Tips to Effectively Stock and Manage Your Airbnb Inventory

To manage an Airbnb successfully requires a lot of preparation. From creating a business plan to knowing what the local laws and regulations are in the area to furnishing your Airbnb and knowing what to stock for your guests to provide the best possible guest experience.

Though, keep in mind, optimizing your guest experience is much more than just making your Airbnb clean and tidy. One of the challenges for hosts/managers is monitoring the physical inventory and the issues faced.

Without further ado, let’s take a look at:

• Why keeping track of your vacation rental inventory is important?
• What are the top tips to effectively stock and manage your Airbnb inventory?

Why Keeping Track of your Vacation Rental Inventory is Important?

One of the biggest concerns that vacation rental managers face is having their vacation rental damage, burglary, or guests leaving a pile of a mess after their stay. And throughout every turnover, Airbnb hosts and cleaners cope with an inventory management issue which therefore requires hosts to keep track and manage stock in order to create the best possible experience for guests as well as save cost by allocating money for supplies.

More importantly, keeping track of your vacation rental inventory guarantees that all of the items in the short-term rental are in place and to prepare the short-term rental during and after a guest checks in and checks out. Do keep in mind, tracking your inventory is not the only task requires when managing your property as it requires multiple tasks. Therefore, managing your Airbnb inventory helps your vacation rental cleaning process set smoothly with knowing what your property has and what it needs.

What are the Top Tips to Effectively Stock and Manage your Airbnb Inventory?

1. Get organized

When running a vacation rental business, it is important to take a detailed account of all and any items in the rental via an inventory sheet or spreadsheet. Doing so helps hosts to record and manage all the inventory items used by guests and that requires restocking.

Moreover, if it is possible to install a lock in the storage unit or closet in keeping the extra supplies or inventory safe and handy by cleaners in order to supply new guests with the required stocks quickly and easily. Keep in mind, holding extra supplies on-site saves time and money with your cleaning service.

2. Stock only the essentials

According to Airbnb, guests expect the basic essential amenities for a comfortable stay such as:

• Toilet paper
• Soap (Hand and Body)
• One towel per guest
• One pillow per guest
• Linens for each guest

With that in mind, stocking only the essentials helps avoid issues with theft and damage. However, be aware that some guests during their stay may prefer the ability to clean on their own. Therefore, stock your short-term rental with the basic and essential cleaning supplies required such as:

• Disposable paper towels, gloves, and bags
• Multi-surface cleaner
• Disinfectant wipes or spray
• Antibacterial hand sanitizer

And additionally, if your vacation rental features extra amenities, also take into consideration stocking guests with needed supplies required for their maintenance or usage. For example, extra towels for the pool/jacuzzi or dog bowls/plates for pet-friendly spaces.

3. Use an Airbnb Inventory Checklist

To ease organizing the cleaning process, a great tool recommended for your vacation rental inventory list is to either create your own via a free template. But of course, don’t forget to mention the items that require restocking whether it is running low or out of stock in your checklist. Doing so will ensure the smooth sailing of your vacation rental cleaning process throughout every business.

More importantly, the Airbnb inventory checklist is useful especially to newer staff that allows a detailed assessment of all things stocked.

How to stock your Airbnb inventory Checklist?

• Affordability- stock items that are will not affect your cost, especially items that are disposable or refillable. It is best to stock items that are available in bulk.
• High quality- never or avoid buying items that are cheap if your goal is to create a positive guest experience. Buy items that are in high-quality that sets a great standard for your short-term rental
• Durable- avoid to stock or buying items that break easily after repeated use
• Easy to wash or clean- always best to use or buy items such as linen or bedding that machine washable or easy to clean
• Eco-friendly- get items that are biodegradable, plastic-free, or help reduce waste as guests especially environmentalists appreciate vacation rentals that provide eco-friendly products.

4. Automate your Inventory with Operations Management Tool

With management tools such as TurnoverBnB, Doinn, Properly, VRscheduler, and Turnify, hosts can track and manage inventory as well automate and coordinate cleaning tasks that will keep track of their work and notifies hosts automatically when a supply is running low.

These tools help hosts at maximizing revenues by lessening waste, loss, and mismanagement that simplifies the process for cleaners which therefore prevents any miscommunication between the host and the cleaner.

5. Document with photos or videos

Taking photos and videos of your Airbnb inventory is a great aspect of your operation management especially when it guarantees cleaners a visual idea of how your expectation is and moreover, it serves as evidence in case of burglary or damage in your short-term rental.

Take note, photos are also a great way for Airbnb hosts to take new cleaners a virtual walk-through via a set of images of the property including instructions on replenishing stocks.