If you want to rent out your home on Airbnb, an essential step is choosing the right furniture to set your listing apart. Today's travelers have high expectations when choosing a place to stay—they're looking for a memorable experience.
Your furniture and décor are the first things your Airbnb guests will notice when they enter your rental, so it's crucial to create a cozy and inviting atmosphere to make a positive first impression.
Wondering how to furnish your Airbnb to wow your guests? In this guide, we'll discuss how to fill your rental space with stylish and comfortable Airbnb furniture and ensure a stellar guest experience.
Choosing the Best Airbnb Furniture: Things to Consider
Well-chosen Airbnb furniture and styling play a significant role in ensuring your guests have a stay that exceeds their expectations. Happy guests are more likely to leave glowing reviews and 5-star Airbnb ratings that can help you win more bookings and become a successful host.
Managing an Airbnb property requires commitment and can consume significant time, but the good news is that you can automate your repetitive hosting tasks using vacation rental software like Hospitable.
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So, how do you create a beautifully furnished space to leave a lasting impression on your guests? Here are things you should remember when deciding how to furnish your Airbnb rental.
Understand your target guests
The first step for hosts is to identify their target audience and consider their preferences when deciding on the best Airbnb furniture. What type of travelers do you want to attract to your rental space? Are they business travelers, families with children, couples on romantic getaways, or maybe backpackers? Each of these demographics has their own needs and preferences. For example,
- Business travelers will appreciate a well-equipped workspace with a suitable desk, an ergonomic chair, other office essentials, fast Wi-Fi, and adequate lighting.
- Families often look for comfortable living areas and kid-friendly furniture like convertible sofas and bunk beds. If you want to offer a kid-friendly Airbnb rental, consider adding cribs and high chairs.
- Couples prefer a romantic and cozy atmosphere. So consider investing in a comfortable king-sized bed with a good mattress, high-quality pillows, soft lighting, and a dining area for intimate meals to enhance their experience.
- If you cater to large groups, provide bunk beds, plenty of seating in your living room, and large dining areas.
By tailoring your furniture choices to your target guests' specific needs and preferences, you'll be able to meet their expectations, making your listing more appealing to them. This approach will also help ensure that each piece of furniture serves a purpose and is useful.
Choose Airbnb furniture that's easy to clean
Look for materials that can withstand regular use and cleaning, such as machine-washable fabrics, metals, laminated wood surfaces, and leather or faux leather upholstery. These materials also maintain their appearance over time.
Avoid delicate fabrics that may require frequent professional cleaning. Consider investing in furniture with removable and washable covers, especially if your vacation rental is pet-friendly—they make it easy to freshen up between guest stays.
Investing in easy-to-clean furniture will help you streamline your vacation rental turnover cleaning process and keep your property in top condition for each new guest. If you opt for vacation rental software like Hospitable, you can schedule cleanings and assign tasks to your team automatically based on booking information.
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Balance quality and cost
While it's tempting to opt for the most affordable furniture options, it can often lead to increased costs because of frequent replacements or repairs. Splurging on high-end furniture isn't the best idea either because guests may not treat it with the same care as you do.
So, instead, you should consider investing in quality furniture built to last without sacrificing aesthetic appeal. Look for furniture with strong construction made from sturdy materials that can withstand frequent use and offer good value for money.
Prioritize practicality over luxury. Choose high-quality materials like performance fabrics and solid wood and focus on contemporary designs to balance style and durability. This way, you'll maximize your rental's success.
Functionality is key
Consider Airbnb furniture that is aesthetically pleasing and multi-functional—this is especially important in urban spaces. When you design Airbnb with limited space, every piece of furniture in your rental property should serve a purpose, and it's even better if it can serve two or more. For example,
- A sofa bed is a versatile solution that offers a comfortable seating area for your guests to relax and socialize during the day and provides extra sleeping space when needed.
- Ottomans with built-in storage provide additional seating and a hidden storage compartment. They are perfect for storing extra pillows, blankets, and other items to keep your rental space organized and clutter-free.
- An extendable table in the dining area can be adjusted to accommodate more guests when needed.
Setting up your first vacation rental isn't that simple—there are many things to consider and countless decisions to make. To help you get started, we've created a comprehensive guide on preparing your property for short-term rental guests. Download for free!
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Airbnb Furniture Checklist
So, what furniture does your Airbnb need? It all depends on your specific rental property, although some Airbnb furniture essentials like a bed or a couch are must-haves for every STR.
Here is an Airbnb furniture checklist organized by room to help you ensure you're not missing out on any guest essentials.
