Holiday rental furnishing checklist: what to buy, room by room

Furnishing a holiday rental is not the same as furnishing a home. Guests arrive tired, use everything hard for a week and leave. They notice a few things immediately: the bed, the shower, the light, the view, how clean and calm the rooms feel. Everything else they notice only when it is missing or broken. This checklist is built around that reality.

It covers furniture and equipment. Registration, categorisation, taxes and safety requirements for renting to guests in Croatia are a separate subject with specific rules; check them with your local tourist board and an accountant before you open. Our guide to renting out your villa in Croatia gives an overview.

Before you buy anything

• Decide who your guests are. Couples, families with small children and groups of friends need different beds, tables and storage.
• Measure every room. Including door widths and stairs. Furniture that cannot get in is the most expensive mistake.
• Choose one palette. A calm, consistent look photographs better and makes small apartments feel larger.
• Plan for cleaning. Every surface will be wiped hundreds of times. Choose finishes that can take it.
• Spend on what is touched. Mattresses, chairs, door handles, taps. Save on what is only looked at.

Bedroom

• Good mattresses, one per sleeping place, with protectors.
• Two pillows per guest, ideally in two firmnesses.
• Light summer duvets and a warmer option for spring and autumn.
• At least two full sets of bed linen per bed, so one is always in the laundry.
• Blackout curtains or shutters that really close.
• A bedside table and a reading light on each side, with a socket nearby.
• A wardrobe or open rail with enough hangers, plus somewhere for a suitcase.
• A mirror where guests can see themselves full length.

The bed is the one place not to compromise. Reviews mention sleep more often than almost anything else. Our article on hotel-level sleep in guest bedrooms goes deeper.

Bathroom

• A shower with good pressure and a screen that keeps water in.
• Two towels per guest plus beach towels, in a colour that hides wear.
• Hooks, not just rails: guests always need more places to hang things.
• A shelf or cabinet for toiletries, and a bin with a lid.
• Good light at the mirror and a socket for a hairdryer, plus the hairdryer.
• Bathroom furniture that tolerates steam and splashes. Particleboard cabinets swell at the edges within a season or two; plywood with sealed edges lasts far longer.

Kitchen

• A fridge with a freezer compartment, a hob, an oven or combination microwave.
• A kettle, a toaster and a coffee maker that suits local coffee.
• Pans in two or three sizes, a large pot for pasta, a frying pan.
• A sharp knife, a chopping board, a corkscrew and a bottle opener.
• Plates, bowls and glasses for every guest plus a few spares, including wine glasses.
• Basic supplies: oil, salt, washing-up liquid, sponges, bin bags.
• A dining table where everyone can sit at once.

Living room

• A sofa that seats the full number of guests, with washable covers.
• A coffee table at the right height and with rounded corners if you host families.
• Layered light: a ceiling light, at least one floor or table lamp, warm bulbs.
• Reliable Wi-Fi and a clear note with the password.
• A few books, local guides and board games for a rainy day.

Terrace and outdoor space

• An outdoor table and chairs for every guest.
• Sun loungers if there is a pool or a garden.
• Shade: a parasol, an awning or a pergola.
• Outdoor lights for the evening, and a drying rack for swimwear.
• Furniture and cushions that can stay outside or be stored easily.

Families with children

• A cot and a high chair, available on request.
• Covers for sockets and guards for stairs or terraces where needed.
• Plastic or enamel plates and cups alongside the glassware.
• Blackout for children's rooms, so afternoon naps are possible in July.

Laundry and storage for the owner

Guests never see the cupboard where linen, spare pillows, cleaning products and replacement glasses live, but your cleaner depends on it every changeover. A lockable owner's cupboard, with shelves sized for folded linen, saves time on every turnaround and keeps spare stock out of reach. A washing machine is useful for longer stays, and an outdoor drying rack for towels and swimwear is a must on the coast.

Small things guests always mention

• Enough sockets by the bed and a few USB chargers.
• An iron and board, or a steamer.
• A first-aid kit and a torch.
• A welcome note with house rules, rubbish collection and local tips.
• Spare light bulbs and batteries where the cleaner can find them.

Spend on what guests touch: mattresses, chairs, taps and handles. Save on what they only look at.

Where it pays to spend more

Cheap furniture is a false economy in a rental. A bedside table or a kitchen unit that is used by dozens of different people every season, in a humid coastal climate, will show its weaknesses quickly: swollen edges, loose hinges, doors that no longer close. Replacing it mid-season costs more than the saving. Lampisa, our partner atelier, builds in plywood, never particleboard, so screws and hinges keep holding after years of use and the furniture can be repaired rather than thrown away. With the from moodboard to render service you see the whole apartment in 3D before it is made. Read more in furnishing a villa that survives the season.