Property managers already know that one of the key aspects of managing a vacation rental is maintaining a well-equipped inventory of home essentials across your portfolio of rental properties to meet your guests' needs. From the kitchen to the bedrooms, bathrooms, living areas, and even outdoors, having a comprehensive inventory checklist is crucial for a successful rental business.
In this guide, we'll provide you with a complete vacation rental inventory checklist to help you ensure your property is well-stocked and ready to welcome guests. Beyond this list, we’ll provide insight into how to track and scale this inventory across multiple properties and locations.
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Reduce your workload and simplify inventory management |
The kitchen is one of the key differentiators between short-term rentals and hotels and is often why guests choose to book a vacation home versus a hotel based on their trip needs. Making sure the kitchen is well stocked with cooking essentials for guests to make the most out of having access to a kitchen is key to creating a seamless guest experience.
This can be harder than it sounds as it’s difficult to anticipate all of the cooking utensils that a guest might need. Stocking your kitchen is not a one-and-done approach, it’s important to check your kitchen inventory between each guest stay to make sure items aren’t missing or broken.
Creating a comfortable environment for guests to sleep is the bare minimum when it comes to furnishing and supplying a bedroom. To impress guests, invest in high-thread-count sheets and high-quality pillows. You want your guests to enjoy their bedroom so much that they’re reaching out to ask where the bed linens are from. Especially in a vacation rental destination, rest and relaxation are exactly what guests are looking for.
While guests usually bring most of their own toiletries they do expect some of the bigger items like towels and hair dryers to be provided. Having additional amenities such as lotions and soaps can add an extra personal touch and be a great place to add your company branding.
This is where guests will spend most of their communal time together. Make it an enjoyable and welcoming space where guests want to congregate, and offer enough seating for the maximum number of guests staying.
The outdoor features of your home will depend on many different factors, such as the property type, the guest type you’re appealing to, outdoor space, and the climate you’re located in, but here are a few ideas for outdoor amenities to consider stocking at your vacation rentals.
We recommend keeping basic cleaning supplies accessible in your properties for guests to use in case of accidents or clean-up during longer-term stays. Depending on your turnover processes, you may choose to stock your homes with additional cleaning supplies for your housekeeping teams or have them bring them themselves.
Last, but certainly not least is vacation rental safety equipment. In case of an emergency, make sure guests are informed about the safety measures you have in place at the property like the location of the first aid kit and fire extinguisher. Guests are in an unfamiliar home and location with amenities like pools and hot tubs that they’re not familiar with which can cause more accidents. These simple supplies can save lives and prevent injury.
By following this comprehensive vacation rental inventory checklist, you can ensure that your property is well-equipped to meet the needs of your guests. Providing a comfortable and enjoyable experience for your renters will not only result in positive reviews and repeat bookings but also help you maintain a successful vacation rental business. Remember to regularly inspect and restock your inventory to keep your property in top condition and delight your guests with every stay.
Ensuring your vacation rental properties are well-stocked with necessities and amenities is tricky. There's making sure you have the supplies on hand to replenish items after each stay, monitoring real-time changes in Inventory and tracking associated costs to forecast expenses and capture billables from homeowners.
Breezeway's inventory management program uses data from property care tasks to help you manage your inventory and maintain high-quality properties.
Using automation technology lets you not only equip your rentals with the ultimate inventory and appliances, but keep them sparkling, functioning, and up-to-date, too (in less time, and with less stress).
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Reduce your workload and simplify inventory management |
You can sync your calendar with an operations management platform like Breezeway, which tracks inventory and auto-schedules cleaning and maintenance tasks. You can also plan periodic checks and inspections with dedicated checklists, to ensure that everything in your rental remains in working order.
Beyond the obvious items like beds, sheets, towels, kitchen plates, and cutlery, you may want to install smart kitchen appliances, smart entertainment devices, and smart home technology.