Disclaimer:
The information provided in this blog is for general informational purposes only and is not intended as, nor should it be considered a substitute for, professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. The content may reference third-party research or studies and does not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of Salus Saunas. No content on this site should be interpreted as a recommendation for any specific treatment or health-related action. Always consult with a licensed healthcare provider before using a sauna or making any changes to your health or wellness routine. Salus Saunas disclaims any liability for decisions made based on the information presented in this blog.
Scroll through any vacation-rental search and you'll notice that the listings that stand out rarely lead with the kitchen. They lead with the experience: the hot tub under the stars, the fire pit, the view from the deck. For more and more hosts, that headline amenity is a sauna, a cedar or pine retreat where guests unwind after a day of skiing, hiking, or simply being somewhere new.
A sauna can make a property more memorable, but a rental is not the same as your own backyard. Paying guests, insurance policies, local rules, warranties, and taxes all work differently when strangers use the amenity. This guide covers what hosts should think through before adding a sauna to a short-term rental, from choosing the right type to writing house rules that keep guests safe.
Why Hosts Are Looking at Saunas
For a host, the appeal is partly practical. Unlike a hot tub, a sauna doesn't hold a body of water that needs to be sanitized, balanced, and drained between stays. Turnover is mostly wiping down benches, airing out the room, and swapping towels. A well-built sauna also photographs beautifully, which matters when your listing competes on a phone screen.
For guests, a sauna turns an ordinary stay into a ritual. A mountain cabin with an outdoor barrel sauna, a lake house with a sauna steps from the dock, a city loft with an infrared cabin in the spare room: each gives guests something to do, something to talk about in their review, and a reason to remember the property. That kind of experience is hard to replicate at home, which is exactly why travelers notice it in a listing.
Infrared, Traditional, or Hybrid for a Rental?
The right type depends on your property and your guests. Outdoor traditional saunas deliver the classic hot, dry heat many travelers picture, and they suit cabins, mountain homes, and lake properties with yard space. They generally require a hardwired 220/240-volt connection installed by a licensed electrician, and their larger kits take real building experience to assemble.
Indoor infrared saunas fit condos, townhomes, and basements. They run at lower air temperatures, which some guests find more comfortable, and many run on a dedicated 120-volt circuit. Hybrid models combine infrared panels and a traditional heater, giving guests a choice. Whatever you choose, think about capacity: a two-person sauna suits a couple's getaway, while a group house sleeping eight will feel crowded with anything smaller than a four- to six-person model.
Check Your Insurance Before You Update the Listing
This is the step hosts most often skip. The National Association of Insurance Commissioners warns that most homeowners or dwelling policies are not designed to cover accidents arising from short-term rentals, and that a paying guest injured on a property offered as a rental might be excluded from coverage that would protect an ordinary visitor.
Before adding a heat amenity, call your agent. Ask whether your policy treats the rental as a business, whether a home-sharing endorsement or landlord policy is available, and whether a sauna changes your coverage or premium. NAIC also notes that some home-sharing platforms offer host protection, but what's included varies, so read those terms rather than assuming they fill the gap.
Permits, Electrical Work, and Placement
Many communities regulate both short-term rentals and backyard structures, so check with your city or county before ordering an outdoor sauna. Some publish clear guidance; Boulder, Colorado, for example, maintains a residential accessory structure guide explaining when permits apply. HOAs and condo associations may have their own rules, too.
Electrical work is not a DIY project on a rental. The Electrical Safety Foundation International says all electrical work should be done by a qualified electrician who is licensed, insured, and bonded in your state and pulls required permits. Keep that paperwork with your property records. For placement, choose a level spot with a clear, well-lit path from the house, enough distance for privacy, and a nearby place for guests to cool down and rinse off.
House Rules That Keep Guests Safe
You won't be there when guests use the sauna, so your house rules do the job a host would. Vacation guests are also more likely to combine a sauna with a glass of wine, which is exactly what health guidance warns against. Harvard Health advises avoiding alcohol and medications that may impair sweating before and after a sauna, and drinking two to four glasses of cool water afterward. Put that in writing, near the sauna door and in your digital guidebook.
Good sauna rules are short and visible: limit sessions to 15–20 minutes, never use the sauna after drinking, children must be supervised by an adult, nothing placed on or near the heater, and anyone who is pregnant or has heart or blood pressure concerns should check with a doctor first, as Harvard Health recommends. Add the warning signs of heat illness the CDC lists, such as dizziness, headache, nausea, and weakness, with a clear instruction to step out and cool down.
Warranty and Commercial Use: Ask Before You Buy
Sauna warranties are usually written for household use, and a rental can blur that line. Salus's warranty page states that its warranties are intended for consumer, in-home use, that for commercial customers the Limited Lifetime Warranty is only good for two years, and that coverage applies only to saunas purchased directly from Salus.
Whether your rental counts as commercial use depends on how you operate it, so ask before you order rather than after a claim. Describe your setup to a Salus specialist, get the answer in writing, and keep it with your purchase records. Knowing your coverage up front also helps you budget for maintenance over the sauna's life.
Turnover and Upkeep Between Stays
A sauna adds a few minutes to your cleaning checklist, not an hour. Between guests, have your cleaner wipe down benches and backrests, sweep or vacuum the floor, check that nothing has been left on or near the heater, and leave the door open so the room can air out. Provide plenty of towels and ask guests to sit on one, which protects the wood from sweat and makes turnover faster.
