What essentials do you appreciate in an airbnb

[Holidayscoming]

We got a place we rent as an airbnb. What sort of things you like to find when you get there. What make it a top review.

Thank you all. This is super helpful

Cleanliness. Most important.

Fresh milk is really appreciated. And then more than the absolute minimum of crockery and cutlery. Places that sleep 4 people and then only have 4 teaspoons and mugs etc. are really annoying. So, enough crockery and cutlery to actually make it useable.

As PP's have said - how the kitchen is stocked makes a difference.
I've stayed in so many AirBnB's that don't have a decent sized chopping board or large sharp knife, or even enough plates/bowls etc, it's v annoying when the point of self catering is cooking for yourself.
Also, olive oil, salt, pepper, and maybe some basic herbs/seasonings would be useful.

Parking, towels, good linens, basic toiletries, cleaning, loo rolls and washing up supplies for entire time booked, salt and black pepper in a grinder.

i usually book hotels but booked an airbnb due to location, really disappointed that there were no towels, no toiletries despite costed far more than hotels and no facilities either, can’t see the attraction. Convenience is everything and as we travel by motorbike there isn’t any magical extra space to bring things. I’m not going to be cooking much but a sharp knife, chopping board and decent frying pan wouldn’t go amiss.

Good curtains and blackout blinds in the bedrooms.

Hooks in the bathroom. Plenty of clothes hanging space.

Different coloured towels. DH has trouble remembering when I say your towel is on the right, mine is on the left, but is ok with yours is the blue one. One place we stayed recently had white towels with different coloured stripes at the ends. That was perfect.

No heaps of unnecessary cushions on the beds. They are just a nuisance and I stash them on the floor in a corner.

A good selection of books, especially local interest ones. Some board games are a nice touch, but they need to be complete, not missing vital parts.

Plenty of crockery and utensils.

My main requirement is cleanliness though, and a good WiFi connection.

Our BnB is next door to our house, in a competitive area of southern Italy.. We are by far the least flashy house, we don't have a pool, or marble worktops, or everything to a high spec. It's clean, rustic and full of character. We are fully booked all the time, because our turnaround on cleaning is two hours. You can check in early, and leave late the next morning. We approach the whole business from a perspective of being generous, whereas our competitors are trying to get as much money for as little as possible, often because they got into debt making the place so fancy and have to cover that. We also respect people's privacy which is a big thing missing here. Many Italian BnB owners think their guests don't mind them working in the garden whist they're staying, and generally keep too close an eye on the guests, including going into the house whilst they're at the beach to do jobs. Success is often about how you run it, rather than the stuff in the BnB.

Oh and don’t include things like trendy oat milk, some of us are gluten intolerant! Cows milk is fine for most people - probably best not to bother with these things unless so remote people can’t get to a shop - check for allergies if so but don’t impose your dietaries on others, my brother booked a place and when the instructions came 24 hours before arrival it said strictly vegetarian, ridiculous, nothing on the booking site or in advance of that email, luckily booking.com refunded in full as it was an unreasonable restriction and they found something better actually

Parking space
comfortable king size bed
a good shower that isn’t a dribble
Large bath sheets rather than “bath towels” that barely cover my arse. Plus a towel that’s big enough to wrap around my head properly
Cleaning products/washing up liquid/pan scrubber
more than one teatowel
decent curtains or blinds
decent set of knives
a mirror near a socket for hair drying
some kitchen basics like oil, sugar, salt etc
welcome basket with some nice biscuits, tea bags and milk

Good lighting in the bathroom, a magnifying mirror and decent extractor fan. Comfortable seating and more than one overhead light in the living area. We stayed in one in France last year where the sofa was obviously a castoff. Really uncomfortable.

Hook in bathroom for washbag, somewhere to put shampoo etc in shower instead of having to bend down. More than one loo roll.

USB sockets, battery in wall clock (the last two we have stayed in haven’t had one and I kept on looking at them)

Small amount of local information re shops/pubs/takeaway/restaurants, if leaflets or menus are left, not tatty out of date ones.

Good quality bed linen. Cutlery that is not the cheapest of the cheap. Cleaning materials.

Enough mugs
Effective doormats at all outside doors
A washing up brush

All things I have ended up buying because they weren't supplied.

(The washing up brush doesn't have to be brand new , so long as it goes through a diswasher regularly and isn't actually stained, IMO)

And more than one tea towel for goodness' sake 🙏🙏- plus at least one hand towel in the kitchen, probably one per couple of days in a bigger property.

