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Hi, I’m Sarah! If you are here, chances are you have already read my other popular blog posts sharing everything from my favorite bedding for Airbnb to choosing which TV you should buy and how to make your Airbnb baby friendly. Today, I want to share 7 Airbnb must haves that you should make sure you have in our vacation rentals.

These are all inexpensive ways to go the extra mile for your guests and help you avoid unnecessary hosting headaches yourself. It’s these little Airbnb hosting touches that will keep you earning those 5-star reviews!

Why trust us?

We are Airbnb superhosts who, in 2026, currently own four condos on 30A in the Florida Panhandle. We almost always receive 5-star reviews from our guests. I credit that to our communication and attention to detail. We are family travel bloggers and know what we look for when staying at rental properties and hotels.

You may enjoy reading my post on when to choose an Airbnb vs. a hotel when traveling!

Airbnb Hosting Tips

While I have pointed this out in other blog posts, hosting on Airbnb has changed our lives! We continually say that buying our first vacation rental was the best decision that we have made, and I am thrilled that we have been able to grow our business to four rental properties. It’s not just owning the properties and building equity we love; it’s the actual hosting part.

Hosting on Airbnb has given me a career that allows me to be a busy mom and to travel myself, all while bringing in a six-figure income. And I love what I do!

At the bottom of this post, I provide more information on how to become a host yourself. I have an entire section on my blog dedicated to sharing our experiences and recommendations. I even have a post specifically sharing how I manage my Airbnb rentals while traveling myself complete with message examples!

One thing that I have learned as an Airbnb host, there is always room for improvement. It’s great to listen to and incorporate your Airbnb guests’ feedback.

Here are 7 items that I now ensure are provided in each of our condos before the first guest arrives, along with easy links to purchase them yourself. And if you would like to learn more about how to become an Airbnb Superhost, read my latest post here!

And, if you are short on time? You can browse all of my Airbnb shopping lists on Amazon!

7 Airbnb Must Haves For Short Term Rentals

I am fairly certain you will have at least one “why didn’t I think of that” moment while reading through these suggestions of essential items that you need in an Airbnb. I did too!

That’s why I learned the hard way on a couple of these. Yes, I am looking at you, Roku controller. Yes, you, all of the way up in Nashville, because you snuck home in an open suitcase. Anyway, we will talk about this when we get to #6!

Let’s get started. Here are 7 Airbnb must-haves for Airbnb vacation rentals!

#1 Airbnb Tool Kit

For around $22, this 38-piece toolkit is a no-brainer. We make sure there is one under the kitchen sink in each of our condos. Not only does it offer a set of tools for your guests to use during their stay, but it also ensures that you have a set available each time you check on your rental.

Why do Airbnb guests need tools? It could be as simple as needing a screwdriver to open the battery compartment of a new toy. My guests probably use it less often than I do because each time I am in one of my units, I am tightening knobs or hammering in a nail here or there. Having a toolkit available for guests is an easy and cost-effective way to enhance their experience.

Click here to purchase a toolkit for your vacation rental!

#2 First Aid Kit for Airbnbs

This one probably should have been number one, since it’s the most used by guests! So, make sure to have a First Aid Kit under each Airbnb bathroom sink, in a kitchen pantry, or other easy-to-find locations.

We use this Johnson & Johnson 160 PC All-Purpose Portable Compact Emergency First Aid Kit. It offers a wide range of supplies and should be able to address most issues. You will find that over time the bandages get used up first, so always keep a backup assortment of Band-Aids in your owner or your cleaner’s closet so that you can restock them as needed. 

For more Airbnb first-aid tips, I have an entire post on Airbnb first-aid kits!

And the benefits of providing band-aids for your guests far outweigh the costs, because it’s no fun to have to throw away a new set of white sheets after a kiddo scratches their bug bites a little too hard. That said, make sure to follow my 3-layer mattress protection strategy as well.

Click here to buy an Airbnb First Aid Kit! 

#3 Portable Black Out Curtains

This is one of those unique Airbnb amenities that help you stand out as a host!

