Airbnb setup checklist: the install side of launch
By Pro Install Greg · Updated · 3 min read
Before the photographer or the first guest arrives, every piece of furniture should be assembled and anchored, TVs mounted with the cables hidden, art and mirrors hung securely, and any paint or wallpaper finished and dry. Do it in order — walls first, then furniture, then everything mounted around it — and aim to finish a couple of weeks before launch so the listing photos show the finished rooms.
Key takeaways
- Paint and wallpaper go first, because every piece of furniture in front of a wall gets in the way of the coats.
- Every tall dresser, bookcase and wardrobe in a short-term rental should be anchored to a stud, since guests treat furniture harder than owners do.
- TVs should go on a mount rated for the screen's size and weight, fastened into framing, with the cables concealed.
- Booking the listing photographer after the install is finished means the photos show the rooms guests will actually get.
- Nashville requires a Short Term Rental Property permit from Metro Codes before a property is listed.
Planning this in Nashville or Middle Tennessee? Send a photo and get a flat quote for Airbnb setup.
(615) 930-7739
Do it in this order
- Repairs and patching. Fix wall damage and anything that will be painted or papered over.
- Paint and wallpaper. Walls get finished while the rooms are still empty, with time to dry.
- Light fixtures and ceiling fans. Swapped before furniture fills the room and blocks the ladder.
- Furniture assembly. Beds, dressers, dining sets and the media console, built where they will live.
- Mounting. TVs, art, mirrors and shelves, positioned against the finished furniture so heights line up.
- Walk-through. Every anchor checked, packaging hauled out, rooms ready for cleaning and photos.
Running all six steps as one job is what our Airbnb setup service is built around: one schedule, in the right order, instead of five trades waiting on each other.
Room-by-room install list
| Room | What gets installed |
|---|---|
| Living room | Sofa and tables assembled, media console, TV mounted with cables hidden, art and mirror hung |
| Bedrooms | Bed frames, nightstands and anchored dressers, curtain rods for blackout curtains, TV if offered |
| Kitchen and dining | Dining set assembled, open shelving fastened into studs, fixture over the table |
| Bathrooms | Mirror, towel bars, hooks and shelving secured for daily use |
| Outdoor space | Patio set and grill assembled, hooks for string lights |
Built for guests, not just for photos
Guests lean on dressers, hang bags on hooks and pull doors harder than you would. Anything tall gets anchored to framing, not just drywall. Shelves that will hold more than décor go into studs. Towel bars and hooks get anchors rated for the load, because a bar that pulls out of the wall is a one-star review and a drywall repair.
For the walls themselves, a finish that wipes clean saves a repaint every season; see which paint sheen holds up in a rental.
The Nashville paperwork, briefly
Metro Nashville requires a Short Term Rental Property (STRP) permit from the Department of Codes Administration before a property is listed. The unit has to meet state and local building and fire safety codes, and the name and phone number of a local responsible party must be posted inside the unit.
We do not handle permits; that is the owner's side. Rules change, so check Metro Codes for the current requirements, and start the application while the install is being scheduled so neither one holds up launch day.
