How to Add a Sauna to Your Airbnb Without Buying One Upfront

A private sauna can help an Airbnb or vacation rental stand out, particularly in markets crowded with otherwise similar properties. The obstacle is often the upfront cost.

Purchasing an outdoor sauna can require thousands of dollars before the property has earned a single additional booking. That makes it difficult for an owner to know whether the amenity will perform well enough to justify the investment.

Simply Sauna’s new long-term rental program offers another way to approach the decision. Approved property owners and operators can rent an outdoor SaunaLife sauna for 12, 24, or 36 months with no down payment.

Treat the sauna as a monthly property expense

Long-term rental changes the economics of adding a sauna.

Instead of making a large purchase upfront and waiting to recover the investment, the property takes on a predictable monthly expense. The owner can then compare that expense directly against any additional revenue associated with the sauna.

At launch, long-term rental packages start at:

• $512 per month for a 12-month term

• $329 per month for a 24-month term

• $268 per month for a 36-month term

The longer the initial term, the lower the monthly rental cost.

How much additional revenue would the sauna need to produce?

The basic calculation is straightforward:

Monthly sauna rent ÷ booked nights = required additional revenue per booked night

For a sauna renting at $268 per month, the property would need to produce approximately:

• $26.80 more per night across 10 booked nights

• $17.87 more per night across 15 booked nights

• $13.40 more per night across 20 booked nights

For a larger sauna renting at $373 per month, the required increase would be approximately:

• $37.30 more per night across 10 booked nights

• $24.87 more per night across 15 booked nights

• $18.65 more per night across 20 booked nights

That additional revenue does not have to come entirely from a higher nightly rate. A sauna may also help a property attract more bookings, compete during slower seasons, or convert more people who are comparing similar listings.

The actual result will depend on the property, location, existing nightly rate, seasonality, and how prominently the sauna is presented. Owners should use their own booking history and comparable listings rather than assuming a particular return.

For a closer look at the broader revenue case, see our analysis of why a sauna can be a high-ROI amenity for a short-term rental.

Which properties are the best fit?

A sauna is likely to have the greatest effect when it strengthens the experience guests are already seeking.

Potential fits include:

• Cabins and nature stays

• Ski and mountain properties

• Lake houses and coastal rentals

• Romantic getaway properties

• Wellness-focused stays

• Glamping properties

• Boutique inns and small hotels

• Properties near hiking, skiing, beaches, or other outdoor recreation

• Drive-to destinations that depend on weekend travel

• Rentals competing in markets where most listings offer similar amenities

The sauna should give prospective guests another reason to choose the property. It should not simply occupy unused outdoor space.

Make the sauna visible in the listing

Installing a sauna is only part of the strategy. Guests need to notice it before they book.

Once the sauna is ready, the property owner should:

• Include the sauna in the primary listing photos

• Mention the private sauna in the listing title when appropriate

• Describe it near the beginning of the property description

• Add sauna to the platform’s amenity list

• Provide simple operating and safety instructions

• Include evening or winter photography that shows the experience clearly

A sauna can be particularly compelling in photographs because it gives the property a recognizable feature. Instead of looking like another cabin, house, or apartment, it becomes the property with the private sauna.

Choose a model that fits the property

Simply Sauna offers long-term rentals on a range of SaunaLife outdoor saunas.

The available collection includes compact models, traditional barrel saunas, glass-front saunas, modern cube designs, and larger sauna suites. Property owners can compare models based on available space, guest capacity, appearance, monthly cost, and expected use.

A smaller property may need only a compact two-person sauna. A larger vacation home, retreat, or boutique lodging property may benefit from a model that can accommodate a group.

Each package page shows its monthly pricing, renewal rate, and end-of-term purchase option.

What happens at the end of the term?

Long-term rental is not financing or rent-to-own. Monthly rent covers the use of the sauna and does not accumulate as purchase credit.

At the end of the initial rental term, the property owner can:

• Renew the rental for another 12 months

• Purchase the sauna at the stated end-of-term price

• Return the sauna

This gives the owner a chance to evaluate how the sauna performs at the property before deciding whether it should remain there longer.

Explore the available rental packages

Property owners, investors, and managers can compare all available long-term sauna rentals and review pricing for each term.

Once you have selected a package, you can submit an application for review. No payment is collected with the application. Simply Sauna will review the delivery address and selected package before sending an agreement or setting up payment.