Most vacation rentals should always have built-in blackout shades in the bedrooms and every living room where people may be sleeping. That said, some people have little ones who need to nap in strange places or are sensitive to even the smallest amount of light coming in, so we decided to use these curtains in most of our rentals for those situations. They do a good job of blocking out most of the light. But, some guests want the room to be truly pitch black, which is where these portable blackout curtains come in!

These Amazon Basics Portable Window Blackout Curtain Shades with Suction Cups are pretty awesome! They come in a variety of prints (I usually opt for the moon and stars) and are packaged inside a small pouch, making it easy for an Airbnb guest to see what’s inside. They suction to the window or patio door and are very easy to put up or take down. 

They are actually great for travelers to have, too. Because not all Airbnb hosts are thoughtful enough to install blackout curtains.

These are game-changers for our guests with babies and toddlers who need to nap during the day, and I can’t tell you how many compliments we get on them.

Most of our guests end up buying one (or a set) of their own for future travels! If you want to read about more ways to create a baby-friendly Airbnb, make sure to read this post! 

After being an Airbnb host for several years now, I can confidently tell you that making your Airbnb baby-friendly will really set you apart. This is a great way to increase your bookings in the off-season or shoulder seasons when families with older kids aren’t traveling.

Click here to view our favorite Portable Black Out Curtains for vacation rentals!

#4 Airbnb Sound Machine

Up next is a sound machine for your Airbnb rental property. This is another item often used by couples and individuals, but is always appreciated by parents with young children!

The Big Red Rooster 6 Sound White Noise Machine is what I use in our vacation rentals because it’s easy to use and doesn’t require an app, unlike many on the market. The buttons at the top are straightforward, featuring 6 noise options, a sleep timer, and a volume button that is easily distinguishable. 

You’ll notice that I get most of my Airbnb essentials on Amazon. It’s because it just makes it easy! It’s easy for me to reorder items quickly, which I have had to do with this sound machine. 

Believe it or not, I have had a handful of these walk away over the years. They are just that good, or what I like to think is that maybe a spouse packed it up, not realizing that it needed to stay behind. Now, I always keep a backup in the locked closet. In fact, there are several items that I always like to have backups of at my rental properties for a variety of reasons.

Click here to view my favorite Airbnb sound machine!

#5 Airbnb Borrow Baskets

This is one of those things that Airbnb guests love! In all my research, I had not seen this method used by other hosts, so I coined the term “Borrow Basket.” And this is the second-most praised item among guests, after our comfortable Airbnb bedding, of course! 

What is an Airbnb borrow basket?

It’s just a plastic basket under the bathroom sink and/or in a kitchen cabinet where guests can leave unopened or unused items and borrow anything they need. I like to have one in each spot. Whenever I’m there, I usually leave some extras as well, including small zip-lock bags with safety pins, tampons, laundry pods, dryer sheets, and extra coffee pods.

I also leave a few toothbrushes and toothpaste sets, as well as small packs of aloe and sunscreen for my guests to use as needed. You can see them here.

Typically, guests leave items such as paper plates, granola bars, unopened water bottles, sunscreens, shampoo & conditioners, tampons, and more. I always go through the borrow baskets when I am there and remove any opened or expire food, as well as bathroom items that may leak, such as tanning oils.

It’s really great to know that there’s a place to leave things instead of having to throw them away. As you will read in my Best Coffee Maker for Airbnb post, these borrow baskets are a big part of my coffee strategy.

The other benefit? It keeps my drawers and cabinets free of these items, making the space clear, open, and uncluttered for future guests. In my Airbnb House Manual, it says:

“We use our condo often and have left a borrow basket with our staples in the kitchen cabinet and also in the bathroom cabinet. Feel free to use things as needed while staying with us, and also to leave any toiletries or unopened food and drink items in there for the next guest.” 

And when I send the departure checklist the evening prior to a guest’s checkout, it also includes the following:

 “In lieu of throwing things away unnecessarily, you are welcome to leave unopened or reusable items in the borrow baskets located below the bathroom sink and in the kitchen cabinet for future guests.“

When setting up a borrow basket, any plastic tub works. I like the cute waffle-weave-style bins. Just ensure they fit well into the cabinet or under the sink.

Click here for an assortment of plastic baskets that work!

