I have a dog and love her, but dogs do leave a smell! We have only taken her on vacation twice and one time the rental (dog friendly) had white carpeting. It was a very rainy weekend and I was so stressed out trying to keep her from tracking mud inside. So yeah I'm glad there are some rentals that are pet free. |
MUST
-nice coffeemaker or FP or Nespresso IDC -stocked kitchen (we cook almost all of our meals) - working AC - clean - Easy TV and a bookshelf. You wouldn't believe how many places have crazy setups with 3 different remotes and a page of instructions. On a rainy day, its nice to have the option to watch a movie. - outdoor shower (wont rent a place without one) - outdoor space that is screened |
You really need to consider if you will rent to pet owners.
Upside: You can charge pet owners an arm and a leg. Downside: Pet dander never really goes away and can spur allergic reactions. Pets will wear out your floors and furniture more quickly. You will likely have potty accidents in the house that may leave stains. You need a very good cleaning crew to get the hair/fur off surfaces. |
Comfortable seating - I don't want to deal with a wicker couch or your grandma's settee.
I love a good dining table where we can all play cards after the meal. Beach chairs are very much appreciated. I dont expect toys or a wagon. A lot of people have said "stocked kitchen" but most places go too far and have all kinds of debris in the cupboards. You do need to curate it. I appreciate when people leave dry goods like sugar, flour, spices. Not expected, but nice. Same for TP, Kleenex, soap. After one particularly gross place where none of the dishes were clean, I no longer rent a place without a dishwasher. |
As a non-coffee drinker, I love it when they include a tea kettle and some basic teas (earl grey, english breakfast, green tea) |
Blackout curtains in every bedroom! I hate the flimsy shades or sheers that do nothing to prevent the sun from streaming in. Ugh. I don’t care if they aren’t cute, blackout curtains all the way. |
At least one king size bed
But my main complaint is always: HOOKS AND TOWEL RODS!!! Often there are no places to hang wet suits and towels inside the house. If you want to keep sand out of your dryer, give us a place to hang stuff inside! I suspect these are high maintenance and fall off walls a lot, which is why they are never in rentals. But look around the bedroom and think "how many people are sleeping in here? with wet beach towels and suits, plus shower towels, where are these things going?" Honestly a pull across laundry line in the shower would be great. Anything!! |
Ooh also: empty space for the guest's food. We just stayed at a rental with 16 people and every single cabinet and cupboard was filled with stuff. Your guests need someplace to put their pantry items! We emptied a bookshelf in the living room, and put everything in a secluded corner to give us space for all the pantry items. |
Yes that's good. But also put hooks on the back of every bathroom and bedroom door. |
A bathtub - we have kids and I like to have 1 bathtub in a rental house.
Bathroom storage - hooks, a place to put toiletries. I don't like when there's nowhere to put my razor or shampoo while showering. Kitchen - basic utensils and a place to store food we buy. Cleanliness - this is key. Easy to clean surfaces that don't show dirt. I'm not a fan of carpet or white sofas in rentals for that reason. Deck - I love having a deck with some chairs to watch the scenery. Even better if there's room to eat out on the deck. |
Great mattresses and bedding, nice towels, clean. |
King size bed in the primary. I have a king bed at home and I hate it when we have a rental and it's a queen. |
Same, but not because of allergies. Pet friendly rentals are never as clean for my comfort-- i.e., the couches are smelly (even if vacuumed freshly). |
What do you consider a good coffee maker, other than those horrible pod things which are terrible for the environment. |
PP, I’m curious as an STR owner. Do you have other features like a pool or ocean views that cause it to book so quickly? |