Whenever guests stay in your properties, there are risks involved.
As a property manager, it’s your job to ensure that properties are as safe as possible for guests. And of course, you also need to protect your properties and business from damage or fraud.
But if you’re worried about the safety of your vacation rentals, here’s some good news: in just a few steps you can make your vacation rentals safer, protecting guests and your property.
In this article, you’ll find our top safety tips for vacation rental property managers.
Want to increase your security? You can manage your listings through Rentals United or Powerhost and seamlessly connect with vacation rental services to help protect your business. Want to know more? Speak to us today.
The potential risks of vacation rentals
Guests should feel completely safe while staying in your property.
However, without proper vacation rental safety measures in place, there can be a risk of:
- Fire and other accidental damage
- Guest injuries and complaints that could lead to bad reviews or even legal action
- Fraudulent bookings that harm your reputation
- Break-ins and theft
- Costly property damage
- Disputes with neighbours
Luckily, the following solutions will minimise the risks of anything going wrong and also improve the guest experience.
-
Provide safety devices
Make sure your property is equipped with basic safety devices to help your guests prevent and deal with emergencies.
Your property should have:
- A working fire and smoke alarm — Choose an alarm that can detect smoke, fire, and carbon monoxide, and test it regularly.
- Fire extinguisher — Keep a fire extinguisher in high-risk areas like the kitchen.
- Complete first aid kit — Your first aid kit should be fully equipped with bandages and dressings, antiseptic spray or cream, gloves, tweezers, etc.
- Outdoor lights — Gardens and terraces should be well-lit at night, especially if there’s a swimming pool or staircase. Provide torches (and batteries) in case of a power cut.
-
Screen your guests
Anytime you confirm a booking you should collect and screen guest identification documents. Collecting guest ID is often essential for complying with local laws, it also helps you avoid problematic guests and fraud.
Though it’s difficult to check your guests’ ID documents manually, with a tool like Know Your Guest (from Superhog) you can automatically cross-check and verify guest ID.
This means you’ll know exactly who’s staying in your property and you’ll be less likely to fall victim to fraud.
-
Install smart locks
Smart locks are a great way to increase security while simultaneously offering a smoother experience for guests.
With a smart lock, guests can unlock your property using a code that you provide at check-in.
This saves you time, makes the check-in process easier for guests, and also provides an added layer of security because you can change the code for each guest.
-
Purchase a noise monitor or security camera
Preventing parties is key to maintaining good relationships with neighbours and avoiding property damage and problems with the law.
You can prevent guests from throwing parties in your rental property by installing a noise monitor. Noise monitors detect consistent loud noise in the property, and can alert you to a potential party without breaching any privacy laws. Some devices can also sense if there are more people in the home than should be.
Placing security cameras outside your property can deter intruders and prevent break-ins.
-
Perform regular maintenance checks
Make rentals shine with Holiday Preparation Tips.
You should regularly check and service all appliances in the home to keep them in good working order.
This will help you avoid problems during your guests’ stay that can impact your review scores (like a broken dishwasher or blocked toilet). And, it can also help reduce the risk of accidents like a dryer catching fire.
Evaluate property risks on a regular basis so you can update appliances and make improvements to the home every so often. Despite the upfront costs, this will help you increase your profits and prevent issues in the long run.
-
Educate your guests on what to do in case of an emergency
Avoid common Guest Problems.
Delight guests with Welcome Packs.
You should provide clear instructions that guests can easily access. This information could be available in your digital welcome book or in a physical booklet.
Include information like:
- Where to find safety devices (like the fire extinguisher, first aid kit, etc.) and also how to operate them.
- Contact numbers for emergency services
- Instructions for how to safely exit the building in case of a fire
- Any other specific instructions – for example, voltage requirements for plugs and how to use appliances correctly.
Tell your guests where to find instructions and make sure they’re available in multiple languages.
-
Take out damage protection coverage
Surprise with Welcome Gifts.
Despite your best intentions, occasionally accidents happen and things go wrong.
Therefore, it’s always a good idea to have a damage protection plan or insurance so that you can claim for any property damage that does occur.
Look for policies that cover all parties – homeowners, property managers and guests and include coverage for bodily harm, property contents, and structural damage.
Vacation rental services to protect your properties
We partner with a variety of vacation rental services that can help you protect your property, prevent accidents and cover your business in case of fraud or damage.
Our partner list includes guest experience tools like digital welcome books and self-check-in, guest screening and damage protection services like Know Your Guest, plus housekeeping and maintenance tools, and more.
All these tools integrate with your channel manager so you can take control of keeping your business safe.
Check out our full list of vacation rental services here.
Want to increase your security? You can manage your listings through Rentals United or Powerhost and seamlessly connect with vacation rental services to help protect your business. Get in touch today.