Airbnb Hosting: TOP 2018 AMENITIES!! (must-have and forward thinking) 

Thanks for the great videos! My wife and I have been Airbnb hosts for about six months and all of our experiences have been positive. We offer one room of our home, so we share space with our guests vs a separate property. We've found most to be friendly, and we've enjoyed meeting so many interesting people. For charging stations, I found some GM 'extension cords' on Amazon that basically relocate one wall outlet to a wall-mounted brick with two 3-prong outlets and two high-current USB charging ports. I've mounted one on each side of the guest bed and they work great! For keyless entry, I found a Shlage offering (bought mine at a local hardware store) that accepts either a physical key or 4-digit code entry. The beauty of the model we have is that it can hold up to 19 codes. When we get a new booking, I generally program it to the last 4 of the guest's phone number and inform them of this in my response to the booking. Once they check out, I simply delete the code. I use a simple spreadsheet to keep track of what codes are active at any given moment, though I've never come close to hitting the 19 code max. Hopefully this will be helpful to others. Thanks again for the great information you provide!

This is a wonderful upload, and I found it to be very informative (especially the Alexa and/or Google Home) Here are a few of the amenities that we’ve found to gain the best results/reviews: A well stocked kitchen - from pots/pans flatware/glasses/dishes ... to wine glasses/battery operated wine opener - we also leave a bottle (or 2) of wine/champagne for the special occasions/holidays ... in addition, a few extras in the kitchen that may not be used that often - however, we provide them as we’ve recently learned that Traveling-Foodies are on the rise ... from slow cookers, choppers, sharp knives, a Sous Vide, etc ... to a hot water kettle, coffee pot, coffee grinder, and a Keurig for the breakfast bar (it’s actually, a reclaimed armoire cabinet where we created an area that alleviates clutter on the countertops) Accessible batteries - packages of batteries (all sizes) have come in handy for the tv remotes, battery operated candles, etc A baby gate - we chose a retractable one for for the top of the stairway that can be unseen for those that will not need it ... and for those that have, its very much appreciated As many of you already know - additional blankets and oversized sheet towels are always appreciated, as are a wealth of pillows ... lastly, for the those that have white linens, black washcloths are a must (for us anyway) ... we provide these for the women that do not use (or forgot to pack) make-up wipes = they’re regular washcloths, w/ white stitching that says “make-up” (Amazon) - our guests love them ... and we love that we are not for’evar replacing the white ones. I could continue, but I think I’ve already exceed my space here ... hope this helps some of you Thank you for this video; I stumbled on it this morning and have since subscribed!

I think the most important amenity to have is a super comfortable bed to sleep in. I purchased a Serta Perfect Sleeper Ii. My guest always rave about the sleeping experience.

I have the august lock. One guest gave the feedback of it being in intrusive to setup if you give them bluetooth access. The keypad is nice, and I do like having the ability to unlock the door remotely if needed. Smart locks are an absolute must but do require charging of batteries if there is heavy usage. To mitigate costs, I purchased rechargeable batteries. Additionally, I use the Ring doorbell to double check all things are okay if I can't great a guest personally. I have all of the basic musts for airbnb, but I also give guest soap I make myself. I think a special touch or a tiny unexpected surprise is a must to make the experience more special than staying in a hotel.

It's truly about setting expectations. I have the bear essentials and people love being able to unplug.

I think adding a small basket of snacks and some drinks in the fridge is a must. I cant tell you how many times I have gone to an airbnb in the middle of the night , starving and only to find an empty fridge with no drink in sight, not even water (for those tropical countries where tap water is not recommended) . It's simple step that goes a long way.

Have a stack of take out menus that deliver in your area.