Build a simple monthly routine as well: inspect the door, glass, lighting, and controls; look for loose trim or splinters on the benches; and confirm that your posted rules and guidebook instructions are still in place. Keep the user manual and the support contact in your property file so a cleaner or manager can troubleshoot without calling you. A sauna that's clean, cared for, and clearly explained earns better reviews than a bigger one that guests aren't sure how to use.
Finally, decide how guests will turn the sauna on and off. Clear, laminated instructions beside the control panel, plus a reminder in your checkout list to switch it off, help prevent the sauna from running for hours after a guest leaves, which saves electricity and wear between bookings.
A Free Guide for Planning the Amenity
Adding a sauna to a rental involves more decisions than adding one at home: capacity for your largest group, electrical requirements, indoor versus outdoor placement, and how much assembly you're prepared to take on.
Our free At-Home Sauna Buyer's Guide covers sizing, electrical requirements, and how sauna types and temperature ranges compare. It's a useful starting point before you talk with your electrician, insurer, and a Salus specialist about your property.
A Compact Outdoor Sauna for a Couple's Getaway
For cabins and cottages that host couples, the Governor Mini Traditional Outdoor Sauna is built for one to two people. As a traditional sauna, it uses thermally modified pine on the exterior, a two-tier alder bench inside, 1 5/8-inch staves, and an 8mm bronze-tinted tempered glass door. Its exterior measures 66 by 50 inches by 85 inches tall, a footprint that fits on many decks, patios, and small yards.
Plan for the practical side, too. Its heaters require a 220/240-volt hardwired connection installed by a licensed electrician, with a 30-amp connection for a 6kW heater. It arrives as a kit weighing about 980 pounds, with an assembly experience level of 7 out of 10, two people, and 10 to 18 hours of work, so many hosts hire a contractor. If your property sits above 2,500 feet, let Salus know so the heater can be calibrated.
Explore other sizes and price points:
Prices shown reflect pricing on the date this article was published. Contact us for current pricing and more information.
What Owners Say About Delivery and Assembly
For a host, the buying experience matters as much as the sauna: you may be coordinating delivery to a property you don't live in and scheduling assembly between bookings. Salus Saunas keeps a public, third-party profile on Trustpilot, where owners describe the full experience, including delivery, assembly, and customer service.
Read those reviews with your logistics in mind. Standard delivery under the Salus shipping policy is curbside, the carrier usually calls about 24 hours ahead, and there's a five-day window to report shipping damage. If you manage the property remotely, line up a local contact or property manager to receive and inspect the delivery and block the calendar for assembly.
Budgeting for a Rental Sauna
The Governor Mini is $7,495, with indoor infrared models like the Luxen starting at $4,695 and larger hybrids for group properties in the carousel above. Budget separately for the electrician, any permit fees, a level base for outdoor models, assembly labor if you hire it out, and insurance changes. Salus offers financing through Affirm and Synchrony, with Synchrony currently offering financing starting at 0% APR over 18 months for qualified buyers, roughly $416 a month for the Governor Mini over that term before any down payment.
Ask whether an offer is true 0% APR or deferred interest; the CFPB explains the difference. On taxes, IRS Publication 527 covers residential rental property, including that depreciation applies only to the part of a property used for rental and that improvements are treated as separate property items. Rules change when you also use the property personally, so keep receipts and talk with a tax professional. We're not tax advisors.
Give Guests a Reason to Book Again
The best amenities are the ones guests mention in reviews and miss when they leave. A sauna can be that feature, but only if it's set up the right way: insured, permitted, wired by a professional, sized for your guests, and paired with clear house rules. Get those pieces in place and the sauna becomes a quiet part of your listing's appeal, with very little turnover work.
If you're weighing a sauna for a rental property, our specialists can help you match a model to your property type, guest count, and electrical setup, and answer your warranty questions for rental use before you order.
Frequently Asked Questions About Saunas in Short-Term Rentals
1. Does my homeowners insurance cover a sauna in a rental?
Possibly not. The NAIC warns most homeowners policies aren't designed for short-term rental accidents. Ask your agent about endorsements or a landlord policy.
2. Do I need a permit for an outdoor sauna?
It depends on your location. Check with your city or county; Boulder's accessory structure guide is one example of how local rules work.
3. Who should install the electrical connection?
A qualified electrician who is licensed, insured, and bonded and pulls required permits, as ESFI recommends.
4. What should my sauna house rules include?
Session limits, no alcohol, child supervision, and hydration. Harvard Health advises avoiding alcohol and drinking two to four glasses of water afterward.
5. Which guests should check with a doctor first?
Anyone pregnant or with heart or blood pressure concerns. Harvard Health flags these conditions as reasons to consult a physician.
6. What warning signs should guests watch for?
Dizziness, headache, nausea, and weakness are among the heat-illness signs the CDC lists. Guests should step out and cool down right away.
7. Is a rental sauna considered commercial use for the warranty?
It can be. Ask Salus before you buy and get the answer in writing. The FTC's warranty guide explains what to check in any warranty.
8. Can I depreciate a sauna in a rental property?
IRS Publication 527 covers depreciation of rental property and improvements. Personal use changes the rules, so consult a tax professional.
9. How do I compare financing offers?
Check whether the promotion is true 0% APR or deferred interest. The CFPB explains how each works.
10. Who should unload the sauna on delivery day?
Plan for a local crew. OSHA notes loads over about 50 pounds raise injury risk, so use two or more people per heavy box.
