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In short, no your Airbnb does not have to have a kitchen, but a lot of people choose short term rentals over hotel rooms because they have a kitchen. In fact, having a kitchen is #3 on the top 25 amenities people search for on Airbnb after a Pool and WiFi.
Keeping groceries on hand and preparing your meals can cut down on having to dine out or be hangry when traveling. Some people just prefer not to dine out every meal because it’s unhealthy, and it’s expensive. Having a well-stocked and appealing kitchen is a huge draw for your Airbnb.
The 3 key areas that I focus on are:
Focus on cleanliness when setting up your Airbnb kitchen
Declutter your kitchen when setting it up for an Airbnb
Add your personal touch when setting up your Airbnb kitchen
1. Sponges // 2. Kitchen Brushes // 3. Dish Towels
Make sure the trash can is as clean as the day you bought it. Take that bad boy outside and spray it with a hose if you need to.
If your stove has burners that can be removed, pull those out and clean or replace them. And don’t forget to clean your backsplash, hood, and hood filters. Make sure the inside of your stove is clean as well. Use an oven cleaner and if your stove has it run a cleaning cycle.
Your fridge needs to be clean on the inside and outside. I use a stainless steel cleaner and remove all the clutter from the outside of the fridge. Make sure there are no funky odors in your fridge. Scrub down all of the inside shelves and drawers and get rid of leftovers and expired items. One time I checked into an Airbnb and the fridge was full of poorly sealed leftovers (I think there was an entire duck in a stockpot - no joke I almost barfed. Long story short the entire place was filthy and we left and got our money back.)
Wipe off any condiment jars and lids that may be sticky and check the expiration dates on your condiments. Get rid of the mustard from 2019 - you know who you are.
1. Method Stainless Steel Cleaner // 2. Refrigerator Filter // 3. Magic Eraser Kitchen
There are a lot of schools of thought on how to leave your fridge. If you live in your rental full-time, you are probably going to have some stuff in there. Clear a fair amount of space for your guests if you need to leave other items in there. If your home is a full-time rental, get rid of any opened items, it’s your call on condiments I leave a few condiments from previous guests but I don’t let them build up because it’s sort of nasty. I did stay in an Airbnb once and their cleaner would leave unopened alcohol for the next guest which we appreciated.
Clean kitchen floors and run any rugs through the washing machine or power wash them if needed. Make sure your dishwasher is empty and all the dishes are put away. Twice I’ve stayed in Airbnbs where the cleaners forgot to empty the dishwasher and I couldn’t find anything because I didn’t think to look there. Also, as a guest, it’s not my job to put your dishes away.
Declutter your kitchen when setting it up for an Airbnb
Leaving a bunch of personal knick-knacks, junk mail and other clutter in your kitchen area makes it feel messy, cramped, and disorganized. Before guests arrive, make sure you’ve cleared the kitchen of any personal or unnecessary items that aren’t essential to the function of the kitchen. Put away any small appliances that the guests probably won’t use (*ahem* bread maker) to clear space for food prep.
Go through all of your cupboards and purge - do you really need 7 flasks, 23 shot glasses and 47 different coffee mugs? Take this opportunity to Marie Kondo the heck out of your kitchen. It will be good for you, and it might even spark joy in your guests. You are going to feel good afterward, trust me, and it will make it easier for your guests to find items which means less messaging back and forth.
Add your personal touch when setting up your Airbnb kitchen
My go-to for making guests feel welcome in my kitchen is to leave a bottle of wine (if the guests are over 21) and a nice handwritten note to welcome them to their home-away-from-home (you can have your cleaner or property manager write this if you are not managing the property yourself). My short term rental in Lodi, CA is surrounded by great wineries, so we always select a local wine for an added touch.
I also find that having a well-stocked coffee bar is an easy, impressive, and thoughtful bonus for your guests. In addition to a regular coffee maker, I offer a french press and a coffee grinder. Along with local coffee. I also offer a nice selection of teas. Honey, sugar, and stevia are available as sweeteners.