I'm opening up my new rental the end of this month and it is fully ADA compliant. You can make your bath guest safer by adding some strategic grab bars in the shower and next to the commode. Once you install grab bars, you'll never bathe without them if you can help it. I built a barrier free shower for my Father and I used it exclusively because of the 4 grab bars that I installed, hand held shower head with 7 foot hose (forget 5 foot hose) by Delta Faucet on Amazon. You can purchase suction cup accessories from Bed, Bath and Beyond and Amazon, but they only work if your tile is completely slick. If there is any undulation in the surface, the vacuum will break and fall off the wall.

So I was already thinking about smart locks, & toiletries. I had forgotten about spices/oils for the kitchen. I freaking love this channel!!

I have two rentals on airbnb and homeaway with over 90 reviews. I always get compliments on my big screen tvs and fully stocked kitchen. Every room has at least a 60" or larger. The living room has a 80" in one house and a 75" at the other.

I took a survey on a traveler's site I participate in and the top 3 items were simple - (1) enough toilet paper; (2) a hair dryer; and (3) washcloths. I have also received good reviews for the shampoo/conditioner/face wash I provide (all large sizes) and the coffee/tea makers and product selection. I provide biscuits for tea, regular milk and 1/2 and 1/2 and flavored single use creamers a few cheap snacks. You can get boxes of chips and cookies on Amazon that work out to less than a dollar an item. I also invite guests to take fruit, granola or bread from the local bakery, butter/cream cheese/jam, and peanut butter. My rental is in my home so the kitchen is fully stocked and I invite guests to cook but nobody really has. Maybe they feel awkward because I am on the premises (although in a separate space). I also leave 1/2 of my refrigerator empty so they can bring in their own groceries or store leftovers if they have eaten out in the area. I am new to this but so far getting 5 star reviews in a competitive area.

Thanks for the tips Richard. I have been doing most of those things for about 3 years now. Here is a short list of "guest complimented items" 1.)Good towels and bedding 2.) Pump soap in all areas ... shower, sinks and kitchen. I got rid of the gourmet herbal bar soap after having to clean up all the pieces in the shower! 3.)Oil , salt and pepper and a spice collection/rack! 4.)Many foils, foil pans to help prevent oven messes. 5.)Wifi and TV and phone by SAT isp in rural areas. The wifi actually cause low rating in our rural area ... since people expect fiber speed from town! I wish AIRbnb had relative reviews based on an area and not just metro areas. 6.)Washer and Dryer 7.)Hot tub! 8.)Beach towels 9.)Many Movies on DVR and DVDs. 10)BBQ Keep in mind that amazon echo is a "user account based voice tech" meaning you offer your accounts like amazon purchases and such to a guest! It is also a monitoring device in the drop in mode! Maybe a slight invasion of privacy! Airbnb freaks out about this and any security cams as a result of some missuses of them seen in the media. I was threatened with being removed from the platform after submitting a claim using a parking security cam (disclosed in the listing) to prove a guest had sneaked in extra guests past the legal occupancy of my rental. What a feeling of disappointment in airbnb for not wanting to help enforce/penalize for over occupancy. Instead they threaten me for proving this had occurred! I was just trying to be a responsible host and landlord following the local occupancy codes, and get paid for extra guests below the limit.

Richard, you’ve said this before, but the Smart TVs is a must. I have a 3 bed condo, and 4 TVs. Each is a Roku TV and I think will be a “silent” plus for all my customers. Also, smart locks, I love the Schlage Camelot. It’s a 9 volt powered smart lock, EASY to install, and doesn’t depend on the battery to turn the deadbolt. Plus, if I need a back up, I have a MasterLock holding all the master keys in case the battery dies. The deadbolt has a key entry if needed. Smart locks that require the battery to turn the bolt will die fast, and the remote wifi pin swap is unreliable if wifi happens to disconnect. I’ll report back if I have any trouble with the Camelot. Always love your videos.

The owner of the Alexa device can go to their account on Amazon and review and listen to the recordings. This invades guest privacy.

I never expected my host to have voice technology. WI-FI, yes. I can look up my own info, find my own map on my smart phone, then I have the info when I need it. 💜🌞🌵

We provide locally roasted coffee, snacks, toaster, waffle iron, blender, pizza pans, cookie sheets, most common kitchen utensils, pots an pans. We also have a guide book with menus from local restaurants.

