The Ultimate Short-Term Rental Startup Checklist
If you’re looking to start a short-term rental business, you’re likely wondering where to begin. Furnishing and managing short term rentals since 2016, I understand the challenges of getting a new rental off the ground. That’s why I’ve put together a comprehensive short-term rental startup checklist to help make your purchasing and planning process as easy as possible.
Short-term rental resources
The sections located below in this post are broken down by room. The goal here is to provide an outline for the basics that you’ll need to purchase for each zone in your short-term rental.
This is a free resource compiled from the knowledge I’ve gained launching my vacation rentals on a budget and time crunch.
Paid resources
Time is money. You can get the free resources below, but then you’ll need to build something to help you track the purchases and invetory related to your short-term rental, which takes hours if you’re tech savvy. If you just want to skip the boring administrative stuff, buy my Short-Term Rental Startup Spreadsheet for $15. I personally use this tool when planning and launching my short-term rentals.
This comprehensive spreadsheet gives you 4 tabs to help you:
- Organize your inventory and purchases, including links to the products I purchase,
- Calculate a reasonable income and expenses to run your business,
- Proposes important questions to ask your potential cleaners, and
- Compare your short-term rental to your neighboring competition.
Room-by-Room Checklist
Reuse existing furnishings
As I prepare to furnish a short-term rental, I first take stock of what is existing in the home that I can reuse and then decide what will need to be purchased after the fact. Often times, if a home has been occupied previously, you can snag some really lovely decor and furnishings that will work well with your design plan.
Costly inventory purchases
If you’re converting your residence with existing furniture, mattresses, and appliances, then the most expensive things to purchase are the new matching bedding and linens that you will hold in inventory for turnover service.
If you’re building a brand new, unfurnished vacation rental, then additional high costs to consider are the cost of furniture and mattresses. The vast majority of these items can be purchased affordably second-hand; however, if you’re on a time constraint, then buying at retail prices will be the best option.
Bedrooms
Linen Inventory
At a minimum, purchase two sets of bed linens and two towel sets (bath towel and hand towel) per guest on inventory – this is only recommended for a homeowner performing the cleaning themselves.
I use a cleaning service and they launder off-site at a commercial facility, so my best practice is to have three sets of bed linens and three towel sets per guest. That means that one set will be placed in the clean home, one in inventory on-site, and one at the cleaners.
PRO TIP: Do not buy white linens. Instead, opt for non-white linens such as light or dark gray. [Read why you should invest in non-white linens]
- Comfortable, high-quality mattress, bedding, and protectors
- Nightstands with lamps
- Dresser or armoire for storage
- Full-length mirror
- Black-out curtains or other window coverings for privacy and good sleep
- Laundry Hamper
- Extra blankets, sheet sets, and pillows
Living Room
- Comfortable seating for guests
- Coffee table or side tables
- Area rug
- Lamps for ambiance and reading
- Smart TV and entertainment system
- Window coverings for privacy
Dining Room
- Dining table and chairs
- Table settings (dishes, flatware, glasses)
- Table linens (tablecloths, placemats, napkins)
- Centerpiece for table
Kitchen
- Cookware (pots, pans, baking dishes)
- Dishware (plates, bowls, cups)
- Microwave
- Flatware (forks, knives, spoons)
- Glassware (wine glasses, drinking glasses)
- Cooking utensils (spatulas, spoons, knives)
- Water filter & replacement filters
- Small appliances
- coffee maker
- toaster
- blender
- Dish towels and cleaning supplies
- Coffee beans, instant creamer, and sugar for breakfast
Bathroom(s)
- Hair dryer
- Linens
- towels
- hand towels
- Bathroom set (soap dispenser, soap tray, toothbrush holder)
- Bulk self-care products (shampoo, conditioner, body wash)
- Trashcans
- Toilet scrub brush
- Shower or bath mats
- First aid kit
Exterior
- Outdoor seating for guests
- Grill and grilling tools
- Outdoor lighting for safety and ambiance
- Landscaping and gardening tools
- Solar landscaping lights
Security
Security Cameras
Security cameras and smart locks are must-have products to install on your short-term rental. Of course, disclose the camera locations (we only install on the exterior of the home) in the listing, so the guest knows this before they book. We install a Ring doorbell on each exterior door and cameras on the perimeter of the property, including the parking area, pool, and any additional “high risk” features like a trampoline.
