3 Reasons Why Your Airbnb Needs an Owners’ Closet
The owners’ closet, also known as the “cleaner’s closet,” is a locked closet, garage, room, or area of your property that guests do not have access to.
Here are 3 reasons why you need to set up your owners’ closet before your next guest’s check-in:
- Security: Without an owner’s closet, your guests will have direct access to the WIFI router and modem. With a flip of a switch, they can deactivate your camera and security systems. Making it impossible for you to ensure guests are abiding by house rules.
- Storage: You need a place to store all your extra linens, personal items, and inventory for restocking guest essentials. Without this space, your guests will have unlimited access to bulk items that you may not want them using.
- Smooth Turnover: Having backup items when you need them is crucial to a fast turnover — especially if it’s a back-to-back check-in.
The rest of this article is dedicated to helping you install, organize, and stock your owners’ closet. Let’s get started.
How To Set Up Your Owners’ Closet
Before you bust out the toolkit you need to navigate to your House Rules and make a quick edit. To prevent your guests from “getting curious” you need to write a short notice, something simple like the below statement will suffice:
“Any locked closet doors are locked for privacy purposes. Forcing the door open will result in a loss of your security deposit.”
You can also affix a tasteful sign above your owners’ closet for the guests who skim over house rules.
Locks
No matter where you install your owner’s closet, Home Depot, Lowes, and/or Amazon has a lock solution for you.
It’s highly recommended to look for keyless locks. Juggling keys with cleaners, co-hosts, and property managers is a constant headache. Plus, with a keyless lock, you can share the code with your guests in case of a linen emergency.
Pro-tip: If you don’t want to spend the extra money on a keyless lock, then you can purchase a magnetic key hider and affix it to the side or rear of your dryer.
Organization
A disorganized owners’ closet is going to cost you more time. This is the most important step of all. Each item needs its own space so that you can quickly assess when items are running out.
The best “one-stop-shop” for all your organization tools is The Container Store. You can find all the essentials you’ll need to keep your closet organized. You can also repurpose items around your home for organizational purposes (i.e., a shoebox to store all batteries).
Pro-tip: Purchase a label-making machine to categorize each space. This way anyone accessing your closet can know exactly where everything goes.
Cleaner Instructions
Your property is special and sometimes you’re not going to be able to personally clean and stage it before every guest. You may have to outsource this task to someone else. Each property is different and you may have some odd requests…
- The bath mats need to be cleaned, neatly rolled, and placed on top of the closed toilet seat. This way guests know that they are clean.
- Every couch pillow should be laid flat and then karate-chopped.
- All blinds need to be opened at a 45-degree angle.
There’s nothing wrong with being meticulous — especially if it’s going to make your guest smile — but you need to ensure these requests are communicated properly to your cleaning team.
The owners’ closet is a great place to store additional cleaning and staging instructions for your cleaners. Having a small 3-ring binder inside the owner’s closet with cleaner instructions will help keep you and your cleaners on the same page.
Pro-tip: Post photos of the way you want each room to look before the guest’s check-in on the inside of the owner’s closet door or in the binder.
What Items Do You Store in Your Owners’ Closet?
Some of these items may be overkill — it’s better to be safe than sorry. Below is an exhaustive list of Airbnb amenities that you should store in your owner’s closet.
Linens
Controlling the number of linens your guests have access to helps cut down on you or your cleaner’s time doing laundry. If they have access to every linen on the property, then they may use every single item. Each bed should have 3 sets of linens: 1 active set, 1 replacement set, and 1 extra in case of emergency.
- Flat Sheet (x2 per bed)
- Fitted Sheet(s) (x2 per bed)
- Bath towels (x2 per bed)
- Hand towels (x2 per bed)
- Washcloths (x2 per bed)
- Beach towels (x2 per bed, if applicable)
- Dish Cloths (x3)
- Kitchen Towel (x3)
- Spare blankets (x1 per bed)
Paper Products
These items will be replenished before every check-in. The makeup removal pads mitigate against guests staining your white towels.
- Makeup removal pads
- Cotton balls
- Toilet paper
- Paper towels
- Kleenex boxes
Restocking Supplies
Another list of items that are essential to be restocked before the next guest’s check-in. These items have become the industry standard that each guest expects.
- Coffee pods
- Teabags
- Water bottles
- Dishwasher detergent
- Laundry detergent
- Stain remover
- Hand Soap
- Trash bags
Cleaning Supplies
Even if you have an Airbnb cleaning service, it’s a good idea to have cleaning supplies on hand. Cleaners will sometimes miss a spot and you’ll need the tools necessary to ensure your property is clean.
- Cleaner instruction binder
- Vacuum
- Mop and bucket
- Spray bottles
- Windex
- Oven cleaner
- Degreaser
- Bleach
- Sanitizer
- Microfiber cloths
- Brushes
Pro-tip: Always keep a broom and a small caddy of cleaning supplies available to your guests. It’s never expected for guests to clean while on vacation, but sometimes spills happen. In those instances, it’s helpful for them to have the tools they need to clean up. If you do leave cleaning supplies available for your guests, store them in a place that is out of reach to children.
Backups & Miscellaneous
These items don’t need to be replaced after every check-out. This is more of a “just in case” list.
- Duvet covers
- Shower curtain liners
- Bath mats
- Seasonal decorations
- Batteries
- TV remotes
- Light bulbs
- Personal items you don’t want to be damaged
- WIFI Router and modem
- List of contractors
- Photos of each room staged and cleaned
Frequently Asked Questions About Owners’ Closets
How big should my owner’s closet be?
The size of your owner’s closet depends on the size of your property. If you’re listing 1 private room, then you may only need a small cupboard to store everything you need. On the flip side, if you’re listing a 5 bedroom, 4 bathroom, beach house, then you may need an entire room sectioned off for your owners’ closet.
Should I ever allow my guests access to the closet?
This depends on your level of trust in your guest. Sometimes it’s necessary to appease a guest in a bad situation. It will also save you a trip (or paying someone to go to the property) to give your guests access to something they need in the closet.
How do I replenish my owners’ closet if I live out of town?
Most out-of-state hosts will have a co-host or family member to help them with these types of issues. If you don’t have either, then your cleaning company is a great option. Ask them if you can ship your supplies to their office and they may be able to restock your closet at their next cleaning.
Make Your Turnover Easier With an Owners’ Closet
“By failing to prepare you are preparing to fail.” – Benjamin Franklin
It’s a refreshing feeling to be prepared for anything. With a well-stocked and organized owners’ closet, you can attack every turnover with confidence.
This article was written by the team at Merit Maids, a family-owned cleaning business that provides premium house cleaning services in Colorado.
