One of the most important responsibilities you have as a vacation rental owner is to deliver a high-quality service to your guests. After all, they picked your property over someone else’s or even a hotel, so you need to do everything you possibly can to keep them satisfied. By doing so, you will ensure loyal customers and prevent them from leaving negative reviews.
At times, this can be quite stressful, as you have other responsibilities such as managing guest turnover, cleaning, and advertising your property. However, in order to provide the same experience for every visitor, you need to ensure that everything was left as you expected it to be.
Even the most experienced owners will agree that it’s exhausting to keep track of every item in your property if you’re not prepared. So, if you’re wondering what the best way to guarantee a smooth guest turnover is, a vacation rental inventory checklist is your answer.
Don’t worry if you don’t know where to start – we’ve created a free inventory checklist you can download below!
Don’t see the form to download our Inventory Checklist? Click here.
What is a vacation rental inventory checklist?
A vacation rental inventory checklist is a list in which you go through every item and piece of furniture in your rental to evaluate its condition after your guests have stayed. Not only will this ensure that all of the items in your property are still there, but you’ll also be able to keep track of what conditions they are in. By analyzing the state of each item, you’ll feel reassured that nothing has been broken and that your next guests will have a pleasant and comfortable stay.
Picture this scenario: your guests have checked out at 12:00pm, and your next guests arrive at 3:00 pm. That gives you exactly 3 hours, provided that the guests don’t check out late and your next guests won’t arrive earlier. In those 3 hours, you have to not only leave your rental spotless but also check that nothing has been damaged. With such limited time comes pressure and a high probability of forgetting things. That’s why having a vacation rental inventory checklist is crucial – it enables you to efficiently (and consistently!) keep track of the items and furniture in your property.
The importance of having an inventory checklist
If you’ve experienced theft or troublesome guests in the past, or are worried about leaving your home in the hands of a complete stranger, then having a vacation rental inventory checklist is essential. By having an inventory of all the items and amenities available to your guests, if something goes missing or wanders off, you’ll notice straight away. No more sleepless nights!
This vacation rental inventory checklist is signed by the owner and the guest. Each party acknowledges the list and has an original copy. Both parties must agree to the terms of the document, evidenced by the signatures. If the guest has acknowledged that damage was done, then it will be an easier process in making an insurance claim to replace some items or furniture.
Similarly, if you charge your guests with a security deposit, then the vacation rental inventory checklist is necessary to ensure that nothing has been damaged and your guests can get their deposit back without a problem. Sometimes owners overlook simple items such as the TV remote or alarm clock, and these mistakes can eventually end up creating conflicts with guests. All in all, you need to verify that everything in your rental is faultless.
When it comes to cleaning your rental, as well as going through a cleaning checklist, if something was left dirty, you’ll be able to take care of it much faster. For example, if the towels were stained, you know they need to have a deep clean, or in the case that the stains won’t come out, you know that you have to replace them. It’s also a good idea to share your inventory checklist with your vacation rental cleaners so that they can review items as they clean.
Take it to the next level with property management software
It’s no secret that property management software is the secret weapon for most successful vacation rentals. This software gives you the ability to manage tasks and guest turnover with ease. By controlling everything from a single platform and assigning different jobs to your team, you can minimize your workload and improve the quality of your rental.
Vacation rental inventory template
Lodgify has created a vacation rental inventory checklist to help you manage your business more efficiently. In this checklist, we have divided the list into the following categories:
Kitchen
When organizing your inventory checklist, it’s highly recommended to do a thorough review of your kitchen appliances. Because the kitchen is usually one of the most used areas in a vacation rental and small items tend to break, it’s important to keep an eye on them after every check-out.
Many kitchen amenities, like the oven or coffee machine, can be quite expensive. That said, you’ll ease your mind by having a list on hand.
Dining room
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.
Bedrooms
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 them to know when they need to be replaced.
Living room
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 check-outs.
Bathrooms
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.
Others (for you to add yourself)
Every vacation rental is unique! That said, we’ve included a section in which you can add items that might be missing from the checklist. The more exact and thorough your vacation rental inventory checklist, the easier it will be to manage your property.
As well as having categories by room and items, we’ve included ratings in the evaluation form. You can rate each item from very good, good, ok and bad. We’ve also left a space for comments per item, so if something was damaged, you can specify how or which part was destroyed.
Download our free vacation rental inventory checklist
Never miss a thing again in your vacation rental! Check if your vacation rental and its amenities are in good condition before and after every guest’s journey with this free printable vacation rental inventory checklist.
Don’t see the form to download our Inventory Checklist? Click here.
