You are getting your apartment ready for Airbnb and the shopping list keeps growing: how many towels, which kettle, do you need a coffee machine? Good news: Airbnb states in black and white what a guest expects, and French law requires only one safety item. The rest is up to you, your budget and the kind of guest you want to welcome.
This article separates three levels: what Airbnb recommends, what the law requires, and what we suggest as hosts (marked as such, with no claim to being an official rule). It draws on pages read for the occasion: the Airbnb Help Center (essential amenities, confirming amenities, adding amenities, Wi-Fi speed test), the Airbnb Resource Center (the amenities guests want, updated on 31 August 2026) and the French government service-public.gouv.fr page on smoke detectors (checked on 13 May 2026).
Last source check: 21 October 2026. Platform rules change and your obligations depend on your property: to be checked for your situation.
Which amenities does Airbnb consider essential?
Airbnb strongly encourages hosts to provide five essentials in every listing: toilet paper, soap (for hands and body), one towel per guest, one pillow per guest and linens for every bed. This is the list from the help page "Providing essential amenities for guests".
The same page adds two useful points:
- Adjust the quantities. Airbnb advises planning for more with large groups and long stays, and suggests asking guests what they need.
- Do not tick the option without keeping your word. There is an "Essentials" category in the listing. According to Airbnb, listings that ticked it without actually providing the items can be penalized, up to removal from the platform.
The "Confirming amenities" page spells out what guests expect to freshen up and sleep well: a bed with a sheet, a blanket or duvet, and a pillow with a pillowcase per person; a working lock on the main entrance door (for an entire home); and toiletries (shampoo, body soap, hand soap) with access to a full bathroom: toilet with flush, shower or bathtub, sink, hot and cold water.
Which amenities do guests filter by most?
Guests filter their searches by amenity, so an amenity you do not advertise is a lost guest. According to the Airbnb Resource Center, these are the amenities guests search for most often: pool, free parking, Wi-Fi, air conditioning or heating, kitchen, hot tub, washer or dryer, self check-in, TV or cable, barbecue. Airbnb does not publish figures or a ranking by country here: it is a worldwide list, to be read against your own region.
For a small host with an apartment, the realistic "core" is: Wi-Fi, heating (and air conditioning if your region gets hot in summer), an equipped kitchen, a washing machine, self check-in. On that last point, see our self check-in guide.
The "Adding amenities" page insists: many guests filter their search, so adding everything you offer can increase your bookings. The categories offered in the listing are: basics, bathroom, bedroom and laundry, entertainment, family, heating and cooling, home safety, internet and office, kitchen and dining.
What room-by-room list for an entire home?
This checklist follows Airbnb's categories. The first lines come from its help pages; the rest is our suggestion as hosts, to adjust to your type of property and guests.
| Room | Must-have (Airbnb source) | Suggestion (to adapt) |
|---|---|---|
| Entrance | Working lock on the main door | Key box or code lock, entrance light |
| Bedroom | Sheet, blanket or duvet, one pillow with pillowcase per person | Spare duvet in the closet, blackout curtains, hangers |
| Bathroom | Toilet, shower or bathtub, sink, hot water, toilet paper, hand and body soap, one towel per guest, shampoo | Hair dryer, bath mat, bin with bags |
| Kitchen | "Kitchen and dining" category to fill in according to what you provide | Hob, oven or microwave, fridge, kettle, dishes for every sleeping space, dish soap, sponge |
| Living room | "Entertainment" category to fill in | Sofa, dining table, TV if you advertise it |
| Heating and air | "Heating and cooling" category to fill in | Thermostat instructions, fan or air conditioning if needed |
| Safety | Smoke detector (mandatory in France), see below | Carbon monoxide detector if there are combustion appliances, fire extinguisher, first aid kit |
| Internet and office | Wi-Fi if you advertise it | Workspace, outlets within reach |
To keep a simple stock of linens and products, see our article on cleaning between two stays; the one on 5-star reviews shows the effect of a forgotten detail.
What is the legal requirement in France: the smoke detector?
Every home must have at least one smoke detector, and for a furnished or short-term rental, the owner takes on all the obligations. According to service-public.gouv.fr, the owner installs the detector; the occupant normally maintains and replaces it, but "in some cases" the owner takes on everything: installation, maintenance, replacement. The page expressly mentions furnished rentals and seasonal accommodation.
The technical points from the same page:
- the device carries the CE marking with the reference to the NF EN 14604 standard; ionization detectors are banned;
- it runs on batteries, or on mains power with a backup supply;
- it is best placed in the hallway or landing that serves the bedrooms, fixed to the ceiling; in a studio, as far as possible from the kitchen and the bathroom;
- with several floors: one detector per floor is recommended.
Our dedicated article, the smoke detector in short-term rentals, details who does what when a concierge service manages the property. For the rest (carbon monoxide, extinguisher, first aid kit), Airbnb "strongly recommends" smoke and carbon monoxide alarms in spaces that use combustion appliances, and suggests a fire extinguisher and a first aid kit: these are platform recommendations, not the law.
