Kitchen Essentials Debate for Vacation Rental Homes

A recent video about how to stock a vacation rental kitchen for holiday guests prompted us to reach out to Housekeeping expert Steve Craig about equipping a vacation rental kitchen professionally. Allana Schroeder-Millar, founder of The Distinguished Guest (one of our favorite blogs for exceeding guest expectations in vacation rentals), posted the video below about how to stock a vacation rental kitchen for holiday travelers.

 

 
We sent the video to ProResort Housekeeping CEO Steve Craig asking if this was normal in the professional vacation rental management industry.

“A well-stocked vacation rental should have most of this, but very few will have the potato ricer, meat thermometer, and turkey baster,” said Craig. “And most of all almost none will have a roasting pan. There are companies like Brindley Beach that put a free aluminum pan in each unit over both Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays.”

–Note: When I worked at Kaiser Realty, we also included roasting pans with with the Kaiser’s favorite holiday recipe for holiday rentals.

Steve Craig sent the following list of minimum standard kitchen inventory for vacation rentals.

“The way I use it is to pass out a copy to all with input (Head of Housekeeping, property managers, owner of the company), and they add or delete. We then get together and debate and come up with a final plan,” said Craig.

 

Minimum Standard Kitchen Inventory

 

Dinnerware:  1.5 per occupant: dinner plate, salad plate, coffee mug, soup bowl

Flatware:

• 1.5  per occupant: dinner fork, salad fork, teaspoon, soup spoon, dinner knife
• 1.5 per occupant: water glass, rocks glass, wine glass
• 1.0 per occupant:   steak knives
• Set of 6 various sized cutting knives

Utensils (1 each): 

• Bottle opener
• Corkscrew, wing type
• Vegetable peeler
• Pancake turner
• Colander
• Measuring cup (2-cup size), glass

 

General:

• Kitchen scissors
• Measuring spoon set
• Cutting board (not wooden). Lexan preferred
• 6 various sized food storage containers with lids
• Dish drainer/dish rack
• Wooden spoons (2)
• Mixing bowls: 3 various sizes, metal or glass or plastic
• Large solid spoon
• Large slotted spoon
• Spatula
• Cookie sheet
• Hand can opener
• Ice trays (minimum 4) if no ice maker
• 2 quart juice pitcher w/lid

 

Cookware:

• 4 various sized saucepans with lids, stainless steel only. No aluminum allowed
• 1 small skillet with lid (stainless steel)
• 1 large skillet with lid (stainless steel)
• 1 quality non-stick skillet with lid for eggs.
• Tea kettle, whistle type, not aluminum
• 1 broiler pan
• 2 glass/ceramic casserole dishes with lids
• Blender with glass carafe
• 4 slot Wide slot toaster. 2 if occupancy exceeds 10
• Drip coffeemaker with auto timer and auto shutoff, minimum 12 cups. Two if occupancy exceeds 10

 

Other:

• Kitchen size waste basket
• Broom, dust pan, mop, mop bucket

 

Prohibited:     Toaster ovens

 

Here is the entire house inventory list: Minimum Standard Inventory Vacation Rentals

 

By Amy Hinote