Honesty about the parking! I look for photos, to see where I’ll turn in (gaps in the hedge can look quite similar) and whether I have to reverse in or come from a particular direction. If it’s a big house for several families, I want to make sure the space will fit all the cars.

An Airbnb I know has a drive, but you have to reverse in from the main A road and it is very tight not only in terms of the space but also because the road is narrow at that point with stone walled cottages and there isn’t room to swing out. If you drive in, you need someone to block traffic in order to get out again safely. So you really need to know in advance that a) you have to reverse in and b) a big / long car will be very tight and your passengers need to get out before you park.

Things that were missing in the last Airbnb that I stayed in (thankfully for one night only). A mirror near a socket for drying my hair and putting my make up on. Hand soap beside each sink. A hook on the bathroom door/somewhere to put my towel and clothes whilst I was in the shower. All very basic but necessary.

editing to add: some lamps in the living room so it’s not just big light or darkness. Oh how I hate the big light being on.

Love when they provide things like cleaning spray, washing up liquid, dishwasher tablets, a couple of bin bags, a cloth, tea towel, laundry tablets, oil, salt/pepper.
Especially when travelling somewhere abroad it is such a waste to buy all this and use a fraction of it.

A sharp kitchen knife.

A bin in every room, or at least every bedroom. Really irritating to have to carry every used tissue/general detritus to the kitchen or bathroom.

You're going to have your work cut out pleasing us all OP.
Things I've wanted - a milk jug, oven gloves, salt and pepper, in date oil( sunflower or olive )a new washing up sponge and cloth.
Bedside lights on both sides.
I can cope with a 4 pm check in but would so a appreciated a later check out time.
Say 11.

I imagine that an early checkout is symptomatic of a remote owner relying on the same cleaner/cleaning company as numerous other remote owners.

Being able to offer this and flexibility generally is a great bonus.

Actually, having somewhere secure to leave luggage after checkout (and even, before chheckin) is a massive bonus for visitors using public transport who are arriving early / leaving later on, too. I appreciate not many properties would be able to do this but if you are in a town or city and do have room for a lockable bin store...

Oh and for more rural properties - access to a lockable bike shed/garage so we don't have to bring them indoors is a bonus though obviously not always feasible. All the properties where weve taken bikes have been very accommodating but we'd still rather not have them in the house!

If i need signs or instruction manuals to use the place i would not be going back, I want simple and clean

Just the basics but list what is there helps, not stayed in airbnb buy holiday let's and I would the same in any accommodation

I am happy to chat to the hosts but I don't want a tour, if I need one so the hosts have to explain things again too complicated

Very simple requirements for me as we tend to just use them as a base when visiting somewhere rather than as a place to hang about too much in.
i want proper parking, a good shower with solid water pressure and I want it to be clean.
All the extras, salt, magnifying mirrors, coffee pods/oat milk, dishwasher tablets, a various assortment of plug sockets etc, pretty much wasted on us. I don’t drink tea/coffee so all of that stuff is wasted on me and we go out and eat so kitchen paraphernalia isn’t used.
You can’t please everyone so just try and do whatever you do well.

Was just thinking that 😂😅 it is impossible to please everyone; However I would just get what people suggested the most.

And ensures dishes are properly cleaned

Some of these posts are in mumsnet terms 'batshit'. I would never expect more than one towel per person or for accommodation of any kind to provide chargers!

Cleanliness is top for me. A kitchen with decent utensils, pans, salt, pepper and oil with some tea bags and coffee is helpful if there are cooking facilities. Decent space in the shower not on the floor for you to put your things. A plug near a mirror with a seat for hairdrying. And a big towel and a hand towel per person, I use the second one for my hair and it is so annoying when only one is supplied. Not bothered about a welcome box but milk is welcome, and some nice biscuits. Clear but not bossy instructions on anything not obvious.

I also think it's nice when people are kind, without being over the top. For example asking if you've been to the location before, asking if you want recommendations for anything or mentioning if you need to make reservations for meals locally etc... before you arrive (information at the property is fine but dates quickly). History about the property is always nice and if rural simple local walks and local shops, especially farm shops / independents.

A decent mattress and good pillows. Dealbreaker for me.
we’ve stayed in some absolute shockers so tend to not trust these days.

Not too many knick knacks. Weve got toddlers and it makes the holiday stressful if the whole time is spent making sure nothing gets broken.