vacation rental inventory checklist

The Must-Have Vacation Rental Inventory Checklist PDF

Competition in the vacation rental industry is growing, and guest expectations along with it. Today, remaining competitive means not only meeting, but exceeding, guest expectations. And that starts with a vacation rental inventory checklist.

You’ll first need a vacation rental inventory checklist when stocking your rental for the first time. Later, you can use it to check that all of your vacation rental supplies are present and in good condition when turning over your property.

Luckily, you don’t have to start from scratch. This blog outlines what to stock and check in each room of your rental. And as an added bonus, we’ve included a printable vacation rental inventory checklist PDF that you can reference and check off during turnover!


Don’t see the form to download our Vacation Rental Inventory Checklist PDF? Click here.

What is a vacation rental inventory checklist?

A vacation or short-term rental inventory checklist is a list of every item and piece of furniture in your rental.

While you can first use it as a checklist for stocking vacation rental properties, its main use will be to help you evaluate the condition of all these items during turnover. After guests check out, you will use this checklist to go room by room, review all of your vacation home rental supplies, and make sure they aren’t missing or damaged.

Vacation Rental Inventory Checklist

The importance of having a short-term rental inventory checklist

Closely checking your inventory during turnover is important for two reasons.

First: It allows you to hold guests accountable if they damage or steal any of your supplies. This is not only because it helps you notice damage and missing items, but also because of its benefits when it comes to filing insurance claims. You can include an inventory list in your vacation rental agreement, having your guests sign and agree to leave everything in a similar condition.

And second, a short-term rental inventory list serves as a reminder to continually check the quality of your vacation rental supplies. You want your guests to have a great experience, and that means ensuring that the sheets, for example, don’t have holes, and the toaster is properly working.

In both of these cases, you often have only a few hours to prepare your property for its next guests. A vacation rental supplies checklist makes sure you don’t miss anything, ensuring you can promptly leave guest feedback and have everything in tip-top shape for your next visitors.

Our vacation rental inventory template

We’ve created a vacation rental checklist template to help you efficiently prepare your property after guests check out. While we list items per category below, you can also scroll to the bottom of the page to download our vacation rental inventory checklist PDF. You can download, customize, and print the PDF version to use for turnover, checking it off as you go.

Kitchen

Vacation Rental Inventory Checklist

Many travelers seek out vacation rentals specifically because they want access to a kitchen, making vacation rental kitchen inventory items crucial. Your goal should be to provide all the vacation rental kitchen supplies necessary for guests to prepare home-cooked meals during their stay.

When it comes to stocking your vacation rental’s kitchen, focus on the following categories:

Appliances

  • Stove
  • Oven
  • Microwave
  • Fridge/freezer
  • Dishwasher
  • Coffee machine
  • Blender
  • Toaster

Dinnerware

  • Cutlery
  • Plates
  • Bowls
  • Water glasses
  • Mugs
  • Wine glasses
  • Serving platters
  • Serving spoons

Cooking utensils

  • Saucepans and lids
  • Skillets
  • Baking dish
  • Cookie sheet
  • Dutch oven and lid
  • Roaster and lid
  • Pyrex dish
  • Casserole dish
  • Cake pan
  • Colander
  • Mixing bowls
  • Spatula
  • Soup ladle
  • Tongs
  • Measuring cups
  • Rolling pin
  • Beverage pitcher
  • Knives
  • Cutting board
  • Pizza cutter
  • Ice cream scoop
  • Kitchen scissors
  • Can opener

Vacation Rental Inventory Checklist

Furniture

  • Table(s)
  • Chair(s)
  • Shelving
  • Baby chair

Miscellaneous

  • Dishwasher soap
  • Paper towels
  • Trash bags
  • Kitchen towels/washcloths
  • Pot holders/oven mitts
  • Wine/bottle opener
  • Pot scrubber
  • Recipe book
  • Spice rack
  • Smoke detector
  • Fire extinguisher
  • Carbon monoxide detector

