Room-by-room furnishing checklist

Print this list, walk through the flat with it and tick each line. It is written for Indian homes, where backup power, purifiers and monsoon care matter as much as the bed linen.

This checklist is organised the way a housekeeper moves through a home on changeover day. Each block ends with the items that owners most often forget, based on what guests actually message about during a stay.

Entrance and security

• Smart lock with keypad and a mechanical key override, or a lockable key safe approved by the society.
• Shoe rack and a small mat inside the door, since many guests remove footwear.
• Hooks for bags and umbrellas, useful from June to September.
• A laminated card with the flat number, building name, gate instructions and the local emergency number 112.
• Often forgotten: a spare set of keys held by your caretaker, and a note for the security guard with expected guest names.

Living area

• Sofa with washable covers, a coffee table and enough seating for the maximum guest count.
• Ceiling fan plus split AC, with remotes labelled by room.
• Smart TV logged out of personal accounts, or a streaming stick guests can sign into.
• Blackout or thick curtains; street light in Indian cities can be intense.
• Often forgotten: multi-plug extension boards with surge protection and universal sockets for foreign chargers.

Bedrooms

• Good mattresses with waterproof protectors, two pillows per guest and a spare set.
• Two full linen sets per bed, so one can be washed and dried even during humid weeks.
• Wardrobe space with hangers, a mirror, bedside lamps and a charging point on each side.
• Light blanket for AC nights, plus a heavier quilt in hill or north Indian winter locations.
• Often forgotten: mosquito repellent machines or nets, and a working AC drain that does not drip onto the wall.

Kitchen

• Water purifier (RO, UV or a combination chosen for your water source) with a dated filter record.
• Refrigerator, microwave, induction or gas hob with a valid cylinder or piped gas connection, and an electric kettle.
• Pressure cooker, kadai, tawa, non-stick pan, saucepans, knives, chopping board.
• Crockery and cutlery for double the guest count, glasses, mugs, a steel tiffin or storage boxes.
• Basic pantry: tea, coffee, sugar, salt, cooking oil; dish soap and scrubbers.
• Often forgotten: a gas leak check and the cylinder supplier's number written inside a cupboard.

Bathrooms

• Geyser in each guest bathroom, ideally with a timer; instructions if the switch is outside.
• Health faucet, bucket and mug alongside the shower, since many domestic guests expect them.
• Two towels per guest, a bath mat, toiletries, toilet paper and a small dustbin with a lid.
• Exhaust fan in working order to control damp.
• Often forgotten: anti-skid strips in the shower area and a spare geyser fuse.

Utilities and connectivity

• Inverter and battery bank covering the router, lights, fans and fridge; label which sockets are backed up.
• Fibre broadband with a mesh extender if walls are thick; speed test result displayed in the house manual.
• Washing machine and a drying rack or balcony line; dehumidifier for coastal and monsoon months.
• Stabiliser for AC units and the fridge in areas with voltage fluctuation.

Safety kit

• Fire extinguisher suited for kitchen fires, smoke detector, first-aid box and a torch.
• Child-safe covers for sockets if you accept families.
• A clear note on where the main electrical board and water shut-off valve are.

Paperwork kept in the home

• House manual in English and Hindi, plus any language common among your guests.
• Copy of your tourism registration where your state requires one, and the society NOC if obtained.
• Guest register and a process for Form C when foreign nationals stay.

Once every line is ticked, do a full test night yourself or with a trusted friend. Sleeping in the flat for one night reveals noisy fans, dead sockets and missing hangers faster than any inspection.