Airbnb Supplies: A Complete Checklist for Hosts to Help You Exceed Your Guests’ Expectations

There’s a lot of work that goes into creating the perfect customer experience for your Airbnb guests. Part of that success formula involves the quality and types of amenities that your property offers.

Buying Airbnb supplies is one of the tasks that you’ll need to approach carefully in order to ensure that you have the essentials that matter to your guests most. In addition to the basics, you’ll also want to purchase a few special items that will really make your guests feel like they are well taken care of.

Generally, when it comes to deciding which Airbnb supplies to purchase for your guests, you should think of your property as commercial accommodation. Purchase the same quality of toiletries, linens, and other items that you usually see in hotels. However, since many Airbnb properties don’t really match the traditional concept of a hotel, you’ll need to also consider the type of guests that your property attracts.

Follow these rules and the tips below to ensure that you purchase the right Airbnb supplies to help you exceed your guests’ expectations.

Airbnb Supplies Essential Checklist

Here is a complete checklist of what Airbnb supplies you’ll need, as well as, some tips on where to buy them.

The Bathroom

• Bath Towels
• Hand Towels
• Toilet Paper
• Hand Soap
• Shampoo
• Conditioner
• Body Wash
• Toothpaste
• Body Lotion
• Disposable Razors
• Disposable Toothbrushes
• Shower Hanger
• Towel Hanger
• Hair Dryer
• Bath Mat
• Garbage Can

The Bedroom

• Bed Linens
• Pillows
• Tissues
• Safe for Valuables
• Bedside Table and Lamp
• Garbage Can
• Notepad and Pen
• Hangers for Clothing
• Alarm Clock

The Kitchen

• Tea and Coffee
• Tea Kettle
• Sugar and Seasonings
• Dishes
• Pots and Pans
• Silverware
• Cups
• Wine Glasses
• Ice Trays
• Coasters
• Tupperware
• Cleaning Supplies
• Dishwashing Liquid
• Hand Soap
• Trash Bags
• Mop
• Broom
• Dustpan
• Oven Mitts
• Dish Towels

Living Room

• Coffee Table Reading Items (Books, Magazines, Travel Guides)
• Pens and Pencils

Appliances

• Washer and Dryer
• Television
• Cable and/or Subscription Streaming Service
• Clothing Iron
• Wi-Fi

Safety Equipment

• First Aid Kit
• Smoke Alarm and Carbon Monoxide Detector
• Fire Extinguisher
• Contact List for Emergency Services
• WiFi Thermostat
• Childproofing
• Disaster Kit
• Anti-slip Mats

While this list is a general checklist that can be applied to all Airbnb properties, you should also make sure to tweak your essentials to match the types of guests that your property attracts.

Airbnb Supplies Checklist By Guest Type

Here are some additional items to consider for your Airbnb supplies checklist to help you cater to the various types of Airbnb guests.

For Business Travelers

Business travelers tend to have more convenience and efficiency-focused requirements when it comes to Airbnb toiletries and amenities. For some extras, consider purchasing smartphone chargers and setting a laptop-friendly workspace.

You may also want to consider getting your listing certified as ‘Business Travel Ready’ by Airbnb. This will allow your property to be advertised on Airbnb as a property that is suitable for work-related travel guests. To qualify you must make sure to include the workspace, Wi-Fi, self-check-in, and certain other basic amenities.

For Leisure Travelers

If guests are staying at your property while on vacation, you’ll want to make an extra effort to make your place feel like a home away from home. In this case, it will be the small details that matter most to your guests. Upgrading to more expensive brands for toiletries and purchasing high thread count Airbnb bed sheets are two simple ways to help your guests relax.

“All bed linens are not created equal. Something that surprised me was that some bed linens, despite the price being on par, or close to, are not going to work. Most properties – I have a linen company who wash and lend me the sheets and towels. They are then responsible for ensuring the quality and pressing and so everything always looks good.”

— Elaine Watt, Holiday Let Success

You should also make sure that you have a well-stocked kitchen with the assumption that your guests might like to cook. A play area for the kids is a final nice touch.

For Couples

For couples that are using Airbnb for a romantic getaway, make your guests feel like they are escaping everyday life. Airbnb supplies that are nice extras to purchase for couples include a welcome gift basket, a welcome letter, fresh flowers, and a bubble bath.

For Families With Children

If your guests tend to bring their children along when staying at your Airbnb property, you should make sure that you have all of the items that parents need to feel safe and comfortable. Invest in childproofing. You may also want to add a crib, play area for the children, toys, and night lights.

Where to Buy Airbnb Supplies

To buy Airbnb supplies for your property, it is generally advisable to purchase in bulk. Not only will you get access to wholesale pricing but it will also mean that you don’t have to shop as often for refills of the supplies.

Discount stores and box stores provide great deals on bulk Airbnb towels, Airbnb sheets, and more. You can also purchase Airbnb toiletries from online shopping sites.

Many Airbnb hosts rely on Costco, Amazon.com, Target.com, Jet.com, and other retailers to purchase Airbnb supplies in bulk. Online shopping sites are also particularly useful for stocking up on supplies because you can set up automatic shipments so that you never have to worry about finding time to order them again.

Subscription orders are pretty much essential if you have multiple Airbnb properties and you want to make sure that they are always well-stocked. Then you can simply adjust your monthly purchases over time based on your needs.

Protecting Your Investments in Airbnb Supplies

Although you want to provide a great experience for each and every guest, don’t overlook the importance of protecting your investments in Airbnb supplies. You might worry about the Airbnb risks of purchasing certain amenities in the case of guests who do not respect your property. However, there are ways to safeguard against these issues, namely checking your guests’ reputation thoroughly before accepting a booking.

For more expensive items, such as furniture and appliances, these items will be covered under Airbnb’s insurance policy, as well as, your own insurance that you purchased for your Airbnb business. If you’re in doubt about whether the Airbnb supplies and amenities of your property will be covered by your insurance, make sure to ask your insurance agent or Airbnb first.

Conclusion

Once you’ve stocked the necessary supplies, it is time to start making money with your vacation rental. To set your business up for success, and make sure you are keeping various aspects of your business under control, opt for vacation rental software. Vacation rental software such as iGMS will streamline your daily tasks and help optimize your business operations by enabling you to make use of the following functionality:

• Channel manager to synchronize your reservations across the top OTAs, including Airbnb, Booking.com, and Vrbo/HomeAway;
• A unified inbox and automated messaging to take your guest communication to a new level;
• A reviews management feature to automate the process of leaving reviews to receive more guest reviews in return;
• Cleaning automation and team management;
• Direct booking management tools to handle direct bookings without a hassle;
• Payment processing to collect and receive payments safely using our integration with Stripe;
• An easy-to-use reporting module to generate professional reports on your business results.