The most common mistake vacation rental hosts make is having too little or too much stuff.
Hosts who don’t treat their vacation rental as a business often furnish their Airbnbs one of two ways. The first is “I’m going to spend the absolute minimum getting this place ready.”
The second is “I bought a new thing for my house, let’s take the old one to the rental.” It’s the same mistake because it’s two sides of the same coin.
Both tell their guests “I don’t really care what you want, you’re lucky to be here and this is what you’re getting.” But being cheap can end up costing you money in the long run.
Note that there’s a difference between shopping wisely and being cheap. The former is getting the most out of your money and the latter is spending as little as possible, regardless of quality and sometimes at the expense of others.
The mistake of not providing what your guests need will affect your ratings and reviews.
Have you ever stayed in a vacation rental where you kind of felt like the owner/host was telling you to go f- yourself?
For me, it was the apartment in Amsterdam where the host left two hand towels and only two hand towels, in the bathroom to dry off with. After a couple of other “cheapest possible” choices, the towels kinda felt like a middle finger moment.
I kind of get it – housewares are an expense that takes most new owners by surprise. When you buy dishes, kitchen equipment, towels etcetera for a regular house, you don’t usually have to buy it all at once, so you don’t remember how much you spent on all of it. The full shopping cart can be a little mind-boggling.
That’s probably why one of the newbie questions I often see is “What do I need to buy for my vacation rental?”
Psst: That’s why we made this free Inventory List/Budgeting Tool for you!
Of course, you want to save money when you furnish your vacation rental. Just don’t do it at your guests’ expense.
It’s understandable. After all, that’s how you make money, right? Spend as little as possible? Well, only if your goal is to offer a place to sleep, and a place to sleep only.
The problem with that is that there are plenty of others doing the same thing, so you’re left to compete solely on price. That can quickly become a race to the bottom, for both your nightly rates and your quality of guests.
You can be frugal and still have a well-appointed rental. Putting some thought into what your guests will want and need during their stay will get you better reviews, returning guests, and possibly higher rents.
Packing your vacation rental with your discards is another big mistake.
“I’m doing you a favor by letting you stay here” is the other side of the “stuff” coin. That’s when you check in and find tons of family photos, a kitchen full of old cookware and dishes, and, in the worst cases, closets full of other peoples’ clothes.
Offering a short-term rental for money is quite different from letting your friends and family stay at your vacation home. The minute you take payment it’s not a favor.
Sometimes clutter is indeed a matter of opinion. I know designers who use far more accessories than I do, and I’m sure there are some who would cringe at the number of throw pillows I like on a sofa.
It’s important to know when your Airbnb is too cluttered.
I’ve also seen vacation rentals that are showcases for an owner’s collections of art, travel souvenirs, or antiques. I love these things; they can be a great jumping-off point for a unique and personality-filled vacation rental.
But, when guests wonder “how the heck do they clean this place with all this stuff” – that’s when you’ve crossed over to clutter.
Easily solved. Put half of the collectibles and accessories in storage and rotate them seasonally. Your guests will breathe easier, your housekeepers will be more efficient, and you’ll have the joy of re-discovery when it’s time to change the collection.
That’s also when you make sure that you’ve provided up-to-date staging photos to your cleaning team so that your styling stays the way you want it to. Go digital with these and make sure the team leader is able to access them on their phone because as soon as you print them out and stick them in a binder, they’ll be out of date.
The best way to avoid the mistake many hosts make is to stay at your vacation rental yourself.
If you’re not super fussy, invite picky friends to be beta testers. Is there enough light at the bedside tables to read? Is it easy to find an outlet to charge your phone? Are there any noises or lights that make it hard to sleep at night?
If you’ve converted a family home into a short-term rental and you’re not sure if it’s too cluttered or homey, get an objective opinion, even if you have to pay a consultant for it. If you’re using a property management company, take their advice.
Instead of sending subconscious messages to your guests, middle finger or otherwise, try to make them feel like geniuses for booking your place.
The best vacation rentals provide a home base that’s more stylish, comfortable, and functional than home. They make every guest feel like a VIP regardless of the price per night and fantasize about living that way all the time. You don’t have to spend a lot of money to achieve that level of success, but you do have to invest some thought into who your guests are and what they need, and time into figuring out how to meet those needs. Your efforts will pay off with better relationships with your guests, better reviews, and a full calendar.
Wondering where your vacation rental fits in this Goldilocks scenario? Book a free 20-minute consultation to review your listing with me.
