experience for your guests, whilst also giving you the basic tools to become an outstanding host.

Airbnb host checklist of essentials

Essential amenities are the basic items that a guest expects in order to have a comfortable stay.

Recommended quantities of each item depends on the number of travellers and the length of their stay. For longer stays, if you provide extras of each amenity, this ensures everyone has everything they need.

You can decide whether you want to make each bed or leave the bed linens neatly stacked. We encourage hosts to communicate with your guests during the booking process to get their preference.

Here's the top essentials to cover off on;

1. Toilet paper
2. Hand soap
3. Fresh towels - 1.5 per guest (for longer stays 2 or more towels per guest)
4. Beach Towels (if relevant) 
5. One pillow per guest, preferably two.
6. Linen for each guest (for longer stays 2 or more sets of linen per guest)
7. Ironing Board
8. Cutlery & crockery
9. Pots & pans.
10. Bedside lamps
11. Mirrors
12. Tea, coffee & milk
13. Shampoo
14. Conditioner
15. Body Wash
16. Bin & bin bags
17. Netflix - Smart TV
18. Toilet Brush
19. Box of Tissues
20. House Manual
21. Vacuum - handheld is fine.
22. Dustpan / Brush
23. Mop
24. Washing up liquid
25. Cloths / Scourer Sponges
26. Dishwasher / Dishwashing Tablets
27. Tea towels
28. Cooking basics - salt, pepper, oil, herbs
29. Wine glasses
30. BBQ essentials
31. Kettle
32. Microwave
33. Rice maker
34. Salad bowl
35. Serving dishes
36. Baking sheet
37. Aluminium foil
38. Kettle
39. Toaster
40. Blender

Airbnb strongly recommend that your listing must also include the following essential amenities:

1. Essentials as above (toilet paper, soap, towels, bed linens, and pillows)
2. Self check-in (a key lockbox, keypad, smartlock, or by getting the key or access from a doorperson or front desk attendant)
3. Wifi
4. TV
5. Iron
6. Hair dryer
7. Hangers
8. Bath Mat
9. Laptop-friendly workspace
10. Carbon monoxide / smoke detector
11. First Aid kit
12. Portable fans
13. Clothes drying rack
14. Feminine Products
15. Extra pillows and blankets, especially if it's cold.

Another essential we recommend is car parking. Even if you have to hire it nearby.

Now it's time to look at what makes your property stand out and unique.

Here's our Airbnb Host Checklist to help your property stand out

This covers off on the non-standard airbnb amenities that guests will love. 

1. BBQ
2. Hammock
3. Outdoor seating
4. Beach gear
5. Bicycles
6. 2-3 Board Games (Monopoly, chess, checkers etc) / Pack of cards
7. Books with ability to leave/take such as a book swap nook
8. Cutlery place settings for max people capacity (ie. if you have room for 4, leave 6 to 8 place settings)
9. Coffee Machine - very important!
10. Exercise equipment
11. Yoga mat
12. Pet friendly - feeding bowls and toys. 
13. Picnic Rug
14. Sounds - a bluetooth speaker is great. 
15. Game Console - Xbox or similar.

Family Essentials

If you're property is family friendly, it is essential to highlight this in your Airbnb profile and make sure to include these 10 family use amenities;

1. Porta cot
2. High chair
3. Kids toys
4. Kids plastic plates & cups
5. Bibs and extra cloths
6. Plastic covers for power points
7. Safety gates
8. Baby monitor for a larger house.
9. Table corner guards
10. Change table

We also like the idea of a Welcome Pack, which we tailor to each individual property. Local jams, bath salts, candle, wine, also a snack that they can eat on arrival plus tea, coffee, milk, salt, pepper are also greatly appreciated.

Finally, a good House Manual or a guide from property owners with how to use everything, local knowledge and close by pubs, cafes, transport, walks etc.

Hopefully, this Airbnb host checklist resource has covered all the details that are easy to forget, as well as provided some new ideas of what to add to your Airbnb for an improved experience.

Find out more about our full range of Airbnb Property Management Services here or to discuss any or all of the above with a Airbnb Property Management Professional and how it might assist you and your rental please get in touch with the KingsCoin here.

To calculate your Airbnb income potential why not use our free instant online Airbnb profit calculator. Get a full picture of just how much you could be earning on Airbnb.