How to make an inventory of your holiday rental

August 2024

What is a holiday rental inventory, and why do you need one?

Essentially, an inventory is a document that lists all the items that can be found in your holiday rental. Over time, you might find that some of these items get damaged or broken or even, in some cases, lost. Unless you have a photographic memory, it can be hard to keep track of everything. Having an inventory means you won’t need to memorise these details, as they’re all written down for you. 

An inventory is extremely helpful for everyone involved in your holiday rental:

• You, the host: You can see at a glance whether everything is in order and figure out what, if anything, needs fixing or replacing.
• Your cleaners: With an inventory, it’s far easier to check the property between guests and ensure it’s ready for the next visitors.
• Your guests: They’ll be grateful to see exactly what is waiting for them in the holiday rental, and the inventory helps protect both parties in the event of a dispute.

As you can see, there are no downsides to creating an inventory for your holiday rental, so now it’s time to look at how to make one.

How to create your holiday rental inventory

The easiest way to create an inventory is simple: go through your rental, room by room, and note down everything that’s inside. It may be a little time-consuming, but don’t worry, it’s not something you’ll have to do on a regular basis.

To make a more useful inventory, consider taking photos of the items in your property. This way, you’ll be able to have before and after pictures, which are handy if you have a dispute with guests over the condition of any items. It’s also a good way to keep track of wear and tear. At the end of the holiday season, you can compare the current state of your property to the photos and decide if you need to replace or refresh anything.

What to include in the inventory for your holiday rental

As mentioned, your inventory should be organised on a room-by-room basis. Here are the kinds of things you’ll probably want to include in each room:

• Kitchen inventory: large appliances, small appliances, cutlery, crockery, glasses and mugs, pots and pans, pantry items like tea bags, coffee and cleaning products.
• Bathroom inventory: towels, bath mat, cleaning products, toilet paper, soap, shower gel, shampoo, conditioner, furnishings such as mirrors and towel racks.
• Living room inventory: furnishings such as sofas and armchairs, TV, Wi-Fi, board games and books.
• Bedroom inventory (separate list for each bedroom): bedding, duvets, extra blankets and throws, coat hangers, pillows, pillow protectors, mirrors and furnishings.

You may also want to provide additional inventory lists if you have a property that welcomes children or pets.

• Child-friendly inventory: cot, bedding for cot, high chair, changing mat, gates for stairs
• Dog-friendly inventory: dog bed, bowls, toys, poo bags.

Using your holiday rental inventory

You’ll need to have a couple of copies of your inventory. One should be kept for your use, while the other remains on the property so that guests can see it. On arrival, direct your guests to the inventory so that they can have a look at it. You might want to encourage guests to check the items for themselves. Most of them probably won’t bother, but it’s always a good idea to offer advice, just in case a dispute later arises.

Use your copy of the inventory when you’re checking the property between guests. There are essentially four main things you’ll want to look for:

• Firstly, look at the items you expect to replace. These include things like tea bags and coffee, toilet paper, soap, shower gel and so on. Check that you have enough for the next set of guests. Don’t leave too much, as these perishable goods have a tendency to go missing!
• Secondly, count the items you should have multiples of. These include dining essentials like mugs, glasses, plates, knives, spoons and forks, as well as things like pillows and spare blankets. 
• Thirdly, check to see if anything has disappeared after your last guests. Mugs and glasses can break easily, and small items like remote controls may vanish. These items should be replaced before your next guests arrive.
• Finally, look for any signs of damage. Remember, your new guests are arriving after seeing pictures of your property online —pictures where it looks its absolute best. If they check in to find stains on the carpets or broken furniture, they will have a terrible first impression of your property.

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Using an inventory to resolve a dispute in your holiday rental

You should check your property as soon as possible after guests leave, even if you don’t have anyone new coming to stay for a few weeks. The quicker you go through the checks, the sooner you’ll see if there are any issues.

Remember, when it comes to disputes, prevention is better than cure. That’s why you should ensure that your guests sign a rental agreement when they arrive. Ideally, the agreement should make reference to your inventory. That’s also why it’s a good idea to encourage your guests to read the inventory and check it for themselves. Tell them that, if they find anything is not as it should be, they should contact you right away.

If you find something has gone missing or is damaged after your guest’s stay, get in touch with them as soon as possible. You may be able to sort out the matter together. However, be prepared for guests to deny responsibility. In this case, you should ensure you’re familiar with the policies of the holiday rental platform that you use. They will often be able to help you resolve the issue in a timely and satisfactory way.

A holiday rental inventory is not a particularly exciting part of being a landlord, but it can really help when you’re in a sticky situation. Make sure you keep yours up to date and use it regularly. You may find you never even need it to resolve a dispute with guests, but if you do, you’ll be very glad it’s there.

To summarise

As you can see from the ideas and suggestions we’ve provided throughout this article, it’s very important that, as the owner of a holiday rental, you carry out an inventory of the main furniture, equipment and objects in your holiday home. As well as helping to protect your possessions and assess their wear and tear, in the event of a dispute with your guests, this is a way of proving your word and ensuring a swifter, more peaceful and effective resolution of the situation.

With Holidu’s support in promoting your property and practices like this that guarantee its protection, you’ll have no worries and will be able to make the most of your property.

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