Traditionally, rental operators furnish so much equipment that you could arrive with only your toothbrush, suntan and bug juice, fishing license and tackle, swimsuit and towel, and a credit card. More common sense than skill is needed to pilot a houseboat. Because of the size and weight, turns and stops must be anticipated. Handling in crosswinds will require attention to a heading. Prudence suggests tying up to shore in a strong squall.
Operators supply charts, and sometimes two-way radios.
GPS might even be furnished, or you could bring your own receiver. In the Northwoods country, and in the Southeast, fishing is the most common endeavor for houseboat renters. Rainy Lake, on the Minnesota-Ontario border, offers great fishing for walleye, crappie, and smallmouth bass. Rainy Lake is also the home of the oldest rental company in North America, Northernaire Houseboats. It was founded in 1958.