Bedroom furniture and accessories are dependent on the target guests, but at the very least, you will need the following items in your Airbnb:
- Bed with a nice headboard
- Mattress (at least 8" thick)
- Bedsides tables
- Dresser or closet with shelving and hangers
- Full-length mirror
- Floor lamps or table lamps
- Iron and ironing board
- Arts and rugs (optional)
The living room is a versatile space that Airbnb guests use to hang out, relax, or work, so make it inviting and include such furniture items and amenities as
- Couch or sofa bed with pull-out mattress
- Coffee table
- End tables
- At least one floor lamp
- Armchairs or recliners
- Bookshelves
- Area rug
- Entertainment center (high-speed Wi-Fi, TV (smart), streaming services)
The kitchen is where your Airbnb guests may spend a significant portion of their time, especially if your target guests are families on vacation. So ensure you provide kitchen essentials needed to cook and serve most meals, such as appliances, tableware, utensils, and cookware. The furniture in Airbnb kitchens includes cabinets, counters, a kitchen island (if your kitchen floor plan allows for it), a dining table, and chairs (if there is no dining room).
Airbnb Furniture Ideas
As a host, you need to get creative to turn your property into something special and provide a unique experience to guests. Let's look at some ideas for the function and design of Airbnb furniture to help make your property stand out among the vast sea of Airbnb listings.
A good idea is to create a themed space. This way, you can offer your guests a place to stay and an immersive experience. An interesting theme can attract guests looking for something different and give them a reason to book your listing.
Just make sure you stick to one theme for your entire rental; otherwise, your space will feel chaotic. When choosing a theme, consider your target guests and think about themes they will love.
If you offer accommodation for families with children, a good idea is to choose themes that will attract your youngest guests. For example, OC Adventure Homes, located near Disneyland in Southern California, focuses on themes inspired by the stories and movies from Disney and Pixar in all their properties. This way, they can evoke a sense of adventure and create magical and unforgettable experiences for their guests.
Wendy Doris, who uses Hospitable's direct solution to capture direct bookings to her site, successfully designed a unique property: a Taylor Swift-themed home called Lavender Haze Playce. Each room in this home features a different album theme and picture-worthy décor, so the place is a dream for any Swiftie.
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You should also consider the location of your Airbnb and its natural surroundings and take inspiration from local sights and scenery. For example, if you own a beach house or a lake property, you can choose a coastal theme and style your rental as a nautical haven. Embrace a classic blue and white color scheme to create a serene and inviting atmosphere. Opt for white walls as a backdrop and introduce shades of blue through furniture, décor, and textiles—choose azure or navy accent pieces and striped patterns.
A smart strategy for Airbnb furniture and décor is choosing a neutral color palette with pops of color. Opt for neutral tones, such as white, gray, beige, ivory, or light brown, for larger furniture pieces like sofas, beds, and dining tables. Add colorful accents through accessories and décor items, such as throws, cushions, area rugs, green plants, and artwork.
Neutral colors have universal appeal, and your property will look inviting to a wide range of travelers with different tastes and preferences. So styling your rental this way will allow you to create a balanced and elegant atmosphere, which can help you maximize occupancy and boost your income.
A neutral color palette is also one of the critical elements of a minimalistic theme, which is all about embracing a clean and clutter-free aesthetic. You should stick to shades like white, grey, or beige to create a serene and zen-like atmosphere for your guests. These colors help create a sense of calm and tranquility and make the space appear larger.
Airbnb Furniture Tax Deduction
The cost to furnish an Airbnb varies widely based on the property size, the number of rooms, and the furniture quality. In the US, you can expect to pay $3,000 - $5,000 for Airbnb furniture if you have a small property and target budget travelers. If your home is large or you want to attract high-end travelers, you can expect to pay at least $10,000 or even $50,000 to furnish your rental.
Yet if you rent out your home or apartment to Airbnb guests for at least 14 days per year, you may also be eligible for the extra benefit of writing off some or all of your expenses related to running your STR property to reduce your taxes.
The cost you spend on buying furniture and decorations to spruce the look of your rental space is a business expense, and it is fully deductible if your property qualifies as non-personal use. However, if you or your family spend time at your Airbnb property, you can only deduct a percentage of the cost. You can calculate your allowable deductible percentage by multiplying the percentage of rental days by the percentage of the area rented.
Armchairs, couches, sofas, beds for all your guests, and even artwork and décor pieces can all go into the Airbnb furniture tax deduction bag. But remember that you need to keep all the receipts and invoices for accounting purposes.
Final Thought
Furnishing your rental space is one of the most critical steps when outfitting your Airbnb with everything guests need. Today's travelers expect a comfortable, attractive, and well-equipped rental space that feels like a home away from home. That's why it's important to remember your ideal guests when picking out your Airbnb furniture and opt for pieces that balance style, comfort, quality, and cost.
