How to Set Par Levels That Actually Work for Short-Term Rentals

If you've ever had a cleaner text you mid-turnover saying "there's no toilet paper left," you already know why par levels matter. They're the single best way to make sure you've always got enough stock without turning your storage cupboard into a warehouse.

Let's break down what par levels are, how to calculate them, and what they should look like for the items you stock most often.

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What's a Par Level?

"Par" comes from the hospitality industry — it's the minimum quantity of an item you should have on hand at any time. When your stock drops to the par level, it's time to reorder.

Think of it as your safety net. You don't want to reorder after you've run out. You want to reorder while you've still got enough to get through the next few turnovers.

If you're still tracking things on paper or in a spreadsheet, this might sound like a lot of effort. It doesn't have to be — we've got a whole article on why manual tracking costs you more than you think.

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The Par Level Formula

Here's the formula we recommend for short-term rentals:

Par Level = (Average use per turnover) x (Turnovers between restocks) + Safety buffer

Let's break that down:

• Average use per turnover — How much of this item gets used (or replaced) each time a guest checks out. Track this over 10-20 turnovers to get a reliable number.
• Turnovers between restocks — How many guest stays happen between your supply orders. If you order weekly and do 3 turnovers a week, that's 3.
• Safety buffer — Extra stock to account for larger groups, longer stays, or delivery delays. Usually 20-30% of your base calculation.

Example: Toilet Rolls

• Average use per turnover: 3 rolls
• Turnovers between restocks: 3 (weekly order, 3 stays/week)
• Base: 3 x 3 = 9 rolls
• Safety buffer (25%): ~2 rolls
• Par level: 11 rolls

When your stock hits 11 rolls, you reorder. Simple.

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Recommended Par Levels for Common Items

These are starting points based on data from hosts managing 3-10 properties. Adjust based on your guest count, property size, and restock frequency.

Item	Avg use/turnover	Par level (3 turnovers/restock)	Reorder quantity
Toilet rolls	3	11	12-pack
Bath towels (per guest)	2	8	Set of 4
Hand towels	1	4	Set of 4
Shampoo (refill, ml)	50ml	200ml	500ml bottle
Body wash (refill, ml)	40ml	160ml	500ml bottle
Dishwasher tablets	2	8	Box of 30
Bin liners (kitchen)	2	8	Roll of 20
Sponges	1	4	Pack of 10
Coffee pods	4	15	Box of 50
Tea bags	4	15	Box of 80
Laundry detergent (pods)	1	4	Pack of 20
All-purpose cleaner (ml)	100ml	400ml	1L bottle

Your numbers will differ. The important thing is to track, measure, and adjust — not guess.

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Common Mistakes

1. Setting par levels once and never updating them

Guest patterns change with the seasons. A beachfront property in July burns through sunscreen and extra towels. The same property in November barely touches them. Review your par levels quarterly at minimum.

2. Using the same levels for every property

A 2-bed city flat and a 5-bed family home shouldn't have the same par levels. Scale by guest capacity and turnover frequency.

3. Ignoring the safety buffer

This is where most hosts get caught out. Your supplier delivers late. A guest party trashes the place. A double booking means back-to-back turnovers with no restock window. The buffer exists for exactly these situations.

4. Setting par levels based on gut feeling

"I think we go through about 4 rolls per stay" isn't good enough. Track actual usage for 2-3 weeks before setting your levels. Even rough data is better than a guess.

5. Not having a reorder trigger

A par level without a reorder process is just a number. When stock hits the par level, something needs to happen — an alert, an email, a purchase order. Automate this if you can. HostStock sends reorder alerts automatically →

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Par Levels vs. Reorder Points — What's the Difference?

Technically, they're slightly different:

• Par level = the total stock you want to have on hand after restocking
• Reorder point = the stock level that triggers a new order

In practice, most hosts use them interchangeably. The reorder point is usually your par level minus one restock cycle's worth of supplies. If your par is 11 toilet rolls and you use 3 per turnover, your reorder point might be 8 — giving you one turnover's buffer while the order arrives.

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How This Connects to Your Bigger Picture

Par levels are one piece of the puzzle. Pair them with:

• A solid inventory checklist so you know what to track
• Smart cost reduction strategies so you're not overspending on reorders
• Actual tracking software so the numbers stay current (not in your head or on a sticky note)

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FAQ

How do I calculate par levels if I'm just starting out?

Use industry averages (the table above) for your first month. Then track actual usage and adjust. You'll have reliable data within 4-6 weeks.

Should par levels include items currently in use?

No. Par levels are for your backup stock — what's in the cupboard, not what's on the bed or in the bathroom. The items "in use" during a guest stay are separate.

What if I have multiple properties with different turnover rates?

Set par levels per property. A high-turnover city studio needs different levels than a rural cottage that books fortnightly. That's exactly why per-property tracking matters.

Can I use a spreadsheet for this?

You can, but it requires discipline. You'll need to update it after every turnover and every restock. Most hosts start with a spreadsheet and move to a dedicated tool once they hit 2-3 properties. See how HostStock handles par levels →

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Want par levels that update themselves? HostStock tracks your usage patterns and suggests par levels based on your actual turnover data. Try it free →