How Do I Prepare My House For An Airbnb?

Opening up your home as an Airbnb is a huge commitment, and it takes some preparation. It’s hard to even know where to start if you’ve never done it before, but it doesn’t have to be that hard. So, how do I prepare my house for an Airbnb?

The best way to prepare your house to be an Airbnb is to start by cleaning your home one room at a time. Prioritize the kitchen and bathrooms, then move on to the bedrooms and common areas. Take pictures of the house before they arrive and remove your valuable and sentimental items to prevent theft. 

Create a list of rules to ensure your guests treat your home with respect. Follow along as we explore how to prepare your house for an Airbnb and leave nothing to chance.

How To Prepare Your House For Airbnb Guests

1. Prioritize The Kitchen And Bathrooms

Your Airbnb guest won’t leave a kind review if the bathrooms and kitchen in your home are dirty. Clean bathrooms and kitchens go a long way in making a great impression on your Airbnb guests. Deep clean these rooms as if you’re showing your home to potential buyers. 

Make sure the sinks and toilets are spotless, as your guests will most likely notice stains. Store-bought chemicals like Clorox and Comet are quite effective, but you can also use household remedies. For example, vinegar, ammonia, and baking soda can all remove bathroom stains. 

It’s also a great idea to clean your sink and shower drains to remove sludge and hair. Some people even check the space with a black light to ensure the space has been cleaned adequately. 

2. Dust Thoroughly

Dust is not only visually unappealing, but it can also negatively affect people prone to allergies and asthma. You will make a bad impression on your Airbnb guests if the house is dusty. That’s why you must thoroughly dust the whole house one room at a time. 

Remove the items on your tables and dressers to ensure you can get rid of each inch of dust. It’s also a great idea to pull your furniture out and clean the ground beneath it. Dust your picture frames, TVs, and even the leaves on your plants if you have any.

3. Clean The Floors

Nobody wants to walk around on dirty floors in their socks and bare feet. Dirty floors are a huge red flag that the rest of the house is dirty, and it can leave a bad first impression. Thoroughly vacuum your carpets and rugs in the weeks and days leading up to your guest’s arrival. 

You must also carefully clean your hardwood and vinyl floors with warm water and dish soap. Don’t panic if you have stubborn scuff marks and stains on your floors. You can remove scuff marks and stains from hardwood floors with warm water and a little bit of baking soda. 

4. Offer Amenities

Today, Airbnb guests expect more from their stays than they would have expected 10 years ago. That doesn’t mean that you must offer a 5-star hotel experience. However, you should at least offer a few amenities to help make their stay more enjoyable. 

You don’t need to go all out, and you can even offer something as simple as a coffee machine. Leave a coffee machine out with a list of instructions to make your guests feel welcome. Some people even provide an air fryer for their guests. 

However, don’t hesitate to leave a note asking your guests to clean such amenities before they leave. After all, coffee pots and air fryers are expensive and you shouldn’t be expected to care for your guests like they’re your children. 

5. Remove Valuables And Sentimental Items

It would be nice if we lived in a world where we could trust strangers to stay in our homes when we’re gone. However, that’s not the case, and you never know when someone has ulterior motives. That’s why it’s a great idea to remove your valuables and sentimental items before guests visit your Airbnb. 

Take inventory of items like family heirlooms and jewelry. Keep track of where you keep everything so you can easily remove such items as needed before guests visit. Otherwise, you won’t likely be able to prove that someone stole your possessions if it comes to that. 

6. Take Pictures Before They Arrive

Accidents happen, but you must protect yourself and prepare for them as well as possible. The best way to do this is to take many pictures of your home before you rent it out as an Airbnb. That way, you can prove what shape your home was in before your Airbnb guests visited. 

For example, your guest could accidentally break a window or glass and claim it was broken before they arrived. You can easily dispute this and make a case if you can provide pictures to show they’re wrong. This can also come in handy if someone gets injured on their own accord because of something they did.

That way, they can’t claim that something was already broken and injured them when it’s not true. Continuity pictures can also provide peace of mind and help hold your guests accountable. You can even tell them that you took pictures beforehand if you want. 

7. Keep Your Phone Handy

Emergencies pop up all the time, big and little. That’s why you must keep your phone handy during your guest’s stay at your Airbnb home. You never know when they’ll have a question or when an emergency arises. 

An unresponsive Airbnb host is unlikely to get a glowing review. The last thing you want to do is leave your guests feeling helpless when something goes wrong. For example, the carbon monoxide detector may start beeping or the power may go out. 

In that case, you should be able to quickly respond and even visit the Airbnb as needed. That’s also why it’s a great idea to stay in town when guests visit your Airbnb. 

8. Provide Wi-Fi And TV Access

Today, most people will not be pleased with an Airbnb with no Wi-Fi and streaming access. Some people won’t even select an Airbnb if the listing says that Wi-Fi isn’t available. You can avoid this problem if you clearly state that Wi-Fi will be available and free to use. 

However, you must be careful if you let your guests stream TV shows at your home. That’s because they may be able to access personal and financial information if they dig through your Netflix or Hulu account. Instead, log out of all your accounts and let them sign into their accounts. 

That way, they cannot access your information, upgrade your subscriptions, and charge rentals to your card. Make sure to specify this on the listing and let them know that streaming is available, but to use their accounts. 

9. Create Rules

You can’t expect your Airbnb guests to read your mind and follow the rules you have in your head. That’s why you must articulate your expectations to avoid awkward situations down the line. Ideally, you should explain your rules in the listing so you and the guest are on the same page before they arrive. 

For example, you can specify whether or not smoking is allowed and if so, where they can smoke. It’s also a good idea to set noise curfew guidelines to avoid problems with your neighbors. Don’t hesitate to add anything on your mind to the list, as it’s ultimately your home and not theirs.

Summing It Up

You must carefully clean and dust each room in your house before you rent it out as an Airbnb. Remove your valuables and take pictures of everything before they arrive as insurance. That way, you can prove your case if they deny having damaged your home and belongings during their stay. 

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