To Condiment, or Not to Condiment...

When owning a short-term rental, you want to ensure your guests have a great stay. From comfy beds to decorating, right down to the condiments provided in your kitchen - all of these factors impact your guest’s experience.  The debate about what condiments to provide in your short-term rental is surprisingly saturated with opinions. We’ll break down the different approaches and things to consider when stocking condiments in your rental.

Kitchen staples provide convenience and ease for your guests. 

Let’s be honest - who wants to buy salt and pepper on their holiday? When shopping for ingredients, many guests won’t think to buy the bare essentials (salt, pepper, oil etc) - and nor should they! 

At Guest Realty we require you to provide salt, pepper, and cooking oil for your guests. Providing these kitchen supplies saves your guests the headache of shopping for these staples. Also consider the fact that most condiments are only available to purchase in sizes much larger than what a couple or family require for a few weeks. Bottom line - it just makes sense to stock these basics in your short-term rental. 

How much is enough?

We think it’s a lovely touch to provide condiments like tea, honey or spices in your kitchen. It can add comfort and make your guests feel more at home. When providing these extra supplies there are a few things to consider:

• Expiry Dates: Picture this, you’re a guest and have just arrived at your holiday home. You do a quick check of the kitchen before buying some groceries and are delighted to see various spices available for cooking. It’s only once you begin cooking you realise - the dried herbs and spices are so old they’re stuck inside the bottle! If you want to provide some herbs and spices, be judicious and stick to a few basics. This will help make sure guests can enjoy them, and that they don’t sit in the back of a cupboard, waiting for the expiry date to creep by. 

• Hygiene: Things like sauces and jams can be messy. Traces of tomato sauce can dry and become stuck in the nozzle, guests might dip their knife in butter and then the jam, leaving residue among the berry goodness. No one wants to eat spoiled food. If you’re committed to making your short-term rental feel like a home, there’s still ways to do it! We recommend providing single serve sachets and packets of whatever you want to provide. Teabags, biscuits, honey - these are much more likely to be used if guests are certain they’re safe to eat. 

• Restocking: When you introduce new supplies into the kitchen for your guests, you also introduce some more work for yourself. Expiry dates need to be checked, more supplies need to be restocked, compromised supplies need to be discarded and replaced… We love when short-term rental owners add some touches to make their houses feel like homes. We also encourage our owners to be pragmatic and consider what they value and if providing these additional condiments align with how much effort they want to dedicate to the upkeep of their short-term rental.  

At Guest Realty we facilitate positive short-term rental experiences for our guests and our property owners. We’re experts in seamless property management and our friendly team is always here to answer any questions you may have.