Should you have a stove in your listing?

[Jenny]

Hi everyone!

Some of us love cooking while away travelling, making delicious foods with local produce, and some of us prefer to try local restaurants or bars.  It’s a highly individual choice!

Regardless of cooking ability, it can be important for some to have access to a stove when travelling, for hot drinks and for basic meals like breakfast eggs and bacon. On the other hand, depending on your property and the type of guests you usually receive, it might not be something you’ve considered including.  

I was curious to know what you all thought about having a stove in your listing. Do you believe it’s a key amenity? Or, from a guest perspective, do you prefer to stay at places which have a stove?

I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments!

Jenny

[Rejin0]

Yes, I feel its important to have a stove in an airbnb ! At least in India guests asks for it. I feel it adds points and help getting long term stays.  I have a q if anyone can help me , does the aircover applied to electronics and electrical items as well ? just curious 

[Huma0]

@Rejin0 

Yes, almost all the Indian guests I have hosted have used the stove a lot, even if it was a short stay. 

[M199]

@Helen427 

Great points!  Thank you for the information,  truly informative.

[John5097]

While designing my rental unit, I had a section of counter and counter top the exact size of an oven, 30 inches. 

It takes me about a half an hour to change it out and some touch up. Just that section of granite is over 150 pounds so that's the hardest part.  

This is a picture of the kitchen with the over and without.



Pretty clever huh? 

For long term rental, I included the oven with an agreement that it wasn't to be used to cook greasy foods. 
 
For the short term rental simply take it out. First, mine is a legal STR, and our city doesn't allow ovens in SRT. (only a microwave)  I put a lot of thought into this as well, but to include the oven would mean going up in rates at least 25%. You would have to take into account both the cleaning and higher risk, and most guest aren't going to cook for my location. So I don't mind offering a better value for guest who don't need to cook greasy food inside. I would also be marked down in cleanliness. I've tried cooktop induction but guest cook hamburgers the entire time, even with rules saying not to, and place smells like grease, and have to degrease the either place. (And I'm not having rules about what guest can and can't cook.) 

I make it very clear in 4 places that an oven isn't included. So far so good. Still sometimes guest who don't read the listing at all are surprise it down't have one. I've requested a strikeout for this if there is no oven, but to to avail. 

Most one bedroom places where I live only have a kitchenette and no oven.

 Most places in my area have an oven are kind of run down and rates are higher than mine. However if my listing was an entire house an oven would be included, although entire houses aren't even allowed in my area except beach rentals. 

[Ted307]

@John5097Beautiful! We spent the budget on the bathroom, the kitchen is still "as found" country 50's kitchen. Got to pick your battles, and the bathroom here was non-existent!

Chris

[John5097]

@Ted307 I was able to do all the work myself and this was 5 years ago, and I've lived here over 20 years. Its just a 60s ranch house but most guest would be shocked at how much it cost these days. In a more rural area I think an oven and cooking is basically required. I have a fire marshal inspection once a year. As it is now mine is budget friendly to everyone, and I'm booked way out. I'm also in South Carolina and the locals and nearby states, GA and NC, are mostly the ones who want to cook hamburgers and bacon, even though they aren't saving any money cooking that at my apartment, so need to go up in rates to price it out of their reach. One recent one was new guest zero reviews and left a 4 for value, so don't even need guest like that.  I've been waiting for my first 4 star overall review and planned to up 20% after that, but 4 on value is pretty very rare, 1 in 100, so need to just do it. But if I was renting a rural cabin somewhere, I'd just have to factor it the oven, more cleaning, more risk, etc.

Of course that's what other host have been saying for ages, if you have Walmart rates don't be surprised when you get Walmart guest.   

[Ted307]

@John5097  We hope that the hamburgers will be cooked on the grill, outside! But, I give people butter and eggs to cook, and I do clean grease after those guests.  It is our way of offering breakfast. Lots of people, maybe half, do not cook even though we give the the butter and home-grown eggs. They want to be on vacation without cooking. We do have a 2 night minimum, so not super low budget for the Walmart shoppers! 😉

[John5097]

@Ted307 I really enjoy all my guest. I get a lot who are also young, still in college, and they are so excited for their stay. So far the younger guest have been the best. There is just no way I'm including an oven and grill. 

When I was young, like 12, I could only cook bacon and hamburgers. I always cleaned my dishes and pans. We actually had a indoor grill, a Jen Air, and I started using that, but had no idea about the grease, that it had a grease trap. My mom would clean it but it wasn't until later that I realized how much grease a hamburger can create. It would make me very nervous, and I would need to go up another $40 a night at least and most guest wouldn't use it and have to smell the grease. 

Places that serve food have a different inspection for fire and safety, grease traps, and have grease fires all the time. 

I really have enjoyed my approach. Its so clean and guest love it. I think they would rather have the extra $40 to go out and eat what they want. That's the whole idea visiting Charleston. 

And I really enjoy proving a safe little apartment that's a unique experience for solo travelers as well. I don't mind a good value as long as its also stress free for me as well. Its all very accurate listing, so if guest need something else, there are 10k other ABB within 10 miles. 

I also want to be a good inference and yes, sometimes I shop at Walmart! 🙂 

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@John5097 very clever solution. We fitted a 2.3m stretch of granite into our neighbours house so I know just how heavy it is!

[John5097]

@Mike-And-Jane0 I'm surprised its worked out so far. This topic is motivating me go up in my rates. Similar listings to mine ate quite a bit more, and no oven. Good luck to anyone looking for a centrally located place, all newly renovated, spectacular views, high quality everything, at rates that well below what they could be, just for them to come in a make huge greasy mess.