Your tips and advice are great. Thank you from a "just-starting-out" hostess.

We use smart locks, smart TVs and provide charging cords. I like your idea of the cumbersome charging station since that has been a concern. We put bluetooth speakers in the suites a couple of years ago - I think the idea of a smart speaker is interesting and I'm going to look into it. When we do our next suite it will have a dishwasher and no stove. We put a toaster oven and a microwave in our units but we still have the stove and it seems to encourage them to do more heavy-duty cooking than is worth it for us to clean up. And about half of them don't do their dishes, so I think a dishwasher will serve everyone a bit better. We've always provided staples, soap, shampoo etc and I make sure there are some feminine supplies in the bathroom as well - nothing worse than arriving somewhere and being surprised by your period. I think making that available has also saved our sheets more than once. There is always a package of pads and a box of tampons in the suite bathroom, we put a note about NOT flushing any of them down the toilet on the box - also, make-up removal wipes. We use video doorbells, I would suggest everyone do that. In the year we've had them, they have more than made their money back in guest fees we would have lost if we hadn't seen them bringing in extra guests on the front doorbell camera. They also save you the awkwardness of having a confrontation about them bringing extra guests where it's your word against theirs. You have proof. There's no arguing about it.

Cooking oil is a great idea. Never thought of it. Providing coffee is a must. I have found that guests prefer the Folgers singles coffee bags over an actual coffee maker, although I have both options. Providing sugar and the individual creamers is a must as well. Very inexpensive. A teapot is a must as well.

I installed the Schlage digital lock. You need a Wink hub or Samsung hub (Wink Hub 2 gives you more functionality). You can control the Schlage lock with the app on your smartphone. You can add, delete, change codes, monitor when a code is used (you know when your guest arrive and depart, know when your cleaning service arrives, set unique codes for each guest, etc.

We use Yale Nest lock with connect and it's been super amazing. Each guest gets a unique code for their stay that is date and time stamped. Our cleaning crew and maintenance crew also has their own codes. Even if wifi goes down, master codes or non time dependent codes still work. Plus we can see who's coming and going from wherever we are with the app on our phone. Bought nest thermostat too.

I think voice technology is useless for guests. No offence. In my opinion, B&B is not meant to have a consierge, if you wish for one, then you should go to a hotel. I personally dislike the modern concept of b&b which is so similar to a hotel but it's less expensive. I believe that a b&b host welcomes you in a warmer way making you feel comfortable like home, not like a simple guest. I provide my guests with a map of the neighbourhood, a map of the town, touristic dépliants when I have them, I let them consult my list of recommended restaurants/bakery/café; I write everything they need to know about public transportations in the listing ad and ,just in case, I tell them to consult the train website for schedules and online tickets. If they need other info, I am happy to help when possible. I do not provide daily room cleaning services, I think is a lack of privacy, because I wouldn't want so if I were a guest. Rooms are cleaned before checkins and after checkouts. I suggest having a second and separeted kitchen only for guests (when the hosts rents rooms) or at least a second fridge but not a small one for each room because those are expensive and not so good.

Electronic locks are nice, but make sure you have a secure password and change it frequently.

Shampoo • conditioner • liquid body soap Wall Dispenser (NOT individual ones as they’re BAD for the environment & wasteful!!!)

I purchased a Wiser smart code 10 touch screen for front door. Best money spent. No more keys missing or guests having to send back in mail. I use rechargable batteries easy to replace and easy to recode door when needed. Looking into indoor room locks for visitors. So far. sohomill yl 99 has best reviews

Richard, thanks for keeping us thinking forward.....wonderful! I use a Keypad lock Schlage and it is wonderful for the cottage - I always say no keys, no hassle. guest love it especially when going to the beach. Thanks for all your efforts to help us continually be better and smarter Airbnb hosts.

