Do you expect sheets and towels to be provided by host?

Yeah, for me it is unacceptable, but it is a very common practice e.g. in Norway or Finland. I was there multiple times, when me and my family have booked the whole cottage and every time we had to take towels and bedclothes. That was really odd feeling when the bag with bedclothes are much bigger than the bag with skiing equipment;)

OMG, make up on the white towels is my unsolved problem. We even give our guest cotton disks and other hygiene items as a free amenity, but they wonā€™t use them even if I specifically ask them. I take all of my bedclothes to the laundry, but as they said they need to wash the towels multiple times to make them white again.

You need to stop spamming our forum.

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Itā€™s the same culture in Ontario. Canada, cottage country. Most places provide blankets and comforters, you bring towels, sheets. I provide sheets but not towels. I like to offer the guests more of a vacation, in that they donā€™t have to make the beds when they come. Also, Iā€™m afraid of what my mattresses would suffer if guestā€™s didnā€™t bring sheets. As for towels, I canā€™t afford to invest in a pile of new towels, and then there is the laundry cost. Another downside re towels as water sports and, boating are popular, Iā€™d expect to lose towels if guestā€™s took them to the beach and forgot them. People drive to my place, if they forget to bring towels I have supplied them without charge, but I couldnā€™t supply towels for 6 people.

This is also common in the Adirondacks and Cape Cod, although I think it is changing with the spread of home sharing sites like Air. But you still find it.

Very few places on the Cape do not provide linens. As you say, that was common in the past, but no longer.

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Hotels charge high rates so they can handle a high turn over for towels or sheets. They also buy in bulk and at a lower price therefore.

Many many coastal vacation rentals along the boardwalk of Dewey Beach, Rehoboth, etc., do not provide linen and towels. Guests must bring them or rent them for their stay. (Beds are displayed with spreads or comforters but thereā€™s no linen.)

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2 things:
a. Some places the culture/tradition is to bring your own linen and/or towels. It can be (most often) to save money or it can be because the guests donā€™t trust the hosts to clean stuff properly. Iā€™m talking here of France and Belgium where ths practice is widespread.
b. Why would the hosts not charge the guests for damage? Am I being naive? Are you afraid of getting a low rating from a dirty slob? Could Air somehow show hostā€™s rating of guest next to guestā€™s rating of host?

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Thereā€™s a site that answered this: http://www.essentialpackingchecklists.com/what-should-i-bring-to-an-airbnb-and-what-should-they-have/

Looks like thereā€™s other Airbnb/packing related posts too

LOL. Pun not intended Iā€™m sure.

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I guess different hosts have different ideas on what you should offer, but definitely agree - it seems odd that they had not mentioned the lack of provisions in their listings! Both are essential so hosts should clearly outline guests need to bring their own!

Iā€™ve been doing bnb for 10 years and its finally nice to read someone else has these exact same issues. Iā€™m in transition to rent my cottage latch-key/self serve and Iā€™m pondering over asking them to bring their own linens.

Doesnā€™t Airbnb require that hosts provide bed linens and towels?

I know that there are some specific areas and types of accommodations in the US where that isnā€™t traditionally the case. But I do think itā€™s an Airbnb rule for hosts.

I donā€™t know how the rules for hosts work in other parts of the world.

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I think so. Along with loo paper, soap and so on. But I think that even if it wasnā€™t ā€˜the done thingā€™ in my locality Iā€™d do it anyway just to have a competitive edge.

People prefer to travel light these days even if theyā€™re travelling by car where thereā€™s plenty of room. Iā€™d go to a hotel rather than have to take my own bedding and towels to an Airbnb rental.

I will be bringing my own sheets, as twice - in mid-to-upper range - Airbnbā€™s, the sheets were polyster(microfiber?) jersey which is uncomfortable in heat & humidityā€¦

If beach towels arenā€™t provided I buy them & ask host if they might leave them for future guests. After bed sheets, no room in the suitcase :slight_smile:

No, apparently it is not required. Some hosts in this thread do not provide them, and many of my local peers do not.

These are Airbnbā€™s basic host requirements:

Most important for this discussion is this quote from the article:

We strongly encourage hosts to provide essential amenities in all their listings, as these are the items guests tell us they consider important for a comfortable stay. This includes toilet paper, hand and body soap, towels, linens, and pillows.

So, not required but ā€œstrongly encouragedā€.

Linens are not a requirement. In Europe itā€™s common for costal resorts not to provide linens as they are used to people driving to them.

I believe that is the case too in some of your costal areas!in the US