How to keep your Airbnb property secure

Homeowners with one or more dwellings enjoy the extra cash and flexibility of renting out their property on Airbnb. Whether it’s a sleek apartment in London or a countryside retreat, any Airbnb host that isn’t a live-in host will want to be sure their property is secure at all times.

Whilst Airbnb has a number of security measures to help hosts, these tips will give you extra peace of mind when renting out your property to strangers.

Have a list of reliable locksmiths on hand

We all hope our AirBnB guests will keep their keys safe, but accidents happen and AirBnB guests could be locked out of the property. If you’re not on hand to deal with the problem, a friend nearby with a key can help. If this is impossible, however, your guests will need a locksmith.

Rather than leaving it to guests to call a locksmith, provide them with a list of local locksmiths in London (or wherever your AirBnB is based). That way, you remove the chance of guests accidentally calling a locksmith scammer or even trying to break into the property themselves.

Keep keys in a safebox

Keeping house keys under a plant pot or porch mat is rarely a secure option, especially if you rarely visit your AirBnB property. The best alternative is to invest in a safe box that can be securely hidden or affixed to the wall of your property.

With a safebox, you can send your guests the code the day before they arrive so that they can let themselves into the property. When they check out, simply ask them to return the keys to the safebox and muddle the code. For extra security, ask guests to keep the key in the safebox whenever they leave the property to avoid the chance of losing keys.

Communicate with your guests

One of the best things you can do to secure your AirBnB home is to communicate fully with your guests. Make clear to them what they need to do as guests, including locking doors and closing windows at night or when they leave the property.

There are many measures you can put in place to keep your Airbnb safe, but it’s ultimately up to your guests to ensure the front door is locked, so communicate this clearly to them.

Get insurance

Airbnb offers a ‘host guarantee’, which covers some costs should something happen to your property when renting it out. You can also ask guests for a security deposit for extra protection.

The best protection is to take out homeowner’s insurance that specifically covers you for incidents that may happen during rentals. Be sure to read your insurance policy closely and make sure you’re covered.

Don’t post to your Airbnb

Whilst having valuables stolen from your AirBnB is often the biggest concern, other types of crime could take place if you rent your property out to short-term guests. Identity theft could easily take place if you have post delivered to your property that contains personal information.

Make sure post is sent to where you are living if it’s not your AirBnB. Alternatively, you could invest in a lockable mailbox to protect your post from guests.