Household supplies

[Karen3577]

Hi All,

do you supply the guests who are staying over 2 weeks unlimited toliet paper, paper towels, plastic trash bags and cascade.  Thanks in advance for your

replies.

karen

[Helen3]

Most people doing longer term rentals provide a starter pack and then guests top up what they need.

really depends on your price point/how you describe your listing 

what do you do @Karen3577 

and what is cascade? 

[Lorna170 · Accepted solution]

@Helen3  Cascade is a brand of detergent for the dishwasher.

[Alberto192]

Good, so I, Italian, can stop searching this word on the dictionary! 😂

[Elaine701]

@Karen3577 

Yes, we always supply all guests with those things and more, regardless of their length of stay. 

Conversely, I use Airbnb often when we travel, and I'm often disappointed to discover that many hosts supply next to nothing. You have to run out and buy even the most basic things such as loo paper and washing up liquid, even coffee cups. It's frustrating. 

Hospitality experts say that guests typically form their basic opinion of their entire stay in the first 10 minutes after arrival. These things (or lack of them) can make a big difference in how the guest perceives their experience. And that gets reflected in reviews. 

[Nash-Cottages-LLC0]

@Karen3577 

I think we're more aligned with the description @Helen3 noted. That is, we provide quite a bit of supplies and then if they need more, guests will either ask for them (and we will gladly restock them) or purchase them without us knowing. What we don't want is for them to run out of key supplies such as toilet paper during their first week with us. For the specifics you mentioned, we supply enough trash bags and dish soap that should last them throughout their stay. 

[Lorna170]

@Karen3577  Our week + guests are advised that they will have starter supplies (a generous weeks' worth) and will have to purchase additional items as needed.  We have not had any push back on this in over 20 plus years of renting to guests who stay from 2 days to 28 days.  

P.S.  We do not skimp on the TP - 4 rolls per bathroom per booking.

[Melodie-And-John0]

Same here @Lorna170 , I refer to it as seeded with supplies that they will need to replace as they need them

[Nicholas439]

Hi @Karen3577,  generally I'm on the side of oversupplying incidentals. Probably comes from my preference of always having plenty of stock personally.  During covid I was genuinely amazed that people rushed out to buy toilet paper as I had literally 6 months supply - in both my own house and the Airbnbs!  I buy most of these items in bulk and have them in supply closets or the bathroom  cabinets.  Because there's no-one really living in the house there is usually spare cabinet space so why not utilize it?  Additionally, things like dishwasher detergent, laundry detergent and cleaning products we are particular about as we don't like scents or chemicals and use only natural products so the house doesn't stink - hence we supply those to prevent smelly chemicals coming in. I did supply these kinds of items during a 7 month stay for one client and I currently have someone that booked a month because their house flooded but have now stayed 14 months - I haven't supplied this guest after about the 4th or 5th month but I did reduce the rent also to make it easier on them.  I'm with @Elaine701  - do what you would expect when travelling - I also stay at Airbnbs and are sometimes surprised at the lack of supplies.

[Maggie633]

Yes my cottage is fully stocked. And any starts greater that 7 nights requires housekeeping. Fresh bedding and towels.  Hope this helps 

maggie 😊

[Ahmed570]

No

[Michael2733]

Yes in the US.  However, please note that the guest will take your supplies.  Keep them locked up if stored on prem and only put out reasonable amounts.

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Karen3577 It is in your interest to leave any cleaning things like detergent, bin/trash bags and dishwasher tablets as these help ensure your place is looked after properly. For 2 weeks we would also leave toilet paper but its less clear at 4+ weeks. I guess it depends on the size of the monthly discount given

[Rose422]

Hi there Karen, 

Great question. I usually leave all my supplies in the listings and keep it well stocked. I know a lot of hosts are particular about their "supply of supplies", but my impression is, guests should not have to worry about running out of paper or bin bags or nitty gritty during their stay. Have a space stocked up with supplies. I believe in abundance and not scarcity. Hosts should always concentrate on how they can improve the guest experience in general because it is important to compete with hotels in this day and age and rise above the mundane issues. I have read a lot of comments from guests on other platforms that hosts expect them to worry about minor things including striping the beds, taking trash out, buying supplies and this is not a good impression of airbnb. I personally suggest to all hosts to provide all essentials to last well beyond the reservation and check with guests once during their stay if you can do anything to make their stay any better. 

This is my two cents. 

Rose.