A comfortable vacation rental is filled with amenities that guests need and expect. When you fill your property for renters, consider the amenities that create a memorable experience — not the cheapest items you can find, but ones that reflect the quality of your rental property.
The rental property market is competitive, and vacationers shop around for the locations that provide what they need and create a "wow" factor. You should meet the minimum with expected necessities, then blow away the competition with unique amenities that will help you fill the calendar.
Set the Tone With Safety and Convenience
Give your guests a safe and convenient way to enter your home. They shouldn’t have to drive around town to get a key. Make it easy for them to enter with an automated check-in system using a lock box, keypad entry, or a smart lock. Having a convenient 24-hour check-in shows your guests that you value their time.
Wi-Fi and Other Tech
While some guests might appreciate having a low-tech vacation, most guests expect high-speed, robust Wi-Fi. You will lose potential customers if you don’t have internet available, as many customers want to watch their favorite streaming shows, listen to music, and play video games online.
Customers also appreciate when vacation rentals have charging stations and adapters. You can grow your customer base by adding a smart TV with popular streaming services. Paying for Netflix, Disney+, and other popular streaming services shows you are in touch with today’s vacationers. If you market your vacation rental as family-friendly, offer kid-friendly tech like a video game system with a variety of age-appropriate games.
Local Vacation Information and Accessories
While many vacationers plan ahead by scouring the web for local activities, you can help them by leaving a collection of up-to-date maps, guidebooks, and town guides. Consider including a few cookbooks by local chefs, as many guests like to cook while on vacation.
Don’t forget to include menus for popular restaurants, especially local pizza places and other restaurants with delivery services. Present the booklets and pamphlets in a basket along with coupons for the local sights.
If your vacation rental has a pool or is near a beach, provide the necessities like towels, lounge chairs, floats, and life jackets.
Kitchen Necessities
Your vacation rental kitchen should have the following necessities:
- A coffee maker with filters and mugs
- Pots, pans, cookie sheets, and baking dishes in a variety of sizes
- Flatware
- Plates and bowls — consider melamine for outdoor use and porcelain for indoor use
- A variety of drinkware, including plastic cups and wine glasses
- A set of cooking knives and steak knives
- Oven mitts and potholders
- Working kitchen appliances including a blender, microwave, kettle, and toaster
- Cooking utensils, including a pizza cutter, scissors, and an ice cream scoop
- Measuring cups
- Mixing bowls and a colander
- Tupperware for leftovers
- Kitchen towels
- Can opener and corkscrew
You can make the experience more convenient by having a collection of spices, cooking oil, coffee, and non-dairy creamer. Don’t forget to have dish soap and dishwasher soap, too. Renters will also appreciate having a new kitchen sponge and one or two rolls of paper towels. A fire extinguisher is a good idea in every vacation rental, and the kitchen is the best place to keep it.
Keep a first aid kit near the fire extinguisher so all the safety items are in one convenient location. For safety purposes, place a Notion Sensor in cabinets with plumbing, near the dishwasher, and near smoke detectors so you receive notifications if any problems arise.
Bathroom Must-Haves
Consider the airline rules about carry-on luggage when you stock your vacation rental bathrooms. Your renters will appreciate having liquid hand soap and other toiletries. Stock travel-size shampoos, conditioners, body washes, and toothpaste tubes, so your guests have several to choose from. Leave a tall stack of clean, plush towels and washcloths.
Don’t forget a shower curtain and liner, towel bars, bath mats, wastebaskets, toilet plungers, and hair dryers. Leave plenty of toilet paper and tissues for your guests, too.
Make the Bedrooms Comfortable
Bedrooms can be problematic, especially as guests worry about bed bugs and clean linens. Cover your mattresses and pillows with clean bed bug encasements. Keep an extra set of linens in the closets if patrons need to change them for any reason.
Guests appreciate having a variety of blankets to use during the day and at night. Provide reading lamps, hangers, a clock, and room-darkening blinds or shades. A family-friendly vacation rental should have baby gear like a crib, playpen, and changing table.
Essential Cleaning Supplies
While it’s not your guest’s job to clean the vacation rental, many like to clean up after themselves, especially if they’re near a beach or hiking area. Stock the rental with a broom, vacuum, and dustpan. You can also leave a container of disinfecting wipes, cleaning sprays, and microfiber cloths.
From Must-Haves to Must Visit
When outfitting your rental property, consider the items you appreciate having on vacation. You don't have to spend a fortune to outfit your property, but the quality and variety of items can increase your income as vacationers spread the word about your go-to vacation spot.