If your furnished rental aims for a star rating, the Atout France grid sets its own equipment requirements; see our guide to the furnished tourist rental classification.
Wi-Fi, remote work, kids: which amenities to add depending on your guests?
Choose your amenities according to the audience you want to attract. Three profiles come up again and again:
The guest who works. The Airbnb Resource Center lists what appeals to people working remotely: fast, reliable Wi-Fi, a dedicated workspace, an ergonomic setup (laptop stand), good lighting, office supplies (pens, paper, universal charger). On Wi-Fi, Airbnb highlights listings whose speed test reaches 50 Mbit/s or more; the test is done from the Airbnb app, and you remain responsible for the accuracy of the speed shown. Our article on Wi-Fi in short-term rentals covers network security, and the one on business stays covers welcoming remote workers.
The family. Airbnb has a "family" category in its amenities. For the details (baby cot, high chair, childproofing), see our article on families with children. For screen-free evenings, see our guide to a games corner in a holiday rental.
The guest with accessibility needs. According to the Resource Center, these guests often look for a step-free entrance, fixed grab bars in the bathroom and suitable parking. Only advertise them if you have them.
How do you avoid gaps between the listing and the home?
A gap between the listing and the home should be fixed before the guest arrives. Airbnb's "Confirming amenities" page recommends rereading the listing periodically to keep it accurate and maintain good reviews. A simple method, in three steps:
- Do the inventory as a guest visit. Walk in like a guest, with the listing's list in hand, and tick every advertised amenity in the home.
- Remove what is missing, or buy it. It is better to buy the kettle than to advertise it without having it.
- Keep a dated list. Note the date of your last inventory and what you replaced. In case of damage or a dispute, this list helps; our guide on the deposit and disputes over damaged items explains why.
How will guests know how to use all of this?
An amenity the guest does not know how to use is of little value to them. A washing machine with an unusual program, an induction hob, a thermostat, roller shutters: a guest who cannot work them writes to you, or leaves a bad review. Put short instructions, with a photo, in one single place.
That is the role of the welcome booklet. With Majordia, you create the booklet without signing up, in 6 languages, and the guest opens it by scanning a QR code, with no app to install; you edit it without reprinting. Our articles on the Airbnb welcome booklet and on home automation show how to present appliances. The welcome booklet generator is part of the Essential (free, add-ons à la carte) offer.
Where to start when the budget is tight?
Equip in this order: safety and obligations first, Airbnb essentials second, the most filtered amenities third, comfort and extras last. No source here puts a figure on a typical budget: it depends on your property, on what you already own and on your region. If you are just starting out, our guide to getting started on Airbnb puts equipment within the overall launch budget.
Key takeaways
Information
- Airbnb encourages providing five essentials: toilet paper, hand and body soap, one towel and one pillow per guest, and linens for every bed.
- Only tick the "Essentials" category if you really provide them: otherwise, possible penalties, up to removal of the listing according to Airbnb.
- In France, a compliant smoke detector (NF EN 14604) is mandatory; in a furnished or short-term rental, the owner takes on installation, maintenance and replacement (service-public.gouv.fr).
- Guests filter by amenity: advertise everything you offer, and only that.
- Put the instructions in a welcome booklet that can be read on a phone.
FAQ
Which amenities are mandatory in an Airbnb listing in France?
For safety, a compliant smoke detector is mandatory in every home, according to service-public.gouv.fr. Airbnb also recommends five essentials (toilet paper, soap, one towel and one pillow per guest, bed linens). A furnished rental aiming for a star rating must meet the Atout France grid: check it for your situation.
Do I have to provide toiletries?
Airbnb recommends hand and body soap and toilet paper, and lists shampoo among the basic expectations. A guest can bring the rest; the essentials, however, must be there on arrival.
How many towels should I provide?
At least one per guest according to Airbnb, with larger quantities for groups and long stays. Keep enough to swap without waiting for the next cleaning if you host stays of several days.
Should I advertise the Wi-Fi?
If you provide it, yes: Airbnb states that if you add Internet as an amenity, your listing appears when guests filter their search by Internet. Remember to give the password exactly, capital letters and special characters included.
What do you risk by advertising an amenity you do not have?
For the "Essentials" option, Airbnb mentions possible penalties, up to removal of the listing. For other amenities, the main risk is a negative review and a complaint from the guest.
How do I keep a simple inventory?
Do a "guest" walk-through with the listing's list, note the date and what was replaced, and go through the list again each season. It is not a legal obligation for short-term rentals, but it avoids gaps between the listing and the home.
Equipped, advertised, explained
Equipping an Airbnb listing means aligning three things: what you own, what you advertise and what the guest understands. Start with safety and the five essentials, check your listing like a guest, then create your free welcome booklet to explain your appliances in 6 languages, without signing up.
Image credits. Cover: photo "A neatly made bed with a grey blanket" by Justin Ghang, Unsplash, Unsplash license. Photos in the text: "Stack of clean white towels on a surface" by Mads Leif Hansen, Unsplash, and "Modern kitchen with dining table and chairs" by Poojan Thanekar, Unsplash, Unsplash license.
