Yes you are expecting too much. These beach places you usually need to bring everything. I’m surprised that you even found one for 5 days. Most are weekly rentals only. They must be desperate to do 5 days when everything else has been booked more 8 months.

I like finding paper products provided (or at least enough to get us started), but no way am I going to use any opened food products, like oil, spices, etc. I don't expect to find those because we wouldn't use them even if available!

When we pack up to leave, I always take any opened food items with us because I assume no one would want ours either.

There’s no consistency with Airbnbs. Some people love that, but some people hate that.

Also, most Airbnb owners are one-off people who have no experience in the hospitality industry. They don’t know what makes a good rental, or a bad rental.

I personally prefer the consistency and I don’t stay in an Airbnb or home rental when I can help it

I think the Airbnbs run by companies usually are not stocked that well, although sometimes they'll leave you a welcome basket/starter kit.

When it's really someone's home (even if it's mostly rented out) we usually have better luck having the basics for cooking (both utensils and seasonings)

I agree that often rentals in beach areas are pretty bare.

I have stayed at many AirBnBs, and I'd say 75% of them provide the types of things you were expecting, or more.

But because of that other 25%, I always look closely at what the description says will be provided (paper products, soap, pans, etc.) so that I come prepared. If they say they provide something that I can't find, I report it to them. Sometimes previous guests steal things and the owners are not aware of it.

We try to keep ours stocked with the basics, give or take. We do not rent out every week in summer week after week, so we check in on the place at least monthly.

Most cleaners I've found want to make it clean slate. I prefer to provide something that feels welcoming. Many of the rental companies also do the clean slate. Just feels very sterile to me. And make no mistake - many of the rental companies have places up on Air BnB and VRBO. So it's entirely possible you're renting from a company, not an individual who stays there.

Post-covid I wouldn't want or trust anything edible that has been opened.

We include these things in our groceries, day 1. We also get out own paper products, trash bags, and laundry detergent.

Anonymous wrote:I have friends who have their beach condo on Airbnb. They used to provide basic spices and coffee pods but they stopped because people took it all with them when they left.

Yeah, the last well-stocked Airbnb I stayed at had DOZENS of little labels throughout the house asking guests not to take things (spices, condiments, towels, toiletries). I think things really changed over the last couple of years and lots of guests started to see a well-stocked Airbnb as an inviting opportunity to raid/take everything not nailed down.

Agree with others who've had a varied experience - it really just seems to depend on the place re whether they'll have stuff on hand or not, and the ones who do tend to list it in their description.

I've had mixed experiences too, but we tend to still dine out even if we're staying at airbnbs so haven't needed to do much cooking. (Even at a remote mountain one I ordered a bunch of Uber Eats before we lefts and packed it along in a big cooler.)

We just stayed at a well-stocked one that I thought had a helpful mix of things on hand - canisters of sugar, coffee, and tea, plus coffee filters, dishwasher tabs, laundry pods, dish soap, and hotel style shower products (the big refillable kinds). Also a generous amount of towels & pillows with more in closets if needed, and we didn't need to do laundry or cleaning when we ended the visit. It was much nicer than a previous one where we had to do a ton of work for a place that was technically well stocked but the supplies (including spices, oil, etc.) all seemed dirty.

We still prefer airbnb because it gives us more space for lower cost than getting two hotel rooms, so I have a separate packing list for when we're staying in one that includes little containers of detergent pods, fire starter melts, scissors, paper towels, beach blanket, paper plates, etc. It was kind of a pain to put together the first time, but we just added what we wished we'd had along on other trips and now that it's established it's easier to just keep that bag in storage and refill as needed.

It runs across the spectrum op. I have stayed at beach Airbnb / rentals that felt like a real home with everything, sugar, salt, vanilla, spices, coffee, tea, cleaning supplies, etc. And a few that were basically empty shelves. You need to read the reviews carefully, and if nothing in reviews, reach out in advance to double check what is available there.

I’m fine if nothing is provided but the listing or the instructions sent by the host prior to my arrival better make that very clear. And don’t you dare expect me to start a load of sheets or towels or run the dishwasher if you don’t leave me tide pods or dish soap.

Airbnb host here - We provide shampoo, conditioner, shower gel and hand soap, a few dishwasher pods, cleaning supplies, salt/pepper, coffee, tea, sugar and cream.

We don’t provide oil because it gets rancid and it’s never the “right kind” the guest wants.

We remove everything left behind and either use it or toss it.

FYI - these are all “amenities” included in every listing. And you can always ask the host ahead of time.

Anonymous wrote:Wow. I don't know where you are staying, but every AirBnB we've stayed at had toilet paper, linens, and a fairly well stocked kitchen (including oils to spices). We've stayed in several throughout New England, Iceland, Paris, Hershey Pennsylvania and more. We aren't beach people though, maybe it's a beach thing

I do think it’s notably a beach thing. But I notice that generally places are less well stocked than they used to be, and not being able to count on any items in airbnbs has made them way less appealing to me. Where is the value if I have to bring every single tiny thing I might need as well as clean it all at the end? The convenience of staying in an actual “house” is gone if I need to bring my own salt shaker and everything else. Plus the creepy risk of cameras etc.

We have a VRBO condo in Rehoboth and provide all that and more. We have travel size soap/shower gel/lotion that we leave in the bathroom in a basket for guests to use.
Also Keurig with pods, salt and pepper, oil, and seasoning.

Yea a don’t expect that stuff. Typically you just get whatever previous renters leave behind. Cleaning companies don’t provide olive oil, and the owner is not coming between each guest for that kind of stuff.