19 Oct Kitchenettes for Airbnb and Self-Catering Units

Guests who book a self-catering unit expect to be able to cook, even if it is only breakfast and a simple supper.

For Airbnb hosts, guesthouse owners and landlords with flatlets, a good kitchenette is a small investment that makes a unit feel properly equipped. It also has to survive constant turnover. Here is how to plan a compact kitchenette that is easy to keep clean and easy to repeat across several units.

What a guest kitchenette needs

Guests need four things: a sink, some worktop, somewhere to keep crockery and food, and room for small appliances such as a kettle and microwave. Our 1350mm Contractors Kitchenette with sink covers all of that in one unit. If you want to pick your own sink, the sink-excluded version is the same kitchenette without one.

For the tightest spaces, the 800mm Contractors sink unit fits a small corner. The Contractor 600 shelf unit adds a home for dry goods and crockery, and wall units above the worktop take glasses and mugs.

Think about the guest’s first evening, too. They arrive tired, want to make tea and find a clean glass. A kitchenette with obvious places for everything, and enough worktop to put a bag of groceries down, makes a unit feel welcoming without any extra styling.

Durable, low-maintenance finishes

Short-stay guests use a kitchen hard, and that is not a criticism, it is simply how holiday units work.

Choose finishes that wipe clean and take knocks. Our units are made from A-grade melamine-faced board with PVC edging, and the doors have impact edging. If you are deciding between finishes, our comparison of PVC wrap vs melamine cupboard doors will help.

We also have a post on kitchen cupboards for rental properties with more on finishes that survive tenant turnover.

Fitting out several units

Many hosts run more than one unit, whether that is a row of garden flats, a guesthouse or a handful of flatlets.

Standard sizes help here. You can order matching kitchenettes, fit them the same way each time and replace a damaged unit without redesigning anything. We deliver nationwide, so location is not a barrier.

If you are converting space, see how it works in our posts on a garage to granny flat conversion, the DIY flatlet kitchen and the express kitchen range for modern flats and offices. Our standalone kitchenettes round-up lists the full range.

Check the rules before you build

Fitting a kitchenette is the easy part. Hosts should also check local short-term rental rules, zoning, tax and insurance. Airbnb’s page on hosting responsibilities in South Africa covers health and cleanliness, taxes, short-term rental rules and insurance, though it is general information and not legal advice.

If you want your unit star-graded, the Tourism Grading Council of South Africa grades self-catering accommodation, so it is worth seeing what graded establishments offer.

Furnishing guest units? SHOP KITCHENETTES today.