The difference between a 4.2-star listing and a 4.9-star listing is rarely the apartment itself — it's the preparation. Guests form impressions within the first five minutes: whether the check-in was smooth, whether the beds are properly made, whether the WiFi password is visible, whether the kitchen has what they actually need. Getting these right before your first booking costs a few hundred francs and a weekend. Getting them wrong costs you months of mediocre reviews that are almost impossible to recover from in Montreux's competitive market.
Before you list: complete all four layers — legal (permits, registration), physical (safety equipment, furnishing), experiential (photography, house manual, welcome pack), and digital (WiFi, self-check-in, connectivity). Skipping any layer creates problems that show up in reviews. This checklist covers all four in order of priority.
Short answer: The pre-launch checklist for Montreux short-term rentals — photography, amenities, legal documents, and essentials that drive 5-star reviews.
In this guide
Layer 1: legal and administrative readiness
Before a single guest books, your administrative foundations need to be in order. Switzerland's short-term rental framework requires specific registrations that vary by canton and municipality. In Montreux (Canton de Vaud), the key requirements are the cantonal short-term rental declaration and the municipal permit. Operating without these doesn't just risk a fine — it risks having your listing removed mid-season, including during the Jazz Festival window when your income is highest.
See our full guide on how to legally register your apartment for short-term rental in Montreux for step-by-step registration instructions.
Legal & administrative
- Cantonal short-term rental declaration (Canton de Vaud) submitted
- Municipal permit obtained from Montreux commune
- Tourist tax (taxe de séjour) registration completed
- Guest register system in place — digital or paper log of guest details
- Building management / co-owners formally notified (if required by your PPE rules)
- Home insurance policy updated to cover short-term rental activity
- House rules document drafted (and available in both French and English)
Layer 2: safety and physical readiness
Swiss law requires certain safety equipment in rented accommodation. More practically, missing safety items are among the most common reasons for one-star reviews — guests notice when a smoke detector isn't present or when there's no first aid kit. Get these right before your first booking; they're inexpensive and non-negotiable.
Safety essentials
- Smoke detector in every room and hallway (tested and battery replaced)
- Carbon monoxide detector (required if any gas appliance present)
- Fire extinguisher accessible in kitchen area
- First aid kit stocked and visible
- Emergency contact numbers visible in the apartment (fire, police, medical)
- All electrical sockets and appliances in working order
- No loose rugs or trip hazards in hallways and stairs
Bedrooms
- Quality mattresses with mattress protectors (guests feel these, and they extend mattress life)
- Pillows: minimum 2 per person, with pillowcases
- Duvet with duvet cover, plus a spare blanket in the wardrobe
- Adequate wardrobe space and hangers (at least 6 per guest)
- Bedside tables with lamps and USB charging points
- Blackout curtains or blinds — non-negotiable for Jazz Festival stays
- Full-length mirror in at least one room
- Luggage rack or space for open suitcases
Bathrooms
- Clean towels — minimum 2 sets per guest (bath towel + hand towel)
- Bath mat — replaced between stays
- Hairdryer (guests expect this in Swiss rentals)
- Soap, shampoo, and conditioner (travel-size or full)
- Toilet paper — minimum 2 spare rolls visible
- Mirror with good light above or beside it
- Hooks on the back of the door
Kitchen
- Coffee maker — a Nespresso or filter machine is standard in Swiss rentals
- Kettle and toaster
- Pots and pans: at minimum one small, one medium, one large
- Full cutlery and crockery set (enough for your maximum guest count + 2)
- Glasses: wine glasses, water glasses, and mugs
- Cooking basics: salt, pepper, olive oil, sugar, coffee, and tea
- Dishwasher tablets or washing-up liquid, sponge
- Bin with liner bags
- Corkscrew and bottle opener
- Recycling guidance visible (Swiss guests and longer-stay guests expect this)
Layer 3: guest experience readiness
This is where 4-star properties become 5-star properties. Legal compliance and physical standards are the floor. Guest experience is the ceiling — and it's what guests actually write about in reviews. The three pillars are photography, the house manual, and the welcome pack.
Photography
Airbnb's own Professional Photography programme data — covering more than 14,700 listings over 365 days — found a 19% net uplift in bookings and a 21% increase in host earnings, with 85% of hosts recouping the photography cost within a single night's stay (Airbnb, 2025). In Montreux, where competition for high-rate bookings is intense during peak periods, professional photography is an investment that pays back in the first booking cycle. Hire a real estate or interior photographer rather than relying on smartphone photos. Natural light, wide-angle lenses, and straight verticals make a measurable difference in the first impression your listing creates.
