Home is where the heart is. However, when it comes to renting out your property on Airbnb, the adage “what’s mine is yours” is not always applicable.
When hosting, there are certain things you want to keep off-limits from your guests. All it takes is for one inquisitive guest to help themselves to that expensive Scotch, break something of sentimental value, or worse still — commit downright theft, and your passion for hosting could turn sour. Nevertheless, it can be challenging to balance maintaining the privacy and being a warm and welcoming Airbnb host.
However, it’s better to be safe than sorry. This article will walk you through four practical solutions for safeguarding your belongings without sacrificing your Superhost status.
Table of Contents
1. Vet your guests
It’s essential to prioritise the safety of your rental against potential harm, but also your relationships with nearby residents and the local community.
To feel safe and confident welcoming people into your home, a little investigating is often in order. By checking guest reviews, engaging in some back-and-forth through messages, and contacting their references, you can quickly vet prospective renters before they arrive.
But if you don’t have the time, don’t worry; some companies will carry out such checks on your behalf. Frank Porter, for example, “prides itself in a careful vetting process that ensures guests staying in your home will take good care of it.” The letting management company also offers a Host Guarantee that protects hosts worldwide if damage does occur during an Airbnb occupancy.
2. Set house rules
Whether you’re welcoming guests to a single room in a sleepy suburban cottage or an entire city penthouse, set some ground rules before they arrive.
That said, no guest wants to be confronted with a mood-killing list of commands. So, to avoid coming across as untrusting, or worse, a fierce disciplinarian, it’s a good idea to weave some simple but concrete guidelines into your house manual or tour of your home.
As with all your guest communication, keep things light and friendly but to the point, whether you’re requesting them to smoke outside, not to enter a specific bedroom, or be free to help themselves to refreshments.
3. Use smart keys
You wouldn’t lend your house keys over to a stranger, as they could all too easily make a copy. The same rule should apply to your guests. While it’s nice to have faith in people, we recommend you err on the side of caution and invest in a smart electronic lock system instead, and quash the risk of guests coming back uninvited.
As RoadAffair explains, “eliminating issues related to lost keys and late check-ins, smart locks allow hosts to grant guests access to their properties for a limited amount of time and without meeting in person to exchange keys.” When set up, hosts can send a one-time digital key to their guest(s) by email or text message, then visitors can gain entry using a smartphone app or keypad.
4. Remove personal items
From private journals and photo albums to hidden hoards of cash and jewellery, there are likely many things in your home that you don’t want visitors to touch or even look at.
Guests are more likely to use or accidentally damage your possessions if you leave them lying around, so be sure to store your valuables in a closet or even a different room if you have to go them on your premises. However, the safest choice is, without a doubt, to keep your belongings in a separate property entirely
If this isn’t possible, we recommend creating an inventory record and photographing important items in their place to ensure you have proof of the valuable items in your house. This will be useful should something be damaged or go missing and you need to claim insurance.
