5 Great Safety and Security Tips for Your Vacation Rental Property

Mar 6, 2017

One of the most popular things to do is to rent out your vacation rental when you aren’t using it. Whether you are renting it or not, the big question is – how to keep your vacation home safe and secure when you’re hundreds of miles away?

These 5 important tips will guide you properly and it will help you to keep your vacation rental totally safe and secure.

1. Take care of the doors!

One of the most important things to do is to make yourself and your renters feel safe and secure inside the property. There are few things you can do to ease the burden. Regularly check your windows and doors for any loose joints. Buy a smart lock for the front and the back doors – these locks can be controlled using a specific code. You can always change the code once a guest’s stay has ended. If you don’t have a budget crunch, do invest in a wireless doorbell which can definitely help in monitoring and answering the front door.

2. Set up video surveillance

Check in your locality and purchase a reliable home security system which has remote video surveillance functions. With that you can keep an eye on your property from anywhere, anytime. This way, you can easily see any suspicious activity and alert the local authorities. Also, inform your renters that the property has such a surveillance system so that they’ll also feel secure. If you have such a system already, make sure to review it and check if everything is working fine.

3. Maintain a lived-in look

One of the most important things is to maintain a lived-in look at all times. When a home doesn’t look occupied, it’s a prime target for burglars. However, this doesn’t mean that you have to hire an expensive property manager to check your home regularly. You can hire a garden and yard maintenance team to keep them maintained. If you live near-by, then you can do this by yourself. Make friends with one of the permanent residents nearby, who can help you in regular maintenance or even notify you of any suspicious activity. Try to keep a low online profile so that you don’t announce everywhere that your rental is empty. Burglars nowadays also use social media to target such victims.

4. Get a security alarm

If you don’t have a fire alarm, it is recommended to install one as soon as possible. Fire alarms can be lifesavers. You can take the help of experts here to install the best system for your property and also explain your guests use it properly so that an alarm is not set off accidently. In case you already have them installed, make sure they are working properly and change the batteries when required. Always share the passwords with the guests and change them after that guest has left.

5. Check the property for repairs

You must inspect the entire property properly for any required repairs. This is important as if these are not attended then it might lead up to something severe. In extreme weather conditions, these ignored areas of the house can become problematic later on. If your vacation rental is in a location where the temperature can dip below sub-zero point, make sure to check the pipes outside and disconnect water supply to avoid them from freezing.

Owning a vacation rental property can be at times plenty of work. By following the above tips you and your guests will definitely enjoy peace of mind along with greater security and safety.

Share any tips you have, we’ll love to hear!