Your Airbnb Kitchen
Probably Sucks (And You Don't Even Know It)

Most hosts set up a kitchen once and never think about it again. But over time, guests notice. Here are 5 things you need to do ASAP to maintain a 5-star kitchen.

Let's be honest. Most Airbnb kitchens are an afterthought. A Keurig from 2019, a Brita with mystery mold, burnt pans nobody replaced, and a sponge that's...seen things. Guests check in, start poking around your drawers and cabinets, and just like that, their whole impression of the place takes a hit.

The kitchen is one of the highest-leverage rooms in your property. Fix it, and you get reviews that mention it. Ignore it, and you get reviews that mention it for different reasons. Here are the five things we'd fix first.

But first...

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Okay, now we're going to talk kitchen to you. Here are 5 things you should start implementing in your short-term rentals ASAP.

01

KITCHEN TIP

Build Simple, Repeatable Kitchen Systems.

Here's a rule most hosts never learn until it's too late: for every amenity you add, there's an equal and opposite set of logistics to keep it up. Pots and pans get ruined. Baking sheets warp and stain. Water filters grow things you don't want to think about. The amenity doesn't maintain itself, and your cleaner almost certainly isn't flagging any of it.

The fix isn't complicated. Build a checklist. Put every perishable kitchen item on a replacement schedule. Make your cleaner report deficiencies (in writing, every turnover). If it's not a system, it's a slow decline you won't notice until a guest writes about it.

Case in point: go check your toaster right now. There's probably 1,000 tiny little burnt crumbs at the bottom. Totally acceptable at your own house. In an Airbnb though? Not so much.

02

KITCHEN TIP

Throw Out the Brita.

Speaking of water filters: Brita pitchers are a guest experience disaster waiting to happen. Guests have to remember to refill them. Cleaners have to empty and clean them. And if nobody's tracking the filter schedule (which nobody is), you're eventually going to open the top and find a mold situation. That's not a review you want to earn.

The upgrade: an under-sink water filter with a dedicated spigot. Around $90 total. Most kitchen sinks have an unused soap pump hole, pull it, install the filter nozzle, done. Cold, clean, filtered water on demand with no refilling or logistics. Yes, you still need to change the filters on a schedule, but the overall experience is just cleaner and more premium for your guests.

If you need help picking one out, we got you. Here's a solid one vetted by our free community.

03

KITCHEN TIP

K-Cups Are a Guest Experience Crime.

The Keurig has been the lazy default in short-term rentals for a decade. It needs to stop. Coffee is the first thing most guests interact with in the morning. If the best you can offer is a stale K-cup, you've already lost the vibe before the day starts.

You don't need to spend $700 on an espresso machine (though it does make a statement). The minimum viable upgrade: a French press and quality ground coffee stocked for your guests. That covers every type of coffee drinker in the group. And if you really want to keep a Keurig, at least upgrade to a combo Keurig so guests have the option to make a full drip carafe too. Add disposable to-go cups with lids and you've just become the Airbnb people mention to their friends.

04

KITCHEN TIP

A Used, Unwrapped Sponge Is Gross. Enough Said.

Guests won't say anything. They'll just assume your whole property is dirty. A sealed, individually wrapped sponge costs almost nothing (a 24-pack runs about $10) and it sends a clear message: nobody has touched this before you.

Put it on the turnover checklist. Don't assume your cleaner is doing it. Verify.

Same logic applies to sugar and salt. Ditch the open jars. Either roll with individual packets or a grinder. No guest wants to reach into a container that six other families have already had their hands in. It's a small thing, and it's exactly the kind of thing that shows up in reviews.

05

KITCHEN TIP

Stop Treating Pots and Pans Like They're Permanent.

They're not. No matter what brand you buy, pots and pans in a rental property have roughly a 6-12 month lifespan before they look like something you'd find at a yard sale. Your cleaner won't tell you. You'll go months thinking everything is fine. Then you'll visit and find scratched, burnt, discolored cookware that no guest should have had to look at.

Budget $100-$150 for a set and plan to replace on a schedule. Don't drop $400 on a premium set you're just going to have to rebuy anyway. Same goes for baking sheets: they're one of the most-requested missing items guests message about, and they cost almost nothing to stock.

Treat them like consumables. Because that's what they are.

Want More Tips?

We've got 12 more of them. If you want a full breakdown on what makes a truly great Airbnb kitchen, be sure to catch Rob Abasolo's latest YouTube video where he gives all the secret sauce.

WATCH THE FULL VIDEO →

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