Some stuff you said is a bit extra, but as a guest I absolutely need Shampoo, Conditioner, CLEAN towels, and WiFi

Fantastic real human storey.Thank you for sharing.I have been a host since 2012 in London and have met wonderful people.We have even been to their homes in Uruguay .Airbnb family is truly awesome

I think a chromecast with a cheap tablet with netflix and youtube etc preloaded is a must. It makes it so much better for guests who want to spend a night in and watch a movie.

Can you believe in one year I don't believe anyone has ever stolen a single thing. I do have a lot of snacks and many extras which I want them to take but only around half even take the stuff. Great video.

I have never liked Alexa for myself personally but the thought of it being a personal concierge for my guests is astounding and I love it. :-)

August smart lock is the best one i have it around with more that 1 year in over 10 listings.

One area that I think is over looked is a good speaker system the guests can listen to, I have installed good quality "Blue tooth" ceiling speakers. that the guests can utilise using spotify through WIFI. As they are ceiling speakers this makes it very hard for them to steal.

I have an older home and I agree, moving furniture is a real drag just to plug in your device. At this point I am still researching on the best fit for my listings. In the meantime I offer several, small usb/surge protectors that guests can use where it is convenient for them. I place them by the maps and guest book to convey that they are for guest use. Thanks for your work!

According to the reviews from Amazon regarding the charger: 31% of the reviews are one star, and many of the reviews mention the charger giving off a burnt electrical smell. So maybe best not to use the charger you suggest, when one third of reviews being concerned about burning down their home. Also, if it burns out and smells, what will you do when it does this while a guest is using it and damages their device?

I think a bnb should be used as a cheap means of accommodation especially for families. I wouldn’t expect more than the basics as I don’t want to pay for the extras. Otherwise go to a hotel

Nest is a big one. No one wants to deal with the old thermostats. Plus it gives me control if they turn off the heat in the winter. I'm also exploring abode security system which we use at our personal home. Gives people piece of mind. Doesn't need central control contract either. My short term is in a strict area so I have noise sensors outside just to be in the safe side

I do a lot Airbnn . Kitchen seasonings are wonderful and suspect that much of it are items left behind by previous guests. I know I have. Who wants to pack 1/2 bottle of oil in your bag to fly with.

This is turning STR into hotels at less than half the price an hotel charges and is economically not viable in the long run, after about five years or less when hosts have to start replacing fixtures & fitting and equipment they’ll think, hold on I’m making very little money on this in the long term. What happens if the WiFi goes down, I’ve had two WiFi outages in the last few months from the supplier.

Lol, you turned on my Alexa when you were speaking about her!!😊

I like the idea of going keyless, even though smart locks are supposed to have great safety features when it comes to guests, I'm still worried about being hacked. 💜🌞🌵

Wow! Great update. I’m planning on hosting my first guest and my apartment is almost finished with renovations. I’ve transformed everything into a smart home with automated lights, smart lock, auto blinds, etc. I can see the benefit of a voice assistant ,but I must point out that there are very limited support for voice assistants globally. Here is South Africa there is no support at all. Google Home, Amazon Alexa and even Apple Homepod is not supported and won’t be able to help you much other then telling you the weather.

hands down LOCKLY is the best lock overall. Has all the options and tech, except no built no wif, you have to get the wifi adapter if desired .

Question for anyone please. While owning a property and eventually using it to be a host for Air B&B, say I but a few things for the property that guest may need. Is it wise to keep the receipts and save them for Tax write offs?? Treating the Air BnB as a business,Will that work?

Thanks so much for the great video and content! As someone who has been managing a few short-term rentals for many years this information is spot on. Really glad a found a channel sharing great STR info, subscribed and will closely follow. I like the info on new tech coming out, smart-lock is something i will incorporating in 2019 for sure, great to have your reviews on it.

