Disposable plates, cups and cutlery

[Kalin78]

Hello! I am about to list my very first Airbnb property and I have a question I would very much appreciate your opinion on. 

So, the property is a studio with no kitchen area at all. It consists of a bedroom with double bed, a hallway and a bathroom. There is a floating table mounted to the wall in the bedroom with bar stools, coffee machine, a kettle and a mini fridge. Since there is no sink in the room, I was wondering if it is appropriate to put single use paper cups, plates and wooden cutlery for my guests to use? 

If I put regular cups and plates, the guests will have to wash them in the bathroom sink, there is no place to put them to dry, etc. 

Can you please advise me if it is okay to only provide disposable ones? Some mixed opinions have been shared by people I have asked for advice and I'm unsure on how to proceed. 

Thank you! 

[Shelley159]

Hi @Kalin78 

I would start with your idea of disposables, which sounds practical. If it doesn't work well, you can always buy permanent ones later.

[Darlene276]

No, "Vacation rentals" are suppose to represent a higher standard of living over a motel yet more economical for longer stays.  The accessories matter and requires some investment initially to provide linens, kitenware doesn't necessary have to be brand new, but not worn or mismatched, although linens should be new and their not expensive.  You can upgrade after that a little at a time.  

[Kalin78]

Hi, @Darlene276 ! Thank you for your answer. It is not about the expense, really. It's just that there is no kitchen and place for guests to wash the used cutlery and plates. By providing regular ones, they will have to wash them in the bathroom sink, which to me seems more uncomfortable than using disposable ones I guess. The linens, of course, are brand new.

[Rhonda45]

I would not want to wash dishes in a bathroom sink and with nice disposable dishware available I think it is fine that he provide disposables.  Airbnbs provide diverse stays and it isn’t a requirement that real dishware be used.  

[Kalin78]

Thank you, @Shelley159 ! 😊

[Julie5882]

I agree with Shelley. Practicality rules in this situation. I would suggest "high quality" disposable items.

Best of luck!

Julie

[Kalin78]

@Julie5882 Thank you, Julie! 

[Angie813]

Hi Kalin,

It's wonderful that you are already thinking ahead about guest needs.

Try it out and see how it goes. You can always remove disposables or buy higher quality ones...go with your gut on your property and location! As you host guests, you'll know what's working and what is not 🙂

Best of luck,

Angie

[Rhonda45]

I think it’s an excellent idea.  You might add disposable wine glasses or if you do provide glass ones, then tell your guests you will wash them.  

[Rhonda45]

I think your disposables will be fine unless you ask your guests to set out the dishware outside and replace them with clean  sets.  There are very nice, eco friendly disposable dishware and cutlery so try to get the top of the line if you can.

I disagree that Airbnbs should have real dishware as one host said.  Airbnbs come in all sizes, stays, prices, and  what various hosts provide for guests.  You can always leave a nice treat for them to show your appreciation.  And cleanliness is a number 1 priority! 

[Fiona256]

I'm surprised everyone thinks providing disposable stuff is a good idea. We should all be trying to minimise our use of disposable materials, for environmental reasons.

[Debra300]

@Kalin78,

All of our rental spaces have kitchen sinks, except one that we rent only during special occasions, but we do provide some regular dishware because I think disposables are wasteful, and guests rarely use more than a glass or cup, anyway.   If they reheat food, they usually eat it out of the container or wrapper, and use the plastic utensils that came with it.

It's not visible in this photo of the room's kitchentte area, but we put another cart on the left side wall and provide water supply with a USB-C rechargeable water pump that has a hose to a large water bottle - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0CQ8BTJDH.

We provide a little plastic that can catch the water run off, and a small dish rack that can hold a few items - https://www.amazon.com/Camco-Durable-Drainer-Perfect-43511/dp/B000BUOSGG.  The guests can empty the discharged water in one of the bathroom drains.

[Cheryl1102]

Hi Kalin,

Our space is very similar with a fridge, coffee maker, and microwave, but no sink - except in the bathroom.  We started with paper plates and they were appreciated.  However, I hate the waste.  We now have both paper products and reusable.   I don't expect guest to try to wash dishes in the bathroom sink.  The key is that we also have a tray for "dirty dishes".  We wash them after they leave.  Most people only stay 1-4 nights, so it is complete manageable.

Good luck,

Cheryl

[John6614]

I have a similar setup. disposable is fine although I found guests appreciate coffee mugs. those can be easily rinsed out in the bathroom sink. other than that I leave a stash of disposable plates, cutlery and cups for everything else.