Good Airbnb bedding needs to be comfortable for guests and practical to replace, wash and prepare. For a London flat, the right choice also depends on cupboard space, laundry turnaround and the mix of beds you advertise. A beautiful duvet cover is little use if its matching spare is still wet when the next guests arrive.
Start by defining a complete setup for each bed, then test one set through your actual laundry process before buying the full stock. This guide covers adult guest beds; use equipment-specific guidance for cots and children’s sleeping arrangements.
What bedding should an Airbnb host provide?
Airbnb’s essential amenities guidance strongly encourages hosts to supply a pillow per guest and linen for each guest bed. If you select the Essentials amenity, make sure you provide the full list of items it covers. That is a platform baseline, rather than a complete purchasing specification.
For each adult bed, write down the mattress size and depth, sheet type, duvet and cover dimensions, number and size of pillows, pillowcases and any protectors or additional blankets you will supply. Include a sofa bed if it forms part of the booked sleeping capacity. Check its bedding separately: the main bedroom’s spare sheet may not fit it.
Our Airbnb amenities guide considers the wider guest setup. For bedding, a clear specification helps the cleaner prepare the same standard each time.
Measure before ordering sheets and duvet covers
Record measurements in centimetres instead of relying only on labels such as double, king or queen. Check the supplier’s dimensions against the actual mattress, duvet and pillows. A fitted sheet also needs enough depth for the mattress and any topper beneath it.
- Sheets: confirm width, length and fitted-sheet depth; test that corners stay in place after washing.
- Duvet covers: match the duvet’s dimensions and check that the fastening is straightforward and intact.
- Pillowcases: match the pillows you supply, including any larger or differently shaped options.
- Protectors: check the fit, care instructions and practical drying time before ordering spares.
If beds can be joined or separated, document both configurations and their bedding requirements. Confirm the incoming booking’s arrangement before the clean begins. Keep sizes easy to identify in the host cupboard, using shelf labels or a stock record rather than asking the cleaner to unfold everything.
Choose fabric around comfort and the laundry process
Compare fabric composition, feel, finish and care instructions together. John Lewis’s bed linen buying guide distinguishes the crisp, matt feel of percale from the smoother finish of sateen, and explains that quality depends on yarns, weave and finish as well as thread count. A large thread-count number alone should not decide your purchase.
Order a sample set and ask the person handling laundry to test it. Check fit, seams, fastening, feel and presentation after the wash and drying process you intend to use. Ask whether that fabric needs ironing or finishing that your turnover schedule cannot accommodate. Follow the product’s care label and agree the cleaning process with your laundry provider; there is no single wash setting suitable for every bedding item.
For colour, consider how easily the team can spot marks and replace individual pieces. Keep a record of the supplier, product line and dimensions. Before committing to several sets, check whether replacement sheets and pillowcases are sold separately, so one damaged piece does not force you to replace an entire matching set.
How many spare linen sets do you need?
Count complete, usable sets for each bed size. Separate what is on beds, ready in storage, away at the laundry and awaiting treatment or replacement. A bag of dirty linen is part of your total stock, but it is unavailable for the next arrival.
A useful planning method is to add:
- the sets needed to make every bed included in the booking;
- the sets that may be unavailable during your normal laundry turnaround;
- an agreed reserve for delays, damage or an extra change.
Illustrative example: a two-bedroom flat has two matching adult beds and needs two complete sets for each changeover. If one full change can still be at the laundry when the next change is needed, the owner might plan two sets on beds, two clean replacements and two reserve sets: six in total. This is a worked planning example, not a universal three-set requirement. Longer laundry delays, different bed sizes or limited storage change the calculation.
Test the plan against consecutive short stays and your supplier’s collection days. If a missed delivery leaves no clean set, agree an alternative before accepting that risk. With linen hire, ask the supplier about delivery quantities, size substitutions, rejected items and emergency replacements.
Make the cupboard usable in a London flat
Give each size its own clearly identified shelf or container. Store clean linen dry and separate from used laundry, cleaning products and owner belongings. Bundle compatible pieces in a way that makes a complete set easy to pick and count.
Keep a simple movement record: clean sets delivered, sets used, laundry collected and items removed from service. Review shortages by size. Having plenty of double sheets will not solve a missing sofa-bed set. Connect this record to your property inventory checklist so replacements have an owner and deadline.
Check bedding before the room is signed off
Airbnb’s ground rules for home hosts say hosts must clean between stays, including washing linen, and accurately describe the beds and amenities provided. Build a bedding check into the room handover:
- Confirm the correct bed configuration and the linen required for the booked guests.
- Inspect sheets, pillowcases, covers and protectors for marks, damage, dampness or odour.
- Remove unsuitable pieces from ready stock and report what must be replaced.
- Check that the bed is fully prepared and any promised extra bedding is available.
- Confirm the remaining clean stock can support the next planned changeover.
For longer bookings, tell guests what linen changes are included and how they are arranged. Keep the listing accurate about the bedding supplied, and avoid unsupported claims about allergy suitability or specialist properties.
Compare the full cost of keeping beds ready
Compare purchase or hire costs alongside laundering, delivery, finishing, storage and replacement. Track repeated problems with a product before reordering it. A set that looks inexpensive may take more staff time to prepare; an expensive set may still be a poor fit for your laundry arrangements.
Agree who orders replacements and who confirms they are in place. Our London cleaning and linen guide explains how this fits into the wider turnover.
StayinLondon coordinates housekeeping and property operations through its London Airbnb management service. Request a property-specific assessment to discuss the setup and management of your flat.
Platform guidance checked on 21 October 2026. Stock calculations and purchasing checks are practical suggestions to adapt to your property and suppliers.