Enjoyed the video, tips and suggestions, but please don't use that ping to highlight something, I have tinnitus and it drove me up the wall. I am also a super host on the west coast of Scotland and I can see a great benefit using an Alexa, would have to have some kind of parental control though.

I just want to add that charging for electricity after the fact is bllsht. Calculate it into your rental cost. No one wants to live in an apartment LT having to worry what the charge for electricity will be at chkout.

I think we should all petition Airbnb to sort their app out, it's getting worse not better imo!

If I was a guest and saw a "smart speaker", I would leave as quickly as possible. I'm there for relaxing and/or working - so I do NOT want to feel under surveillance. "Smart speakers" are more creepy than they are helpful - and they are WAY worse than having cameras. But perhaps that's just me?

Happy to chat with you about future improvements. I’ve had the August lock and keypad for a year, added Alexa integration in all bedrooms, and linked her with Nest thermostats, smart light switches and the front door. Guests have been raving about it and they love not having to get out of bed to turn off all lights or just those in the room they’re in

I do not have blazing fast wifi I never thought of that. Good video. I got all the other stuff Really good tips!

Not into Alexa sorry, , but thanks for the tips on the front door.

Brother, you rock! Great information to itilize as a host. Thank you.

I have an extension cord with three plugs right at bedside. Should be enough to charge most everything. But my guest still unplug the reading light

Love your ideas so innovative we are instant fans! Definitely will be using in our future hosting thank you!

I am a traveller and still I find it difficult to understand the shower mechanism different for every hotel I go...wish alexia could help!!!

Appreciate those tips I just thought about it turning my house into a BMV

crazy how rich this information is! literally innovating the guest experience myself to change the game.......in the 2022 the average host will have to pay for these videos too good

Buy a punching bag boxing gloves buy a bow and arrows = rain of bookings

is here . . . is here . . . is here . . . is here

I'm glad I stumbled on this. I'm a host in my city and was wondering what other host do. I supply Water, juice ,coffee, teas, soda, bread, shower gel, paper towels and toilet paper, have done so from day one. Found strange that not everyone did this. How do you expect people to travel from around the world turn up to your home and have to go and find a supermarket, that is foolish and dangerous , them having just arrived and don't know the area yet. In the wrong town or country that could proof very unsafe and on the hosts head be it.... But I've used Airbnb's in other countries, and arrive and nothing is there... shocking to me. Australia, New Zealand , after a 22 hr flight.... Really bad. We need a rep, in each city that goes and checks out each listing and gives the location a grade and gives the host some guidelines and advice. Happy hosting

Great video, I'm way ahead of you, I've had all those things in my Airbnb for some time now, except the echo, which by the way I had to quickly cancel an Uber request while watching this video, LOL.

Yes please review different smart locks , that will be a big help, thank you for your videos !

we've had smartlocks since 2008, but i'm not ready to embrace the BT versions. we have keypad smartlock. we stayed in an airbnb that had a wifi enabled BT lock and i got sent a new code each time i entered the house, and boy was that SUPER annoying to have to pull out my phone, versus being given a simple 4 digit pin (like: 2021 or the house number or postcode or whatever). Another one had a long code (not easily remembered) and the button placement moved around after every press. I remember this as the most annoying feature of that house. I would caution against the "latest gadget" if it's actually just more annoying and more prone to fail (or needs endless firmware updates)

Great ideas... and now I want to stay in one of your places! LOL Expert host for sure.

I switched to smart locks. Way better. No issues. It's the future.

Thanks for your tips, very helpful. Any specific shampoo and conditioner dispensers that you are currently using? I’m asking because we are thinking in not using the normal shampoo bottle and I’m wondering if you are using other type of nice aftermarket refilled canister to look more like a personal touch. Any suggestions are welcome. Thanks for what you are doing Richard. I found all your videos very interesting and helpful for the entire Airbnb community. Two thumbs up! 👍🏻👍🏻😃

Bluetooth locks could be disaterous if a phone is dead.

You are unsure about the must haves in this video. You are talking about somethings you haven't tried out.

