The Must-Have Vacation Rental Inventory Checklist Every Host Needs [+ Free Template]

Taking care of your property so that your guests have an enjoyable experience and a more comfortable stay is the number one most important responsibility of all hosts. Not only do you want to make sure that every guest can experience your property with all of its amenities in good working order, you also want to make sure that your property is always well-stocked with the items that will make your guests feel comfortable and at home.

However, as a host, it can be difficult to know if you are missing some items that your guests expect that your short-term rental property should have.

To ensure that you cover all of the bases to meet your guests’ preferences, you need a vacation rental inventory checklist.

The first step is to compile a vacation rental furnishing list that includes all of the amenities that your property offers. Then add the finer details and inventory items that need to be replaced regularly to complete your vacation rental turnover checklist.

Why Use a Vacation Rental Inventory Checklist?

Hosts use a vacation rental inventory checklist to ensure that all of the items in their property are still in place after a guest leaves and to ready the property for the next guests. Without it, it’s nearly impossible to keep up with all of the various items your property needs to have. In addition, this type of checklist is perfect for sharing with your cleaning service so that they will quickly notice what your property has and what it needs.

What to Include in Your Vacation Rental Inventory Checklist

In the vacation rental inventory checklist, you’ll find a space to record the quantity, type of item, its condition on arrival/departure of the guest, and a column to check off whether you have completed your review of that item on the list.

Here is the list of items needed for a vacation rental that should appear on your own vacation rental inventory checklist:

Kitchen

Compiling a vacation rental kitchen checklist for the kitchen may take a bit more time than other rooms because there are many smaller items you also need to keep track of. For the kitchen, your short-term rental inventory list should include:

• Seasonings and condiments
• Tea and coffee
• High-quality dishware that is highly durable and dishwasher safe
• Kid-friendly dishes (sippy cups, small utensils, cute plates & bowls)
• Cups and glassware (wine glasses, water glasses etc)
• Kettle and coffee machine
• Cookware including pots and pans
• Cooking utensils (sharp steak knives are a must)
• Food storage containers
• Cutting board
• Garbage can and trash bags
• Oven mitts
• Paper towels and cleaning solutions
• Dishwashing soap and sponge
• Cleaning supplies

While many vacation rental properties do not include extras like paper towels and seasonings, your guests will appreciate these small details. By considering your guests’ needs in the kitchen, you can make them feel more at home while preparing a meal which will help to improve their experience while staying at your property.

Bedroom

A bedroom is the most important room when it comes to helping your guests feel relaxed. You want to create a comfortable atmosphere that is ideal for a good night’s sleep in this room and some comfortable seating would be nice too! In the bedroom, you should make sure that you have:

• High-thread count sheets and quality bed linens
• High-quality pillows
• Extra blankets
• Extra clothing hangers
• Thick curtains to block out the light in the morning
• Alarm clock
• Lamps and bedside tables
• Ceiling fan or wall unit cooling

As an added bonus for guests, SleepPhones are a great option to include in your short-term rental bedroom to enhance the guest’s experience. They are flat speakers inside of a comfortable headband that will help guests to easily drift off to sleep.

Bathroom

In the bathroom, cleanliness is a top priority and can determine the success of your guests experience. Beyond this, your guests will expect that your bathroom has the following:

• Hand towels
• Face towels
• Bath towels (Ideally, at least two towels per guest, displayed at the end of the bed)
• Toilet paper (plus extra toilet paper rolls)
• Hand soap
• Bath soap and face soap
• Shampoo and conditioner
• Small garbage can and trash bags
• Toilet brush

Although your guests will likely bring their own toiletries with them, you should make sure that you have all of these items available. To go above and beyond what the average guest might expect, you could include toothpaste and toothbrushes, feminine products, shaving cream and razors.

Living Room

While your guests probably won’t do much in the living room, you should still make sure that it is spacious and inviting. In fact, you might find that they actually need the living room for extra sleeping accommodations so be prepared in advance.

In the living room, you should make sure to have:

• Couches and chairs
• TV (with a working remote)
• Entertainment system
• Décor (artwork, frames, vases)
• Side tables and coffee table
• Lighting and lamps
• Optional bonuses for guests, like board games

If your vacation rental attracts groups, add a fold-out couch which can serve as an extra bed if needed.

Dining Room

Families enjoy getting together for meals while on vacation. Meals are just as memorable as the other plans and outings that your guests will enjoy, so make their experience in your dining room worthwhile. For the dining room, the inventory checklist should include:

• Dining room table (preferably an expandable dining table)
• Plenty of seating for all of your guests
• Wall décor
• Cabinets
• Table settings (2x times the number of guests)
• Sufficient lighting

Your guests may prefer to set the table themselves so make sure that all of the items that they need are easy to find, clean and ready for them to use when they need them.

Amenities for Children and Pets

If your rental property tends to attract guests with children or pets, include amenities for them as well. Families already have to travel with a lot of the items for the kids so they will appreciate you taking some of the burden off of them. Make sure that your property has:

• Safety devices (baby gates, cabinet locks, outlet covers, and window locks)
• Crib
• Changing table
• Baby monitor
• Stroller
• High chair

For pets, you might want to have:

• Water and food bowls
• Toys
• Cage or pet bed

Just know that not having these items could be a deal-breaker for your guests. In addition, your guests will feel less worried if you’ve already provided the essentials needed for their little ones and furry friends.

Outdoor Space

There is not much you can do to your vacation home if it does not have any outdoor space, but if it does, make it as enticing as possible. Property managers will tell you that an outdoor space can be as attractive to guests as cooking essentials or complimentary extra amenities. Most guests will want an outdoor space and if they’ve booked one of your short term rentals, make it as perfect as possible.

Bonus Free Download: Printable Vacation Rental Inventory Checklist

These ideas are meant to give you a starting point for creating your own vacation rental inventory checklist. We recommend that you check the inventory immediately after every guest leaves. By assessing your property regularly, you can ensure that everything meets your guests’ expectations so that you can receive good reviews from guests.

To enhance your guest experience and your number of positive reviews, “hire” vacation rental software. Vacation rental software such as iGMS will help streamline your routine tasks and improve your business efficiency. Sign up for iGMS and get access to these essential features:

• Managing multiple accounts and listings on the top OTAs from a single interface
• Synchronizing reservations across multiple platforms to eliminate the risk of double bookings
• Managing direct bookings using a direct booking management toolkit
• Processing payments securely via integration with Stripe.
• Creating essential reports on your business results within minutes
• Adjusting your pricing in a smart way through integrations with PriceLabs, DPGO, and Wheelhouse