Owner’s Closets | Setting Up a Top Notch Supply Closet for Your Short Term Rental Property

Creating an owner’s closet for your short-term rental property can be a valuable asset in managing your business effectively. This dedicated space provides a secure area to store personal belongings, cleaning supplies and spare items for your property. The owner’s closet plays a crucial role in maintaining your property, ensuring that you have the necessary supplies readily available, while also keeping the rental space clutter-free and visually appealing for your guests. In this article we will guide you through the process of setting up an owner’s closet that is functional, efficient and well organized for you and your housekeeping team.

Why a Well Planned Owner’s Closet for your Short-term Rental Matters.

A well-organized owner’s closet is a must-have for your short-term rental business. First, it gives you a dedicated, secure space for storing your personal belongings and essential supplies. Doing so prevents clutter in guest areas, enhancing the overall guest experience. Secondly, it ensures you always have necessary items at your (or your housekeeper’s) fingertips, from spare linens to cleaning products, reducing stress and saving time during turnovers.

By storing items in a secure location, you minimize the risk of accidental damage or loss. Lastly, an owner’s closet can serve as a personal touch, allowing you to maintain a connection to your property even when you are not present. It’s a versatile tool that elevates not only property management but also guest satisfaction.

Choose a Designated Area

When choosing a designated area for your owner’s closet, consider the following tips. First, select a space that is not immediately noticeable or disruptive to your guests. This could be a spare closet, a basement area, a cupboard under the stairs or even a lockable cabinet. Ensure that this space is easily accessible for you, your housekeeper or property manager.

Location is critical; it’s preferable to choose an area near the main living spaces for quick and easy access during turnovers. Lastly, consider the size of the closet. It should be large enough to store all necessary items but compact enough not to take away valuable guest space. Remember, the goal is to provide an unobtrusive but functional storage solution.

Include Supplies that Housekeepers Need the Most

When stocking your owner’s closet, prioritize items that will make housekeeping easy and efficient. These items will include extra linens, such as bed sheets, comforters and towels. Having a backup supply of clean, good-quality linens can come in handy if a guest or housekeeper has a need for them.

Cleaning supplies are another essential category that you need to maintain. Keeping basic items like brooms, mops, vacuum cleaners and cleaning solutions stocked will help expedite turnovers and reduce trips to the store. Remember to keep a healthy supply of toiletries on hand as well if you provide those to guests.

Consider stocking extra rolls of toilet paper, paper towels, a small first-aid kit for emergency situations and even personal items you like to use.

Finally, it may be beneficial to include a small toolbox with basic tools such as a screwdriver, wrench and hammer. These can be incredibly useful for minor repairs or adjustments.

Post Housekeeping Instructions in Your Owner’s Closet

One simple yet super effective tactic to ensure your housekeeping team stays on task is to post your turnover/cleaning instructions prominently inside your owner’s closet. This way housekeepers can review the list for your particular property each time they clean. We do this ourselves and it works wonderfully. Remember, housekeepers might be cleaning numerous properties each week. So by providing your owner personal preferences for turnovers and cleaning to housekeepings, you are ensuring your cleaning crew does not miss important details.

Consider a Keyless Lock for Easy, Problem Free Access to your Owner’s Closet

Installing a keyless entry system for your owner’s closet can significantly streamline the process of accessing stored items. Keypad locks offer a higher degree of security, convenience and control. With a keyless entry system, you eliminate the risk of lost or misplaced keys, making it easier for you or housekeeping to access the closet at any time.

In terms of security, it gives you the ability to change codes frequently, minimizing the risk of unauthorized access. Moreover, some keyless systems provide access logs, enabling you to monitor closet access and by whom. Remember, however, to choose a system that is reliable and easy to use, ensuring hassle-free access to your storage space.

Keep Special Guest Touches on Hand in Your Owner’s Closet

Including special touches like a welcome baskets, coffee or Kcups and snacks can make your guests feel valued and appreciated, often enhancing their first impression and overall experience. Many hosts will prepare these small amenities ahead of time and keep them in the owner’s closet, with housekeeping putting one out prior to the next guest arriving.

Consider local products for an extra touch of thoughtfulness, as your guests may be new to the area. You can also keep season items in your owner’s closet – think sunscreen, beach towels for summer rentals or a bottle of champagne for New Year’s Eve bookings.

