Airbnb Host Set Up Checklist: 50 essentials you need PLUS 30 Wow items

"What do Airbnb hosts need to buy or have in the house for guests". There are the 'Wow' items and there are the basic mix of things you need regardless of the type of property.

It is essential to prepare your property for Airbnb and make your property stand out. 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 is needed to set up an Airbnb, 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 50 essentials every short term rental should have;

1. Quality coffee machine that uses Nespresso pods
2. French Press coffee plunger
3. Rice cooker
4. Toilet paper and some spares
5. Hand soap
6. Fresh towels - 1.5 per guest (for longer stays 2 or more towels per guest)
7. Beach Towels (if relevant) 
8. One pillow per guest, preferably two, a soft medium and a medium hard.
9. Linen for each guest (for longer stays 2 or more sets of linen per guest)
10. Ironing Board & Iron
11. Cutlery & crockery
12. Pots & pans.
13. Bedside lamps
14. Mirrors
15. Tea, coffee & milk
16. Shampoo
17. Conditioner
18. Body Wash
19. Hair dryer
20. Bin & bin bags
21. Netflix - Smart TV
22. Toilet Brush
23. Box of Tissues
24. House Manual
25. Vacuum - handheld is fine.
26. Dustpan / Brush
27. Mop
28. Washing up liquid
29. Cloths / Scourer Sponges
30. Dishwasher / Dishwashing Tablets
31. Tea towels
32. Cooking basics - salt, pepper, oil, herbs & spices
33. Wine glasses
34. BBQ essentials
35. Kettle
36. Microwave
37. Sandwich grill
38. Salad bowl
39. Salad spinner or colander
40. Garlic press & grater
41. Serving dishes
42. Baking sheet
43. Aluminium foil
44. Kettle
45. Toaster
46. Blender
47. Reusable storage containers
48. Mixing bowls
49. Wheelie Basket
50. Wok

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. Block out blinds or curtains
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 30 'Wow' items 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, scrabble, 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 - tennis rackets, weights, ball, frisbee
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.
16. Pizza oven
17. Air Fryer
18. Cocktail shaker
19. Wine decanter
20. Esky cooler

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.