#6 Backup Roku TV Controllers

I mentioned this one earlier in my post, but backup controllers are a major Airbnb must have. This is a lesson you usually learn the hard way after the next guest tells you there is no remote for the television. There is a good chance it’s in the previous guest’s suitcase, because while this isn’t an item people tend to steal, it does fall into open bags or get tangled up in clothes piles during a stay.

So, you really need to have a backup! Here are the 16 items that I always have multiples of in my Airbnb rental properties.

If you have read my blog post about Choosing the Best TV for your Airbnb, you know we exclusively use Roku TVs in our condos for many reasons. One reason is that the remote controllers are universal, so guests can often use another one temporarily if one goes missing. That said, I still have 3-4 extras (with fresh batteries) in my locked closet at any given time, and my cleaners have had to replace them more than once. 

I also started leaving an extra remote in a bin, the sound machine, and an extension cord in the living room. Roku controllers are inexpensive and readily available. However, suppose you have a different television brand. In that case, you may need to dig a little deeper and ensure that your backups are compatible with the version you have.

Click here to view the backup Roku controllers that we use!

#7 Extra Batteries & Lightbulbs

This one is by far the least glamorous, but a necessity. Extra batteries and lightbulbs should be kept in any vacation rental. I prefer not to keep them anywhere visible. In my condos, they are located in an awkward cabinet way up above the fridge, so guests can access them if needed. That said, they aren’t readily visible or out in the open, and they aren’t tempting for a guest to take home.

Here is a bonus #8 must-have — a step stool. Your Airbnb guests can use this to get to these backup items or other hard-to-reach shelves. A step stool is also great for little ones to reach the bathroom sink. I use this black folding step stool in each of my rentals.

The extra batteries are great for when a controller runs out, or your cleaners need to replace the batteries in your Airbnb smart lock. If you have different bulbs for lamps vs. overhead fixtures, the bulbs should always be labeled to make it easy for your cleaners to install the correct bulb in the fixture. My pet peeve is when the bulb temperatures in a fixture don’t match, and the lights are slightly different colors. And these are the things that guests actually notice!

Any Other Airbnb Must Haves You Recommend?

I sure hope you both enjoyed and found value in this Airbnb hosting blog post! Being an Airbnb host is truly rewarding. Taking these small steps to enhance your guests’ stay leads to better reviews, which help keep your short-term rental booked!

I will note that there are countless other things we have in our condos and that you may have in yours, and oftentimes they can vary by the location of your rentals.  Things like great Airbnb dishes and silverware are essential in all rentals, and I always recommend both a Keurig and a regular coffee maker.

Do you have any other Airbnb must-have items to recommend to people reading this post? Make sure to leave a comment and share! And, make sure to read all of my popular Airbnb buying guides, which cover everything you’ll need in your rental, along with tips for purchasing the best products.

READ: Deep Cleaning & Resetting Your Vacation Rental In The Offseason

You may also enjoy the following blog posts:

• Do This Before You Launch
• Best Hooks for Airbnbs
• What Not to Have in Rentals
• Early Check-In Requests
• Using Guest Feedback
• Kitchen Shopping List
• Using the Airbnb App
• Airbnb Coffee Tables
• Sleeper Sofa vs Rollaway
• Airbnb Closet Essentials

Rent Our 30A Seacrest Beach Airbnbs

We have four condos on 30A in the Florida panhandle that we exclusively book on Airbnb.  We love being Airbnb superhosts and providing a top-notch, concierge-style experience for our guests from start to finish.   

Click here to view all 4 of our Seacrest Beach vacation rentals (located a block from Rosemary Beach, Florida) and check rates and availability.   It would be our pleasure to host you on 30A! And, in my opinion, Fall is the best time to visit 30A and Florida in general. And, we love to host you in 2026!

And if you love travel, follow along on social media!

Follow Our Little Lifestyle

Become an Airbnb Host

Have you ever thought about becoming an Airbnb host?  If you’re considering purchasing a short-term vacation rental and becoming an Airbnb host yourself, I have a dedicated section on my blog about our journey so far. 

I always welcome any conversations and love to share my experience.  I have a lot of great advice to share, so feel free to leave me a comment or reach out to me on either of our Instagram accounts below!

Interested in becoming an Airbnb host?  Click here to find out what you can earn!

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