Pantry

  • Salt and pepper
  • Basic spices
  • Flour
  • Sugar
  • Coffee and coffee filters
  • Nondairy creamer
  • Cooking oil
  • Cooking spray
  • Vinegar
  • Ketchup
  • Mustard
  • Toothpicks

Dining room

Vacation Rental Inventory Checklist

Some of the most memorable experiences your guests will have during their stay will be around the dining table. Make sure the room is inviting through decorations and plenty of seating options, stocking it with the following:

  • Table
  • Table settings
  • Chairs
  • Baby chair
  • Atmospheric lighting
  • Wall decor

Bedrooms

Vacation Rental Inventory Checklist

Keep track of the conditions of your pillows, bed sheets, and curtains to provide the best possible sleep for your guests. As ironic as it may sound, the opinion your clients have of your property will actually depend heavily on the moments they are not even awake! So invest in high-quality bedding and keep tabs on it to know when it needs to be replaced.

  • Freshly laundered bed linen on each bed
  • Sufficient pillows for each guest
  • Extra pillows and blankets for cold nights
  • Night tables with lamps
  • Dresser
  • Plenty of clothes hangers

Living room

Vacation Rental Inventory Checklist

Living rooms get a lot of wear and tear, so it’s important to include every item and piece of furniture in your inventory checklist to keep your vacation rental at a high standard. From couches and TVs to lamps and décor, knowing what’s in your vacation rental will come in handy during quick checkouts.

  • Couch or other comfortable seating
  • Throw pillows and blankets
  • Coffee table
  • TV
  • Board games
  • Lighting
  • Wall decor

Bathrooms

Vacation Rental Inventory Checklist

In order to provide a wonderful guest experience, we recommend stocking up on bathroom amenities such as towels, shampoo, conditioner, and toilet paper. A little goes a long way, and while these may seem like little details, your inventory checklist will facilitate the process.

  • Bathroom toiletries such as shower gel, shampoo, and hand soap
  • Fresh towels
  • Toilet paper (a few rolls in each bathroom at least)
  • Towel hooks
  • Hairdryer
  • Floor mat

Miscellaneous (for you to add yourself)

Every vacation rental is unique! So, we’ve included a section to our vacation rental inventory checklist template in which you can add items that might be missing. The more exact and thorough your vacation rental inventory checklist, the easier it will be to manage your property.

What you add to this section will depend on your rental, but items to consider include:

  • High-speed Wi-Fi
  • Washer and dryer
  • Laundry detergent
  • Air conditioning
  • Full-length mirror
  • Guestbook
  • First aid kit for emergencies
  • Extra phone chargers
  • Outlet adapters
  • Broom and dustpan
  • Cleaning supplies

Download our free vacation rental inventory checklist PDF

Vacation Rental Inventory Checklist PDF

Ready to set yourself up for more efficient turnover?

Download, customize, and print the PDF version of our vacation rental inventory checklist template! With items categorized by room and a section to rate the condition of each item, you’ll never miss a thing again!

Don’t see the form to download our Vacation Rental Inventory Checklist PDF? Click here.

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Show Comments (2)
  1. Thanks for this article, I’m planning on making our beach house into a vacation rental as we only ever use it once or twice a year. You made a great point when you said that it’ll be important to constantly stock up the bathroom and kitchen with amenities that people are sure to use. Hopefully, I can find a vacation property management company to do those things for me, as I wouldn’t want to fly over to my beach house every time just to do some grocery shopping.

  2. How would you inventory books and magazines? I can see they’re collectively itemised on the inventory, but surely each one should ideally be listed individually. If they’re not itemised individually one can’t establish if any damage has occurred (torn-out pages, written-in or coffee stains) or even if one’s been stolen. Probably not a problem if there are no more than a dozen of them for ‘decoration’, however if there are hundreds of them (it being a feature of the rental), it doesn’t seem practical for guests during check-in to agree that they’re present or in the condition stated in the inventory. I would imagine a book is one of the items more likely to be stolen as a ‘souvenir’ especially if the guest only had a chapter or two before finishing it.

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