Shot list minimum: every room from two angles, the best lake view or balcony, building entrance, and a lifestyle shot of the main living space.
Photography
- Professional photographer booked and briefed on the property's key selling points
- Every room photographed from two angles minimum
- Lake view or balcony photographed at golden hour or late afternoon
- Cover photo selected: typically the best lake or living room view
- Photos uploaded in order: cover → living room → bedrooms → bathrooms → kitchen → view
House manual and check-in instructions
A well-written house manual eliminates the most common guest questions before they're asked. Write it in both French and English. Include: WiFi name and password (on a visible card AND in the manual), how the heating or AC works, recycling and waste sorting (Swiss guests in particular expect this), local transport instructions, parking, and check-out procedure.
House manual essentials
- WiFi name and password on a visible card in the apartment
- Heating and AC instructions — Swiss controls often confuse international guests
- Appliance instructions for anything non-standard (dishwasher, washing machine, TV)
- Recycling and waste sorting guide (mandatory in Montreux)
- Building entry code or key box combination
- Local transport: nearest bus stop, train station, taxi number
- Parking instructions if relevant
- Check-out procedure: time, key return, what to leave / take
- Emergency contacts: local doctor, pharmacy, property manager
Welcome pack
A small welcome pack signals to guests that the property is professionally managed and creates the first positive impression. It doesn't need to be expensive — a bottle of local wine and a handwritten welcome card costs under CHF 30 and generates disproportionate goodwill in early reviews.
Welcome pack
- Welcome card or note with guest's name (personalisation matters)
- Local wine or mineral water
- Coffee pods or ground coffee for the machine
- A local recommendation card: 2–3 restaurants, 1–2 activities the host genuinely recommends
- Transport map or Jazz Festival programme (during event periods)
Layer 4: digital readiness
Guests increasingly judge a listing on details that never show up in a "what to pack" checklist: WiFi speed, self-check-in reliability, and whether they can solve a problem without calling anyone. This layer is the most commonly skipped by first-time hosts because none of it is visible in listing photos.
Digital & connectivity
- Fibre or cable internet rated for at least 100 Mbps — guests working remotely will test this within minutes of arrival
- A smart lock or lockbox for self-check-in; test the code delivery flow yourself before the first guest arrives
- WiFi password printed and laminated, visible near the router, not just in the digital house manual
- A charging cable drawer (USB-A, USB-C, EU/UK adapters) — a small touch that resolves a disproportionate number of guest messages
- Smart TV with guest-accessible streaming login, or clear instructions for casting from a phone
Related reading: How to legally register your apartment for short-term rental · Hidden costs of self-managing · Complete guide to renting your Montreux apartment · Managing reviews and online reputation · Short-term rental in Villeneuve: legal guide · Cleaning and turnover operations · Insurance for short-term rentals · Jazz Festival rental income guide
10+ years in hospitality. BBA Hospitality (Glion), MSc Tourism (FHGR), MSc Data Science (HSLU).
Don't want to manage all of this yourself?
RivieraHost handles full property preparation — photography, furnishing consultation, legal registration, and ongoing management — at a flat 20% commission. No setup fees. Learn more about the full concierge management service.
Get a free property assessmentFrequently asked questions
Do I need to tell my building management before listing on Airbnb?
If your apartment is in a co-ownership (PPE — propriété par étages), your co-ownership rules (règlement d'utilisation) may require you to notify or obtain approval from the co-owners' assembly before short-term letting. Check your PPE documents before listing. Failure to do so can result in a demand to stop renting.
How much does professional photography cost in Montreux?
Expect CHF 400–800 for a professional real estate or interior photography session covering a 1–2 bedroom apartment. It's a one-time cost that typically pays back within the first 2–3 bookings through improved conversion from listing views to bookings.
What is the most commonly missed item on pre-launch checklists?
Home insurance update. Most standard household policies don't cover commercial short-term rental activity. If a guest is injured or causes damage while your policy doesn't cover rental use, you're personally liable. Update your insurance policy before your first booking — it's usually a small additional premium.
How many sets of towels and linens do I need?
Minimum two full sets per bed/bathroom. This allows one set to be in use while the other is being laundered between stays. During peak event periods with back-to-back bookings, three sets per bed/bathroom gives you flexibility and removes laundry as a scheduling constraint.
Base yourself in Montreux
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