How to Prepare Your House for Airbnb: 9 Frequently Overlooked Amenities

Luggage racks have to be one of the most overlooked amenities by Airbnb hosts. If a convenient closet is available, and I’m staying for long enough, I’ll sometimes unpack, but I rarely unpack the entirety of my suitcase. Which leaves me crouching on the floor to pull undies out of my suitcase every day.

You can get a nice luggage rack for under $50, and a budget luggage rack for under $25, or if you want to get really fancy, you can put a bench at the foot of the bed (leather or a similarly sturdy fabric is usually best).

Either way, there’s little excuse not to provide something for guests to put their suitcase on. It’s a thoughtful touch that will make your space feel more like a boutique hotel–and as a bonus, you’ll probably notice fewer scuffs and marks on other furniture from guests putting their suitcase on the bed, sofa, or wherever they can find room.

Many people are accustomed to sleeping with white noise. Accommodating this need when traveling can be a pain because most travel white noise machines just aren’t that loud. So I’m always psyched when a hotel or vacation rental has a fan or air purifier.

If your home has any noise from traffic or nightlife, this is absolutely something you should provide, but guests will appreciate it at even the quietest home. The great thing about providing this amenity is that it’s generally pretty cheap. You don’t want an expensive fan that’s completely silent. You want a fan that makes a moderate amount of noise. Look for fans like this one where people specifically mention the noise it makes in the reviews.

Airbnb doesn’t require this, but after a number of high profile carbon monoxide deaths in vacation rentals and hotels, guests can search based on rentals that have a carbon monoxide detector or a smoke detector. We like to have the peace of mind, and almost always tick these boxes to filter out homes that don’t have them.

For so many reasons, from appearing in more searches, to protecting your guests, it’s a good idea to have carbon monoxide and smoke detectors in your home. These two types of detectors are different, and are shown in Airbnb’s search as two separate amenities that guests can filter their search for, so it’s best to have both.

You can buy carbon monoxide detectors starting at about $15, and many are combination smoke and CO2 detectors, so you don’t need to purchase separate units. It’s recommended that you install one of both detectors on each floor at a minimum.

Nothing sucks more than a nighttime run for tampons, and neither host nor guest wants any accidents on the linens. Having a small stash of feminine products can help avert accidents and guests will be grateful for the thoughtfulness.

Not sure what to purchase? This stash should include both tampons and pads. The safest best is a middle of the road “regular” absorbency for both, though you can purchase tampon variety packs if you’d like to be extra considerate.

I hate when hosts are stingy with towels, but it’s just as frustrating when you can’t find an extra blanket, pillow, or the bed has only a duvet with no flat sheet. Remember, unless you’re literally bottom-barrel, you’re competing against hotels who provide essentially unlimited towels, extra bedding, and bedding changes.

Guests should be able to find a change of bedding for each bed in the home, along with extra pillows and blankets. And wash cloths, hand towels, bath towels and bath mats should be provided for each bathroom.

As a good rule of thumb, each guest should have at least one bath towel for every two nights they’ll be staying (experts say towels should be washed after two uses). You have a little more leeway if your rental includes a washer and dryer, but guests shouldn’t feel like they’re always doing laundry during their stay.

Generally speaking, towels and bedding should be white. Every time I look through Airbnb listings and see busy floral bedspreads, it reminds me that I’m sleeping in someone else’s bed. Simple white bedding reminds your guests of a hotel and evokes cleanliness– and it’s also easy to bleach out spots and stains!

Especially in small bathrooms, hooks are paramount. In hotels and Airbnb bathrooms, I immediately look for a hook to hang my toiletry bag on.

In addition to a place to hang towels, are there extra hooks or bars for clothing, a robe, and that aforementioned toiletry bag? Even if your bathroom is short on space, an over the door hook should easily fit and provide storage space for guests.

More than likely, you or a professional cleaner will be cleaning the apartment after each guest leaves. But what happens if the guest needs to clean up a spill, or is just the type of person who prefers to keep everything extra clean? The kitchen and bathroom should be stocked with basic cleaning supplies.

We’ve noticed a trend of Airbnb hosts providing large “house guides.” These guides provide all kinds of info, from the WiFi password, to house rules, to restaurant recommendations. The problem is, when your guide is 15 pages long, the important info gets lost in the mix.

I don’t want to have to read 7 pages of text in order to know that the washing machine is actually off-limits, or shoes should be taken off at the door, or that I’m expected to strip my bed before I leave.

Ideally, home rules should be short and sweet, and hosts should strive to be accommodating. Your vital house rules and WiFi password should be posted on the walls in the relevant area (i.e. a request to strip the bed in the bedrooms, WiFi password in the living room, etc). Just be sparing with these signs unless you want to be the subject of the next viral TikTok about insane Airbnb hosts.

A fluffy robe is a luxe touch that people love to find in hotels. Make your rental feel both more homey, and more like a swanky hotel with a couple soft white robes. (and while we’re at it, if you ask guests to take off their shoes at the door, it’s nice to take a cue from the Japanese and provide house slippers.)

Simple white terrycloth robes aren’t expensive and will feel luxe and cozy if freshly laundered with fabric softener. One in a medium-ish size, and one XL should cover your bases.