STRs | Best method to manage supplies in your vacation rentals

[Sofia Sharkey]

Up to this point I have relied on the cleaners to let me know what supplies are low and I also drive to the units with enough frequency to note what needs to be purchased. I'm ready to systematize this process and wonder if any of you have a method you love to purchase and track supplies. 

At first, I thought of developing my own spreadsheet that includes the products I need for each of the units, the purchase date, the quantity, etc. Then, I wondered if there is already an app where I can just select my unit and click on what I need. Ideally something my cleaner could also access to let me know what's low so I get a consolidated list. 

For now, I'm creating a laminated page with all the supply items so my cleaner can just mark what's low, take a picture and send it to me. I'll also have one universal list that I will use to buy bulk supplies (hopefully from one single vendor) so that re-stocking is only done every so often.  

Any thoughts, suggestions, or ideas are welcomed! 

I would especially like to hear from members who have multiple units (ideally more than 10) as I'm looking for a scalable method. Thanks! 

[Mark Futalan]

@Sofia Sharkey

Our cleaners let us know if we need to restock any supplies. We use Instacart. Membership is $99/year or $10 month. When our cleaner cleans the home the next time, we order everything through their app and schedule a delivery to the home when they are cleaning. I’ve been impressed with the turnaround time, I’ve been able to get items within an hour or 2. We typically order in bulk from Costco and the personal shopper picks it up and delivers it. You do pay a little more for the items

but the convenience is definitely worth it especially if your not local.