If you have a pool or playset, put cameras on that as well. If the worst were to happen and a guest lied about an accident, you need to protect your investment. Security cameras on your short-term rental also act as a party deterrent. Guests seeking parties are less likely to choose a booking where they know their reservation will get cancelled because their host caught them throwing an event (if your home doesn’t allow parties).
In my opinion, if a guest doesn’t like that cameras are there, ask yourself if you really want them to book with you anyway.
Smart WiFi Lock
Our Yale Assure WiFi lock is reliable, easy to manage remotely with the app, and syncs with our central booking platform, Hospitable. When a guest books, the door code is pushed directly to the Yale Access app, no matter the booking platform, via the Hospitable platform.
- Yale Assure WiFi Bluetooth deadbolt locks on exterior doors
- Smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors
- Ring doorbell
- Ring security lights
- Ring doorbell chime + wifi extender
- Ring solar panels to charge doorbell and lights
- Magnetic child locks for cabinet doors
- Solar panel for Ring doorbell
- Fire extinguisher
- Pool safety gate, if applicable
General
- WiFi
- Organizers (clear totes, self-care product dispensers)
- Self-care products
- shampoo, conditioner, body wash, hand soap, dish soap
- Cleaning products
FAQ on Stocking a Short-Term Rental
What is a short-term rental checklist?
A short-term rental checklist is a tool to help you plan the launch of a vacation rental. It should include ways that you should furnish the property and what inventory to purchase so you can hit the ground running. It should also provided tips on how to protect your investment with security cameras, simplify the administrative work with smart tools like Hospitable and smart locks, and reduce unnecessary inventory costs.
Why should you invest in non-white linens in your short-term rental?
In our first year of launching our first AirBnB, at every single turnover (90+ stays), our cleaning team reported even the smallest of stains on anything white. Some months it felt as if I was just buying single-use linens because every little stain appeared on the white linens. This year, I instead bought light gray bed linens and blankets, and dark gray bath towels. It’s been about 6 months since my restock with non-white linens, and I’ve not had to order new linen inventory.
How do I keep short-term rental guests from putting makeup on my linens?
Even the best of guests will damage white linens. My best practice is to purchase non-white linens in my short-term rentals. I purchase dark gray linens for the bathroom linens like bath towels, hand towels, and (optional) wash clothes. I purchase light gray bed sheet sets and blanket sets for the beds, and waterproof mattress and pillow protectors.
Alternatively or in addition to purchasing darker linens, you can also provide single-use, cotton or bamboo pads and swabs, and a small trash can for disposal. I personally prefer to avoid the cost and hassle of restocking a disposable product, but find it’s a nice addition in higher-end listings.
Do guests complain when you stock your short-term rental with non-white linens?
It’s been 6 months since I replaced my white bed and bathroom linens with a non-white linens. 30+ guests have not complained publicly or privately of an uncertainty of clean linens based on a color difference (white to a darker linen). I’ve reduced the amount of linens I have to buy from monthly to almost annually. That’s a huge savings.
Conclusion
Starting a short-term rental business can be a daunting task, but with this comprehensive checklist, you’ll be well on your way to setting up a successful vacation rental. By ensuring that each room is fully furnished and stocked with all the essentials, you’ll be able to provide your guests with a comfortable and enjoyable stay. And if you’re looking for even more tips on short-term rental success, be sure to check out my guide on setting up a rental in Tampa, FL.
Disclosure: Some of the links in this article may be affiliate links, which can provide compensation to me at no cost to you if you decide to purchase a paid plan. Thank you, if you do. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. This site is not intended to provide financial advice and is for entertainment only. Read our affiliate disclosure in our privacy policy.
