When we started creating the inventory list of things we needed to buy for our short-term rental (a lovely 3-bedroom, 2-bath house with a heated saltwater pool in Palmetto, Florida), it became clear that outfitting a vacation property is not quite the same as outfitting your own personal house.
Here are 7 things we purposefully decided not to provide to guests at our short-term rental:
Candles
I love candles. They create a lovely ambience and put off a pleasing smell. It's just a whole vibe. But I should clarify: I love candles - for my own house. For a rental, including candles seems like an invitation to burn your house down. For that reason, we left them off the inventory list.
We did add some battery-powered candles in the dining room, but of course someone left them on and the battery ran out so now they're just useless decoration. We also had some guests purchase their own citronella candles to use outside, which is fine. But we won't be providing them.
Throw blankets
We went back and forth on this one. Like candles, throw blankets create a nice cozy ambience in your home. They also add to your laundry. Our cleaning crew washes not only the sheets and towels used by guests - but also the comforters on the beds - every stay. When we first started, we had a cleaning company that charged us for laundry by the pound. Currently, our cleaners don't charge by the pound, but it's very possible we could end up with cleaners in the future who do. We can save our cleaners a whole lot of heartache (and ourselves a little bit in our wallets) by not adding unnecessary laundry like throw blankets.
Bluetooth speaker
It seems like a comfort of home that would be nice to provide, right? Plus guests could take a Bluetooth speaker to the beach. It's not something you think to pack normally, so to find one in your rental would probably be delightful. It seems like a no-brainer. But the reason we don't provide a Bluetooth speaker in our short-term rental is really quite simple: it could pose a noise issue and sully our reputation with our Florida neighbors.
Ultimately, we decided our relationship with our neighbors (which can last a lifetime) is more important than the tiny bit of joy a guest may (or may not) get from having a Bluetooth speaker.
We can't prevent them from using a speaker they brought from home, from buying one at Walmart and using it, from turning up the outdoor TV too loud, or just partying too loud in general (though we ask them to be respectful in our house rules). But just like the candles, we can make it harder by not including it.
Karaoke machine
For the same reasons we don't include a Bluetooth speaker, we also don't provide a karaoke machine. But if you have a short-term rental in the middle of nowhere, this would be an amazing and unexpected amenity. Most people probably don't have one at home (we do, but we're not normal), so how fun would it be to find one on vacation?! But again, not worth our neighbors placing noise complaints with the police.
Guitar
One time, I stayed at a Kimpton in Cleveland and you could rent a guitar to use in your room. It's a cool idea... but again, can be noisy. Additionally, we cater to families, and little kids and instruments don't mix. I could picture getting reports of broken guitar strings (or just a broken guitar, in general) so often that this became a burden and not an amenity.
Plastic and wood cutting boards
No, not because they are too loud, like the previous 3 items. But because plastic and wood cutting boards don't age well. They both get knife cut marks, which can make them look perpetually dirty, which is fine if it's my own cutting board. But when it's in a rental and I can't verify if the cutting board has been properly washed, it's best to go with something that's obviously clean. We opted for glass cutting boards, even though they're not my favorite to use or look at. But they can be cleaned easily and, more importantly, actually look clean, which inspires confidence in the cleanliness of the entire house.
Cable
If you would have told me when we first started our short-term rental that we could forgo the monthly expense of having cable TV, I wouldn't have believed you. But so far, it hasn't really been that much of an issue for our guests. We mention in our listing that we have a Roku-enabled Smart TVs, so they should bring their streaming service login info.
Even more convenient, Roku has a feature that allows you to set it up for guests, so when they turn on the TV, it asks them to enter their checkout date, at which time it will automatically log them out of all services, so they don't have to worry about a stranger pilfering your HBO Max.
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