Hotels have solved a lot of small problems for you: shampoo appears, towels are replaced, and if you forgot a razor someone at the desk has one. A rental hands all of that back.
The trade is worth it — a kitchen, a washing machine, and three times the space — but the packing list is genuinely different, and it's different in ways people only discover on day one.
The washing machine changes everything
If the property has laundry, and most do, you can pack for roughly four days regardless of how long you're staying.
For a ten-day trip that's the difference between a checked bag and a carry-on, and between arriving with three outfits you'll never wear and arriving light. Confirm the laundry exists before you rely on this — then actually use it mid-stay rather than heroically carrying ten days of clothing.
Ask what's already there
One message to the owner before you travel prevents most of the annoyance:
"Before we pack — could you tell me what's provided? Specifically: beach towels, hairdryer, coffee maker and what type, laundry detergent, basic pantry items like oil and salt, and whether there's a grill."
Owners answer this happily, and the reply usually saves you a shopping trip.
What rentals reliably have
Don't pack these:
- Bath towels and bed linen (almost always)
- Cookware, plates, cutlery, glasses
- Refrigerator, oven, microwave
- Iron and board
- Basic cleaning supplies
- Wi-Fi
What rentals reliably don't have
This is the useful part of the list.
Toiletries. No little bottles. Shampoo, conditioner, soap, and whatever else you use — bring it or buy it on arrival.
Enough toilet paper. Owners typically leave a starter supply for a day or two. Buy more on the first grocery run rather than discovering the shortfall at an inconvenient moment.
Beach towels. Bath towels are provided; beach towels frequently aren't, and using white bath towels on sand is how you lose a deposit. Ask.
Pantry staples. Cooking oil, salt, pepper, coffee filters, foil, dish soap. Most kitchens have some of this and never all of it. If you're driving, a small bag of basics from home is easier than buying full-size everything for one week.
Hairdryer. Often present, often not, and often terrible. Ask.
Paper towels, trash bags, dish sponge. Consumables run out. Assume you're buying them.
Things people forget and regret
A first-aid kit. Plasters, painkillers, antihistamine, upset-stomach tablets, anything prescription. There's no front desk at 11pm and the nearest pharmacy may be twenty minutes away and closed.
A phone charger for each person, plus a spare. Rentals have no lost-and-found drawer full of abandoned cables.
A power strip. Older houses have very few outlets in useful places.
A good knife, if you're cooking seriously for a week. Rental knives are famously bad. Wrap it properly, and check it if you're flying.
Coffee you like, and the right format for their machine — drip, pods, or a French press. Ask which they have. Bad coffee for seven mornings is a surprisingly effective mood-souring device.
A night light or plug-in, if you have small children in an unfamiliar house.
A reusable grocery bag or two. You're going to the store on day one.
For a beach rental
Sunscreen, after-sun, beach towels, a cooler bag if none is provided, sandals you don't mind ruining, and an outdoor-shower toiletry kit if there's an outdoor shower — because there usually is, and it's the single best feature of a beach house.
For a mountain or cabin rental
Layers, and more than you think — mountain evenings drop hard. Proper shoes, headlamp or flashlight, and something to do in the evening, because cell service is frequently poor and that's usually the point. Download what you want to watch before you leave.
For a stay with young children
Ask the owner what they have before you haul anything: cot or travel crib, high chair, stair gates, plastic plates. Many family-oriented rentals keep a stock of exactly this, and many listings don't mention it. One question can save you a car full of equipment.
Groceries: plan the first twenty-four hours
The single most common rental mistake is arriving at 6pm on a Saturday to an empty fridge in an unfamiliar town.
Either stop at a store on the way in, or bring enough for the first breakfast. Something for dinner on arrival night, coffee and breakfast for the morning, and whatever the children will refuse to sleep without. Do the proper shop the next day when you've seen the kitchen and know what's already in the cupboards.
What to do in the first hour
Not packing, but worth knowing: take photos of the property when you arrive, including anything already damaged, and send them to the owner the same day. It takes five minutes and it is the best protection your deposit has.
Then find the fuse box, the water shut-off, and the thermostat instructions. Ten minutes of orientation on arrival is worth an hour of confusion at 11pm.
Browse properties advertised by their owners. Every listing carries the owner's own contact details — so ask what's provided before you pack. Browse listings →
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