You typically look at various factors when traveling for leisure or business and searching for a place to stay. These include size, location, price, and amenities.
If you plan to have a relaxing and stress-free stay, you should also ensure the property you rent offers a high level of safety. This article will offer some great safety tips for choosing a place on Airbnb.
Make sure the place is not in a sketchy part of town
When you don’t know the city or county where you want to rent short-term accommodation, you risk choosing a place based only on how good it looks and without checking whether it’s located in a safe area.
Large cities especially tend to be very heterogeneous, and the level of perceived safety can change noticeably from district to district.
It’s important to research the safest and least safe districts of a city or county before booking Airbnb accommodation. This will allow you to screen out those places that are not in a nice area, no matter how nice they look.
Check for spots where you can safely store your valuables
Obviously, you want the place you rent on Airbnb to be comfortable and enjoyable. However, when assessing each property and looking at the photos, ask yourself whether the area has spaces where your values can be safely stored.
Such spaces could come in the form of locked closets or drawers or even a security safe with a combination lock. Alternatively, these should be places that are well-hidden and difficult for a potential burglar to find. For example, if the place has a bookshelf packed with books, you could hide your valuables behind some of the thicker ones at the bottom.
You can also contact the landlord and ask them directly what’s the safest way to store your valuables on the property.
Ask if the house or apartment building has surveillance cameras
A strong video security system can strongly increase the level of safety of a house or apartment building. Video security works both as a deterrent against criminals and as a way of collecting evidence of a crime.
When apartment buildings are owned and managed by the same company, they usually tend to have business surveillance cameras located outside. Ideally, cameras should also be located in hallways and stairways. Some properties will also have a video camera attached to the intercom system, which allows you to verify the identity of your visitors before granting access.
If you are unsure whether a property has a video security system in place, you should send a message to the landlord before
Make sure modern access control solutions are in place
The purpose of access control solutions is to ensure that only authorized personnel can enter the property. Traditional access control measures include regular locks and keys. However, these are more effective when combined with more modern solutions (such as card readers and keypads) in a multi-factor authentication (MFA) process. This requires users to have two or more credentials to unlock the door and enter the building or the property.
Ensure smoke and carbon monoxide detectors are installed
Fires and carbon monoxide leaks can be hazardous to your health, if not fatal. You should always ensure that the property you rent on Airbnb has smoke and carbon monoxide detectors installed. These devices detect the first signs of fire or carbon monoxide leakage and alert you immediately with a loud sound. This way, you can abandon the property immediately and alert the authority before your health or life is threatened.
This is especially important for properties with a fireplace or gas appliances, so make extra checks in this scenario.
Make sure the building has an evacuation plan in case of a fire
The building where your Airbnb property is located should have an evacuation plan in place in the event of a fire. A FEEP (fire emergency evacuation plan) documents all the actions that must be taken in an emergency. It includes information on main exit routes, fire alarm activation devices, and fire suppression equipment. Having such a plan in place greatly increases the chance of survival, as anybody in the building already knows what to do.
If the accommodation has an outside area, ensure good lighting.
Good lighting is a crucial safety factor when renting a place with an outdoor area. Properly lit outdoor areas make it easier to deter crime, identify potential hazards and reduce the risk of incidents. It allows residents to identify dangers like slippery surfaces or uneven terrain.
Some properties have motion-sensing lights that turn on the moment somebody approaches. They can be very useful around entrances, pathways, and other areas where people may walk after dark and can alert residents of suspicious activity.
