Must have host supplies

[Rc1]

Hello,

I am putting a list of must have supplies host should keep at their listing. So far I have:

- Extra key

- Smoke detector

- Replacement batteries for the smoke detector

- fire extinguisher

- fire escape ladder (if house is multiple floors)

- USB charger

- Extra charger cord

- Basic first aid kit

- Plunger

- Extra toothbrush & tooth paste

- Emergency contact card

- Basic tool kit

- Flashlight

- Cleaning supplies

I've summarized them all in a easy video below. Let me know if I missed any items! 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=suELqiXxTnE

[Ali40]

I don't leave a charger for guests anymore, because they end up dissapearing - either by mistake or not - even when they are clearly labeled 

[Kjesten0]

I have had electrical sockets that include a usb installed.

[Tina183]

Yes, I ahve had that same issue and don't leave them anymore either.

[Lance50]

Glue it to the power strip 😉

[Robin4]

@Rc1

I think you have summed it up pretty well!

Goodness me, are you expecting the 5th Cavalry to come through your listing. I have never struck the guest who came without something they needed....I have struck a few who have asked for something they would like, a dishwasher, a whiz bang coffee machine......but not what they need! Things like cords and chargers will always be the wrong type! The firstaid kit will be pirated by virtually every guest! The plunger will be an excuse to stuff a can of 'Fosters' down the toilet!

You would have a regular maintenance schedule for smoke alarm batteries and a checklist of things to check prior to a hosting but most of your list of things I would not have thought of in a fit.....A tool kit, fire escape ladder!!

As far as I am concerned a must have list for guests is milk, juice, eggs and bacon and a cheese plate in the fridge, cereals, crackers a bowl of fruit and a bowl of nuts, toasting bread, tea and coffee and spreads on the bench..... a well made comfortable bed, plenty of heating and cooling, a great high pressure hot shower and good WiFi. This is what a guest would expect and appreciate, having a properly maintained building is just something a guest has a right too.....and having all that other stuff just opens your listing up to abuse!

Rc, I think it is great that you are thinking about the nuts and bolts of your hosting, that tells me you are serious about what you are doing but, we are not nurse-maids, don't overthink it....everything you keep on-site is a problem waiting to occur and things like that toothbrush and paste will not gain you recognition....it's just another thing you have supplied that will leave with the guest!

Lovely thought, but just not worth it.......

Cheers.....Rob

[Rachael26]

@Robin4 

I agree - lots of items on the list are for the Host as opposed to the Guest..... perhaps Rc's main purpose is for us to watch the utube video?  (this is the 2nd one from him on the CC).

@Rc1 Personally I don't like being asked to watch a video or go off-site and click on another link.... I am wary of viruses and protective of my download time (it gets eaten up by the guests enough without me adding to it to understand what a fellow host is trying to promote or ask about in a thread).

Best Wishes.

[Robin4]

@Rachael26

Yeah, my feeling was a bit the same, I didn't watch the link....80% of these links end up as sales pitches and I did find the initial post to be sort of stating the bleedin obvious. 

We all have differing hosting styles and I have found out with mine, you can do too much! Offering cheese plates to guests, cooking the odd meal, supplying beers and ciders in the fridge, these things start to be become expected by future guests and they feel a bit dudded if they don't get them, even though they would not dream of getting them in another listing.

The higher you stick your head, the more chance you have of getting it hit!

It boils down to the fact that we are hosts, we are not guests parents or nurse-maids.....give em information and a very professional sound space to stay in and leave it at that. And as for the maintenance things, that is just a matter of course.

I posted one of these 'ckecklist' things a couple of months ago here on the forum as a general post, not disappear somewhere else to read it but, that refered to a routine I need to do when servicing the listing between guests. it is the sort of checklist the garage mechanic does when he services your car.

This not only makes sure I have done everything I need to do, but, a dated, ticked copy of it is prominent in the house rules for each guest to see, so, for those who might get the idea, this sort of tells them that this might not be the hosting to try out for a 'freebie' should something have been overlooked.....thanks to that checklist, nothing gets overlooked!

Yeah Rachael....once again, I'm with you on this one!

Cheers.....Rob

[Rc1]

Hi @Robin4 and @Rachael26 thank you for your feedback. The purpose of my list is derived based on emergency supplies hosts MIGHT need -- it is always better to be safe than sorry. Unfortunately, I have had to use many of the items on the list and I am surprised @Robin4 you have not had to use a plunger -- you are luckier than I! We learned this lesson the hard way by having had guests that are too embarrased to ask for a plunger, so we now leave one in the guest bathroom. 

As for the tool kit and USB charging cords, I have those in our listing should the guest ask for them (charging cords) or a need arise (tools to fix unexpected broken items) but I do not leave them sitting out and about in the open. We were able to help a guest screw back on the wheel to her suitcase by having the tool kit on site, and I know the guest was very appreciative. So far we have been very fortunate and no one has taken any of our belongings, but I can see how charging cords could very easily go missing. 

The reason I like utilizing videos as a medium to get across information is because I have found out as a host the average person does not read everything. Based on a number of other posts on the CC, this lack of digesting text has been confirmed as a universal occurrence. I appologize if the video comes across as a sales pitch or virus link- definitely not my intention! The items in my video are based off my own experience as a host and those of my friends, and like many know, each listing is unique and each host has different experiences. I wanted to start a conversation and maybe get some helpful hints about items I might have missed, so I appreciate your contribution to the discussion.  

[Bruce43]

@Rc1 I live next door to my listing, and we buy supplies when we are running low.

Also, i have a huge box of assorted cables I have amassed from working with puters for years. 

It is one of those boxes my wife is always telling me to throw out. 

I keep disposable razors, toothbrushes, and assorted items international or business guests always need.

But it is kept in my house. 

[Bruce43]

@Robin  lives in the southern hemisphere using a plunger is impossible because the toilet water spins the wrong way.

yup, I read it on the internet, so it has to be true.

[Rachael26]

@Bruce43

Love you Bruce! Tell your wife I hope you are as funny at home as you are here in the forums - a breath of fresh air and a good laugh!

Best Wishes.

[Robin4]

@Bruce43

Ah Bruce, you are right, I have to use a 'Sucker', not a plunger!!! You just have to learn the knack of when to get your mouth out of the way!! 😉

Cheers.....Rob

[Cheryl110]

Important: The spare battery, IN THE APARTMENT,  for the smoke alarm is a must and they need to be aware of where it is. I had a guest suffer through the whole night with the constant beeping of the bad battery in the smoke alarm. He didn't want to wake us. I now tell my guests to contact us 24/7 for any reason. We are upstairs and can help them.

[Greg121]

I've seen in other forums and groups that host are looking for hotel style amenities for thier guest. Bnb Supply is where I get mine from. I get 10 sets of shampoo, bar soap, conditioner and lotion for $19.99. Just thought I'd share.

Thanks www.bnbsupply.org