How to Prepare Your Home for Short-Term Renting

Since its inception in 2008, Airbnb has helped homeowners earn supplementary and even fulltime income by renting out a room or their entire house. However, there is more to cleaning out a room and posting a few pictures. If you want to take full advantage of the opportunity, you’ll find that the owners who make the most money are the ones who do the “little” things that add up to a big payoff in repeat business and sound reputation.

Make the most of the short-term rental opportunity by preparing your home and making it guest friendly. 5A Rent-A-Space helps by providing off-site storage units near your Maui home. Remove the extra clutter and leave a spacious area for your guests to enjoy during their stay. You may even enjoy more 5-star ratings.

5 Tips to Make Your Home Short-Term Rental Friendly

Before you put out the vacancy sign, use these tips to make your home more appealing to renters:

1. Think about safety. Guests want to stay in safe places, not just in terms of geography, but also within the home. Take a moment to walk around and look with a critical eye for things that may not be safe. For example, are there exposed wires or loose steps? Test your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. Place fire extinguishers in the appropriate areas. Leave your phone number and email address, so your guests can contact you easily, if needed.
2. Deep clean and declutter. No one wants to walk into a rented, unkempt home or room. Take time to do a deep clean. You may even want to invest in a professional cleaning service. Remove personal items such as family pictures, jewelry, financial and legal paperwork, and anything else important to you. Remember to clear out the closets and remove all the stuff stashed in them. Rent a storage unit from 5A Rent-A-Space to make it easier to store all those cleared out belongings.
3. Make the bedroom a welcoming place. This is the one room your guests will probably spend the most time in. Consider investing in a new mattress or at least a memory foam mattress top. Add extra pillows and don’t skimp on the quality of sheets. You may want to add some earplugs, sleep mask, a small fan, and a universal charging station to the bedroom as well. Look at the decorator magazines to get good ideas on how to make your guest bedroom welcoming and comfortable.
4. Place basic toiletries in the bathroom. Inevitably, we leave something at home when traveling. Gather up all those extra hotel shampoos, lotions, soaps, and travel tubes of toothpaste you have collected and put them in a basket for your guests. Do check to see that none of these are past their “best before” dates! You can pick up some inexpensive toothbrushes to have on hand as well. Don’t forget the extra towels.
5. Put the basics in the kitchen. Guests choose to rent an Airbnb so they can save money on other things like eating out. Purchase a set of pots and pans for them to use. Place matching (and extra) towels and dishcloths in the kitchen, as well as add trivets and potholders. You don’t need to be fancy, just practical. Your guests will appreciate the convenience. You might consider coffee “K” cups for a Keurig, sugar, salt & pepper and a few other spices. Make sure there is a toaster or toaster oven and dishes, glasses and utensils.

5A Rent-A-Space Helps Make Room for a Welcoming Place

Enjoy more profit and fewer headaches when you make an effort to create a place that guests will rave about. Your convenient 5A Rent-A-Space storage units near Maui give you the extra support you need to keep your short-term rental decluttered and traveler-ready. We also offer packing supplies and will transport your belongings to your space with our free moving van. We aim to make life easier for you. Check us out today!

Reserve your self-storage unit online now. Call 5A Rent-A-Space at 808-745-1616 or toll-free at 1-800-5ASPACE (1-800-527-7223) to learn more. Not sure how much space you will need? Use our online Space Calculator to estimate the best unit size for you.