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Prepping for the Rental Season: Tips for Homeowners

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Homeowner Resources

Lara Hanson
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Cleaning, Cleaning Equipment

Here are some tips that will make for the most enjoyable stay for your guests:

Connect With and Update Vendor Contacts with Fisher

Without question,  this may be the most critical piece for the upcoming season.  Not only have many caretakers, builders, cleaners and service people not been able to work in recent weeks, they are going to be busier than ever trying to tend to all of their clients as the summer season approaches.  This will be in addition to them likely having a very lean staff in the current environment, and possibly facing specific protocols for number of employees in vehicle or on a property.  While we await specific protocol on when short-term rentals can begin, and what the protocols may be, we suggest that you reach out to all of the service persons who assist you with your Nantucket property to be sure they will be able to accommodate your needs in a timely fashion.  Please contact us if you have changes to your service vendors, such as cleaners, caretaker, trash pickup days, etc.

Stocking Your Cleaning Supplies

The Nantucket Board of Health has approved a list of approved cleaning guidelines.  Click here to read the PDF as of May 19th, 2020.

Place bulk orders for cleaning supplies and paper products as restocking in the middle of the summer can be challenging. Order now as some supplies have been limited or back-ordered, such as cleaning wipes, paper products, and other disinfectants. Items we often see depleted by mid-summer are dishwasher soap/tabs, laundry detergent, paper products, and trash bags (remember that we can only use clear plastic bags on the island!). Some homeowners have found that utilizing one closet specifically for rental supplies (in addition to their owner closet) has streamlined their rental process. They can leave their cleaning team a list of what to put out for each new guest to keep things stocked and organized. 

Basic Necessities for the Kitchen & Bath

For kitchens and baths, think of general items you would need on a typical day, such as hand soap, bar soap for showers, liquid dish soap, sponges, aluminum foil, plastic wrap, ziplock bags, coffee filters, salt and pepper, olive oil, and basic spices. Over the course of the season, condiments and other non-single-use foods find their way into the kitchen, and can remain and be used at guests’ discretion.

Checking Appliances & Grills

Appliance-wise, remember to stock a few extras of longer lasting items like light bulbs and batteries for TV remotes. Ensure that gas grill tanks are full and have a spare tank handy. Keep a few bags of charcoal, lighter fluid, and grill lighters on hand for charcoal grills. If using window air conditioning units, ensure that they are operative and installed before the first renter of the season, and that filters are cleaned before the season.

Leaving Helpful Notes for Tenants

Finally, adding notes for operation of televisions, audio systems like Sonos, thermostats, and door alarms is helpful for guests. Further, for properties with pools and spas, include clear directions on operation of electric covers and thermostats. Fisher provides guests with information and instructions for WIFI, trash pickup, recycling, and check out, but extra instructions on anything specific to your house are very helpful.

 

Written By

Lara Hanson

An 8th generation Nantucketer, Lara's roots trace back through several historic whaling families, most notably the Starbucks. Growing up on the island...