Back to Blog

How to Set Up an Owner's Closet for Your Airbnb

An Airbnb owner's closet is a locked storage space at the property that holds backup supplies, spare linen, cleaning products and small tools, so your cleaner can restock and fix small problems without leaving mid turnover. To set one up, pick a lockable space, sort it into labeled zones, set a minimum and reorder point for every item and give your cleaner a simple way to report what is running low.

My first listing had no owner's closet. Supplies lived in the trunk of my car, and every turnover depended on me remembering to drop them off. The day I put a keypad lock on a hall closet and stocked it properly, turnovers stopped depending on my memory.

Pick the right space

Any lockable space works. Common choices:

• A hall or linen closet with a keyed or keypad lock
• A lockable cabinet in the laundry room
• A section of the garage with a locked storage unit
• A lockable storage ottoman or bench in small units with no closet

What matters:

1. It locks. Guests should not be able to reach backup stock, tools or chemicals.
2. It is dry. Linen and paper goods stored in a damp space pick up smells and mildew.
3. It is close to where the work happens. A closet near the bathrooms and laundry saves your cleaner a lot of walking.
4. It is big enough for your par levels. Linen for a large home takes more space than people expect.

Tell guests in your house manual that a locked closet is for owner use. Hiding a locked door from guests tends to make them curious.

What to store

Linen

• Clean bed sets for every bed size, bundled by set
• Clean towel sets per guest
• Bath mats, dish towels and spare pillows
• Spare mattress and pillow protectors
• Extra blankets

Your linen count should match your par levels. See how many sets of sheets and towels an Airbnb needs.

Guest consumables

• Toilet paper and paper towels
• Hand soap, body wash, shampoo and conditioner refills
• Dish soap and dishwasher tablets
• Trash bags in every size you use
• Coffee, filters or pods, tea and sugar if you provide them
• Tissues and any small extras you offer

The full refill list is in the Airbnb restocking checklist.

Cleaning supplies

• The products your cleaner uses, if you supply them
• Microfiber cloths in separate colors for bathroom and kitchen
• Vacuum bags or filters, mop heads, spare sponges
• Gloves

See the Airbnb cleaning supplies list for the full kit.

Maintenance and small fixes

• Light bulbs in every type the home uses
• Batteries for remotes, locks, scales and alarms
• A basic tool kit: screwdriver, pliers, tape measure, picture hooks
• Plunger (one per bathroom is better, but a spare belongs here)
• Furnace or air filters in the right size
• Replacement shower heads, drain stoppers or hair catchers
• A few spare mugs, glasses and plates for breakages

Admin

• A printed copy of the checklist and the stocked shelf photo
• Spare keys or backup lock instructions, if your setup allows it safely
• Appliance manuals in a folder

Organize it so anyone can use it

Your closet should make sense to a backup cleaner who has never been there before.

1. Zone the shelves. Linen on one shelf, consumables on another, tools and maintenance in a bin on the floor.
2. Label everything. Shelf labels by bed size and item make restocking fast and stop mixups.
3. Use clear bins. You can see what is running low at a glance.
4. Post the minimum on the shelf. "Toilet paper: keep 12 rolls. Reorder at 6."
5. Front and back rotation. New stock goes to the back so older stock gets used first.
6. Take a photo of the fully stocked closet and tape it inside the door. That photo becomes the standard.

Set minimums and reorder points

Every item gets two numbers.

Fill in your own numbers based on guest count and how often you turn over. A two bedroom home with frequent short stays goes through consumables faster than a larger home with week long bookings.

Worked example (illustration only)

These numbers are made up to show the method.

A host notices the cleaner uses about four rolls of toilet paper per bathroom per turnover and there are around three turnovers a week across two bathrooms. That is roughly 24 rolls a week. The host keeps 36 rolls in the closet and reorders at 24, so there is always a week of cover while the order arrives.

Keep it stocked without visiting

The closet is only useful if it stays full. A few habits make that possible from anywhere:

• End of turnover report. Your cleaner lists anything below the reorder point in the same place every time, such as a shared note or your turnover app.
• Recurring delivery for the fast movers, shipped straight to the property on days a cleaner is there.
• Monthly count. Your cleaner or a co host counts everything against the minimums once a month.
• Watch for shrinkage. If supplies drop faster than guest count explains, look at the lock and who has access.

If you manage from another city, see how to manage Airbnb cleaners when you live far away.

Security and safety

• Use a keypad lock and change the code if a cleaner leaves.
• Keep chemicals in their original containers, with labels, and away from food.
• Store anything flammable according to its label.
• Do not store valuables you would be upset to lose.

Seeing the results in the home

A well stocked closet only helps if the stock actually makes it into the rooms. Clyn gives you a way to confirm that without driving over. Your cleaner photographs each room in the Clyn app before leaving, and the AI checks the photos against your standard, flagging an empty holder, a missing towel or an unmade bed while there is still time to fix it.

FAQ

What is an owner's closet on Airbnb?

It is a locked space at the property where the host keeps backup supplies, linen, cleaning products and tools that guests cannot access.

Do I need to tell guests about the locked closet?

It helps to mention in your house manual that one closet is reserved for the owner. For anything you may need to disclose in your listing, check the current rules in the Airbnb Help Center.

How much should I keep in the owner's closet?

Enough to cover your turnovers until the next delivery arrives, plus a spare. Set a minimum and a reorder point for each item and adjust after a month.

If you want every turnover checked before check in, you can try Clyn free on one property at clyn.com.