These special touches not only surprise and delight your guests, they also reflect positively on your property, potentially leading to better reviews and repeat bookings. Remember, it’s often the smallest gestures that make the biggest difference in your short term rental business.

Must-Haves to Have on Hand in Your Owner’s Closet

You want to ensure you stock your owner’s closet with necessities like toilet paper, paper towels, dish soap, laundry detergent and cleaning supplies will make housekeeping much more efficient and eliminate emergency runs to the store. Also, in an absolute emergency, you could provide a guest with a code to your owner’s closet to retrieve an important item. We’ll address giving guests access to your owner’s closet a bit later in this article.

As a short term rental host you can save money by purchasing these key items in bulk, then storing them in your owner’s closet. Costco, Walmart and Amazon are good sources for purchasing in bulk. In addition, you can ship items directly to your housekeeping team or property manager. We do this all the time and it works great.

A good rule of thumb is to have at least a one month’s supply of items on hand in your owner’s closet, based on your occupancy rate each month. Now, bulky items like paper towels tend to take up space, so organization is key in your closet.

Utilize Labels in Your Owner’s Closet to Expedite Housekeeping

Organizing your owner’s closet with clear labels makes it easier for housekeepers to maintain order and restock supplies. Start by grouping similar items together in designated areas or containers within the closet. For example, you can store all cleaning supplies in one bin, while linens might occupy a separate shelf.

Once you’ve decided on your organization system, create visible, easy-to-read labels indicating what each area or container holds. These can be as simple as handwritten tags or as sophisticated as printed labels, depending on your preference. Don’t forget to label any items that might not be immediately recognizable, such as spare parts or specialty cleaning products.

Also, try utilizing markers to indicate where items go after use. If you use a certain stack method for towels, for instance, a marker could demonstrate this to the housekeeper.

This labeled system will serve as a visual guide for housekeepers, allowing them to quickly identify and replenish low stock items or return used supplies to their designated spots. This not only ensures that everything is where it should be for the next guest, but also saves valuable time during property turnovers.

As short term rental hosts ourselves, we can attest to the fact that organization is key in your owner’s closet. It doesn’t take long for items to become a mess if you don’t have some basic organization in place. Remember that housekeeping may be short on time in turning over a short term rental, so assisting them in finding items is always a good idea.

Add Shelves and Hooks for Organizing Items In Your Owner’s Closet

If you have the room to do it, adding a shelving system inside your owner’s closet will definitely improve the organization and storage capacity of the space. Shelves offer a convenient way to categorize and store items. You can separate linens from cleaning supplies, or designate certain shelves for specific types of products, ensuring a neat and structured storage system. You can find sturdy plastic shelving units at most home improvemen centers or on Amazon and they won’t break the bank.

In addition, you can place hooks strategically to hang items such as cleaning tools, bags or even keys, keeping them easily accessible and off the floor. Always remember to install sturdy hooks and shelves that can withstand the weight of the items they’ll hold. Not only will these additions maximize the space in the closet, but they also make it easier for both the guests and the housekeeping staff to locate and access necessary items.

Tracking and Monitoring Supplies in Your Owner’s Closet

Having a tracking system in place to monitor supplies that are running low is an efficient way to ensure that your owner’s closet is always well-stocked and ready for guests. This could be a simple checklist where items are ticked off once they’re below a certain quantity, or a digital inventory management system that automatically alerts you when supplies are dwindling.

Regularly updating and reviewing this tracking system allows you to promptly order or purchase replenishments, avoiding any inconvenience to your guests due to shortage of essential items. Furthermore, over time, this system could provide valuable insights into usage patterns, enabling you to adjust your stock levels more accurately, based on actual demand. Remember, being attentive to such details can greatly enhance the guest experience, leading to positive reviews and repeat bookings.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the setup of your owner’s closet is an important part of managing a holiday rental property. From adding personalized welcome baskets and stocking up on basic necessities, to organizing with labels, markers, hooks, and shelves and keeping track of your inventory, every detail contributes to ensuring a seamless and enjoyable stay for your guests. An efficient, well-stocked, and organized owner’s closet is an effective way to enhance guest satisfaction and make a lasting impression. Always remember, when it comes to hospitality, the devil is truly in the details, and a well-managed owner’s closet can make all the difference.