What amenities should an Airbnb have?
Short answer
Start with what Airbnb calls essential amenities: toilet paper, soap for hands and body, one towel per guest, one pillow per guest and linens for each guest bed. Then stock each room for your guest count and add Wi-Fi, heating and safety devices if you have them. Select only the amenities you actually provide.
The basics
Your amenities list is a promise. Guests plan around it, so every item you select should be in the home on every stay, in working order and in enough quantity for your guest count.
Start with the basics every guest needs, then go room by room.
Airbnb's essential amenities
Airbnb's essential amenities article (opens in a new tab) lists five items:
- Toilet paper
- Soap for hands and body
- One towel per guest
- One pillow per guest
- Linens for each guest bed
Airbnb strongly encourages hosts to provide these in all listings, and to offer greater quantities for larger groups and longer stays. Hosts who cover them can select the "Essentials" amenity. The same article says listings that select it but don't actually provide the items may be subject to penalties, including removal from Airbnb.
Checklist by room
Quantities are planning suggestions, not standards. Scale them to your guest count.
| Room | Stock | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Bedrooms | Sheets and pillowcases for each bed | Plus sets in the laundry and a spare |
| Bedrooms | At least one pillow per guest, with protectors | See pillows per bed |
| Bedrooms | Blanket or duvet, spare blanket, hangers | Spare blanket in the closet |
| Bathrooms | Toilet paper plus spare rolls | An Airbnb essential |
| Bathrooms | Hand soap, body wash, shampoo, conditioner | Soap is an Airbnb essential |
| Bathrooms | Bath towel per guest, hand towels, bath mat | Towels are an Airbnb essential |
| Bathrooms | Hair dryer, plunger, toilet brush, trash can | See the bathroom checklist |
| Kitchen | Dishes, mugs, glasses and cutlery for max guests + 2 | See the kitchen checklist |
| Kitchen | Basic cookware, coffee maker, kettle | Say which coffee maker you have |
| Kitchen | Dish soap, sponge, paper towels, trash bags | Restock at each turnover |
| Living areas | Seating for your guest count, lamps, TV if listed | Test the TV and remotes at turnover |
| Whole home | Wi-Fi with name and password posted | List the speed only if you have checked it |
| Whole home | Heating, plus air conditioning if listed | Leave clear instructions for the thermostat |
| Whole home | Smoke and CO alarms as your local code requires | See the safety checklist |
| Whole home | Fire extinguisher and first-aid kit | Note where they are in the house manual |
| Laundry | Washer, dryer and detergent if listed | Say if they are shared or in-unit |
Keep the listing accurate
- Select only what is there. If the dryer is broken, update the listing until it is fixed.
- Be precise. "Shared washer in the building" and "washer in unit" are different promises.
- Update after changes. New appliances, removed items and seasonal features such as a pool should be reflected right away.
- Check the safety devices section. Airbnb has a separate section for smoke and CO alarms. Keep it accurate on every platform you use.
Airbnb's article also notes that guests can filter listing results by amenities, so it's worth including everything you offer.
A worked example
Hypothetical rental: a 2-bedroom house for up to 4 guests, with 1 Queen and 2 Twins.
- Pillows: at least 4, one per guest. A common setup is 2 on the Queen and 1 on each Twin, which is 4.
- Bath towels in use: 4, one per guest, plus sets in the laundry and spares
- Dishes, mugs and glasses: 4 + 2 = 6 of each
- Toilet paper: rolls in each bathroom plus a spare stock in a closet
Airbnb's essentials are a starting point, not a full list. Your local code sets the rules for safety devices, which may require more than any platform asks.
Keep it stocked
- Add consumables such as toilet paper, soap and coffee to your cleaner's restock list.
- Count linens and towels at each turnover or once a week.
- Test Wi-Fi, heating, alarms and appliances before each guest season.
The rental planner turns your beds, guests and bathrooms into a shopping list with counts for every room. For linens, the linen calculator works out sheets and towels.
Do it for your rental
Answer four questions about your beds, guests and laundry. Get a priced shopping list for every room.
Build my rental shopping listFrequently asked questions
What are Airbnb's essential amenities?
Airbnb's essential amenities article lists toilet paper, soap for hands and body, one towel per guest, one pillow per guest and linens for each guest bed.
Are essential amenities required on Airbnb?
Airbnb strongly encourages hosts to provide them. If you select the Essentials amenity but don't provide the items, the article says the listing may be subject to penalties, including removal.
Do I need to list Wi-Fi as an amenity?
List Wi-Fi only if you provide it. Post the network name and password in the home and in your house manual. Fix outages quickly.
How do I keep my amenities list accurate?
Select only what is in the home on every stay and update the listing when something breaks or changes. Check the list against the home once a season.
On this page
Do it for your rental
Answer four questions about your beds, guests and laundry. Get a priced shopping list for every room.
Build my rental shopping list