Great (forwarding-thinking) tips!

I was looking at a mountain property to purchase stay a while in and AirBNB in the future... wait for housing market to stabilize and become a buyers market before purchasing the home I want..or build my own

I like the idea of having voice technology because it’s easy to turn on music they don’t need to have a radio it also will give them local news and weather and hours on restaurants locations a tetra when we’re on vacation we don’t have time to constantly be in our phone looking stuff up we don’t always have time to do all that checking before we get there. I’m not sure how that would work though since a lot of it is based on your voice that was sent with the Google home maybe you can use your own Google Home app from your phone through their machine I’m not quite sure.

Yes agree on blazing fast wifi. Some offer free wireless but then its 2G.....plus power failures and regular interruptions....!!! Roaming between countries also an issue.... Waytogo in future is to have sattelite phones for one number reception anywher and everywhere in the world on land or sea at 5G speed....testing testing. Sattelite phone batteries also last days.... Way to? Waytogo

We’re out in the country and don’t have high speed internet...:( That’s our areas biggest issue. However, we do have smart locks, smart tv with roku, nest sensors, and super well stocked guest house.

Wow. loaded with great info. studying how to do air BNB yet

Disagree with the alexa idea. All these guests are smart and use their smart phones already.

Thank you love this information! I would like to do this but have to figure out how to get started. I live in Delray Beach Florida and it’s very touristy.

2022 must haves.

What about bar codes to scan?? all you have to do is scan and can instantly get info..This would be good for guidebooks, tour guide,great restaurants, events, etc...I love to scan a barcode and instantly receive information I need

A screw driver, some bandaid, neosporin

shaving cream! makeup removal pads/wipes for women? I wonder if a bidet toilet would work w/ US customers. Maybe one of those quick steamers to get wrinkles out shirts/pants for business travelers.

Thinking on using my home as an AirBnB..where do I start..?..Awesome advice in this video...i live on Vancouver Island BC Canada..Beautiful Campbell River

THank you very much that was very helpful

Paper and pens are needed.

Great information. Focused on your information so music was not an issue. I am interested in Airbnb for the small studio I have finished and not being used, however I do work sometimes out of town and would find it difficult to be present during the guests stay. Is that really necessary? Also if you have prepared well for your guest wouldn't a phone call or list of emergency numbers be okay. Someone you have to take care of any problem that may arise. Is it always necessary to be present during a guests stay. I would think they would want some privacy not a tour guide or concierge. If those things are provided I'm sure there would be an extra cost for those services. Perhaps that works for some, but the majority of Airbnb do they include those services

Voice technology probably wouldn't work, because the user experience is very much tailored to the registered owner of the speaker. For example, Amazon echo and google home are paired with the owner's account, so all their music, calendar, preferences etc are set up. If the guest where to book an uber, then it would be linked to the owner's uber account -not good.

Why your right sleeve is folded & the other is not?

Love your videos, but I wish you'd stop setting off my echo. :) "Would you like to try Uber?" No. "Would you like to try Lyft?" No.

Try the remotelock i7. Curious what you think about it

Any recommendations for wall mounted shampoo/conditioner/body wash dispensers?

GREAT advice! Thank you!

Richard, I really enjoy your videos. I'm planing on building new houses in florida next year for vacation rentals. I own commercial gym equipment and want to put it in one of the houses. Do you think this is a good or bad idea? Thanks

I'm currently polling about voice technology for our vrbo. It's running about 50/50. I've heard horror stories about vrbo alexas ending up being placed in the freezer because folks are terrified of the technology. I do plan on having an Alexa Concierge but with signage indicating how to simply unplug for privacy :-D

Great ideas all round, thank you

does anybody makes videos about just bedrooms hosting ?...please

Great video ! Thanks Richard.

Great Video except for that excruciatingly loud ding at the end.

Everyone has a smart phone; built in concierge, no?

Great stuff!

They could use their cellphone for that information.