What constitutes a kitchen?

[Kristi69]

Hello community! We live in a city with strict regulations and homestay permitting, and one of the things they DON'T allow is a full kitchen in a homestay. We have a kitchen area with a coffee maker, mini-fridge and microwave, plates/cups/cutlery and a table, but there's no stove or kitchen sink. I keep getting the message to add amenities to achieve family status, but I can't decide if what we have counts as a kitchen. What do you think? If my description of what's in the rental is clear that we aren't allowed to have an oven and sink, do you think it's okay to click kitchen based on what we have? I go back and forth.

[Tueykay0]

You don't have a full kitchen. It's a makeshift kitchen area. You can easily put all those items in a closet or the living room.

Good luck and have fun hosting.

[Kristi69]

Yes, thanks for putting those words on it. When I see the "family" listing pushed every time I open it I start to think well, maybe I should click that and be very clear in my listing, but you're right, it's legal here, therefore it's not a kitchen at all. Thanks.

[Mark116]

I would call airbnb and ask them. 

I think generally for zoning/housing/real estate purposes you have to have a stove and a sink for it to be a kitchen, but airbnb's definition may be more expansive.

[Kristi69]

Helpful, thanks! I think it would be more of a risk in my situation than a real benefit, but I'll keep that in mind. 

[Kelly149]

I wouldn’t chance getting in trouble with the city regulators for the sake of a couple check boxes on abb amenity list. 

(And no, under no definition do you have a kitchen without an oven or sink)

have your listing highlight what it does have and also that you’re a legal, registered listing. 

[Kristi69]

Thanks! 

[Ned-And-Laura0]

you might be able to call it a kitchenette, but its not even that really.  If you go to my listing, I'm basically in the same boat as you except I have a sink and I call it a kitchenette.  no stove or oven so I put in a very large toaster over that has a built in dual burner on the top, but it runs off a 110 outlet so I'm allowed to have it.  When I was building out the unit (converted basement) I showed on the plans to the city that it was a "wet bar" in my new "game room" so they let me have a sink.   

[Kristi69]

They're even talking about no longer allowing sinks in the kitchen area here, so I'm sort of glad we didn't put one in! Same with the oven hookup. Thanks for your input!

[Emilia42]

@Kristi69, 

I have a feeling that if you check off the Kitchen box that you are also going to get in trouble with some guests who are expecting a full kitchen and are not getting one.

[Kristi69]

Agreed, I just wanted to make sure I was thinking about it correctly. Thanks!

[Michele1501]

As a renter, I am looking for a unit with a FULL kitchen and am amazed at what everyone is calling a kitchen. When searching, I checked the box that said I wanted a kitchen, and most listings I found just have a microwave and a refrigerator, which is nothing more than a wet bar.  Somehow they get away with calling it a kitchen. Microwave cooking is vastly different than an oven / stove. This misrepresentation is very frustrating on the part of a renter!