Linen hire or your own linen? What hotels, guest houses and B&Bs should weigh up

Linen hire means a supplier provides the sheets and towels and launders them for you, so you never own the stock. Owning your linen means you buy it, then either wash it on site or pay a laundry to do it. Neither suits every property: the choice comes down to how much money you want tied up in stock, how much storage and admin you’re happy to take on, and how much say you want over what goes on your beds.

This guide is for owners and managers planning their linen for the next season: what each option involves, and the questions worth asking any supplier. If you’d rather see our own service first, it’s on our linen services page.

What is linen hire?

Linen hire is a service in which the supplier owns the sheets, duvet covers, pillowcases and towels your property uses, and washes them for you. You pay for the service rather than buying the stock, and used linen is sent back to be washed instead of going into your own laundry.

Because the supplier owns the stock, replacing worn items usually sits with them. What happens when something is lost, torn or badly stained differs from one supplier to the next, so it’s one of the first things to ask about.

What does owning your linen involve?

Owning your linen means buying everything for your beds and bathrooms yourself, before a guest has used any of it. You then need somewhere to wash it: a laundry on site, or a laundry service that collects and returns it.

You also take on the jobs that come with stock: storing it, counting it, and replacing anything that wears out or goes missing. In return, you choose exactly what your guests sleep in and dry themselves with, and the linen is yours.

Hire or own: how do the two compare?

The main difference is who carries the cost and the work of the stock. These are the points that usually decide it:

• Money up front: owning means buying the stock before you need it; with hire, you don’t buy it at all.
• Replacing worn items: with owned linen it’s your job and your cost; with hire, ask how the supplier handles it.
• Choice: owning gives you a free hand on quality, colour and style; with hire, you choose from the supplier’s range.
• Busy and quiet months: owned stock has to cover your busiest weeks all year round; with hire, ask how quickly quantities can change.

How much linen does a hotel need?

There’s no single number that fits every property, so plan it from how your rooms run. For each bed and each bathroom, ask:

• How many sets are in use at any one time?
• How many are away being washed, and for how long?
• How many need to be on the shelf so a room can always be made up?
• What extra covers your busiest weeks, and the items that wear out or disappear?

The time linen spends away being washed matters most: the longer it takes to come back, the more sets you need. Ask any supplier to work the quantities out with you from your own room numbers and occupancy.

What should you ask a linen supplier?

Whether you hire or own, these questions show how the arrangement will work week to week:

• What’s included: sheets, duvet covers, pillowcases, towels, bath mats?
• What is the linen made of?
• Which days do you deliver and collect, and how long does a wash take?
• What happens if a delivery is short?
• Is there a minimum number of rooms or a minimum order?
• How are losses, stains and damage charged?
• Can quantities change between busy and quiet months?
• Who do we speak to if something isn’t right?

Get the answers in writing, and compare quotes on the same basis: the same items, the same quantities and the same service.

When should you review your linen?

Ideally before your busy season, while there’s time to compare quotes and change supplier without disrupting guests. If your busiest months are spring and summer, that means the winter.

If you’re also thinking about outsourcing housekeeping, look at both at once: clean linen has to be ready whenever a room is made up, so the two need to work to one plan. Our guide to what to check before you outsource hotel housekeeping covers that side.

How GreenLeaf can help with your linen

GreenLeaf does both: we hire out linen and we offer laundry, for hotels, guest houses, B&Bs and other hospitality businesses across Edinburgh.

• 100% cotton linen, for beds and bathrooms alike.
• Planned by our directors: Arron and John plan each hotel contract personally.
• Housekeeping too, if you want it: we also provide housekeeping teams for hotels. See our hotel cleaning page.
• Free quotes.

Tell us your room numbers and the linen you use now, and we’ll put a free quote together. Ask for a quote, or read more about our linen services.

Questions about linen hire

Is linen hire cheaper than buying your own linen?

It depends on your property, so compare the full cost of each. For owned linen, add up the stock, the laundry, replacements, storage and the staff time spent counting it; then set that against a hire quote for the same items and quantities.

Do you have to wash hired linen yourself?

No. With linen hire, washing is part of the service: the supplier takes the used linen away and brings it back clean. Ask how often it’s collected and how long a wash takes, because that decides how much stock you need on site.

Can a small B&B or guest house hire linen?

Often, yes, but some suppliers set a minimum, so ask about that before you compare quotes. If a minimum is more than you need, owning your linen and paying for laundry can be the simpler route.

Does linen hire include towels?

Ask each supplier, because what’s included differs from one to the next. Ours covers towels as well as bed linen, all of it 100% cotton.