How to Protect Your Airbnb Property: Must-Have Safety and Security Tips
With Airbnb properties, it’s about the complex interplay of safety, security, comfort and cost: about protecting your property and protecting your guests. In this guide, you’ll learn how to secure your property, while also ensuring your property can continue to operate efficiently and be a place that guests want to return.
Whether you’re just getting started or you’re looking to upgrade multiple properties, we’ll help guide you through the complexities with expert information from career locksmiths and security experts.
The Key Takeaways
- Digital locks, master keys, alarms, and security cameras are all incredibly powerful tools in protecting your Airbnb, and working with a systems designer or security expert to integrate them gives the optimal outcome.
- Consider which systems will be easiest for you and your guests to use alongside which will provide the most comfort and security.
- Ensure appropriate documentation is available to your guests at all times, so they know what access systems and recording devices are operational on the property (and how to use them).
- While high-tech solutions can provide unrivalled protection, never neglect the hardware of your existing locks and latches – always seek help with maintenance and check for wear and tear.
Understanding the Importance of Security for Airbnb Properties
There’s no denying that Airbnb hosts have a complex and specific coalition of challenges when it comes to security measures.
Guest expectations are rising, security technology is evolving, and the short-term accommodation market is becoming more crowded. Protecting and setting expectations with your guests will only become more important in the future: it’s time to plan and invest in the right systems to ensure you remain competitive.
There are also challenges that are unique to Airbnb services: there are regulations on what you can do, as well as what you can monitor. Be sure to pay attention to the specific and updated regulations in your region, and to disclose to your guests if there are any safety measures you’re taking that involve the collection of information, footage, or biometrics.
Property security always needs to be balanced with your guests’ comfort levels – here, we’ll give you a rundown of what needs to happen so that you can maximise your property’s occupation rates while maximising personal and property security.
Digital Locks: Convenience and Security
The Benefits of Digital Locks
Digital locks are a popular choice for Airbnb properties. As they allow keyless entry to your property with the use of a code, programmable card or smartphone app, they eliminate the risk of unauthorised key duplication. This way, no past guest or contractor can enter your property after their code, card, or app has had its access revoked.
For hosts, this eliminates the inconvenience and cost of needing to manage and cut multiple keys or deal with the implications of a lost key.
Codes and apps can also reduce the likelihood of lockouts and guests losing keys or cards – no middle-of-the-night wake-ups to help your visitors get back in!
The benefits for guests are also clear: there’s no need to share a key or card between multiple people and their schedules if everyone knows the code or has access to an app.
Choosing the Right Digital Lock
Digital locks offer plenty of added security features, too, depending on the level of complexity you’re seeking. As digital lock systems can be highly customisable, you do have plenty of choice as to which features you utilise and which you don’t.
One of the most commonly requested features is remote access: this means that you can immediately cut off (or add) someone’s access, or provide immediate access to a temporary guest or contractor. We often recommend the McGrath Slimline Smart Electronic Digital Lever Lock for this purpose, as it features remote access via the TTLock app, or the Yale Unity Entrance Lock, which can even be integrated with your smart home devices.
Smart locks like these also often offer temporary access, so you can time-limit a guest’s access automatically. This is great for the high guest turnover that’s typical of Airbnb properties.
Some even offer a security log of who has been in and out of your property and at what times: this can help in the event of a security incident, or simply let you know if guests have arrived safely and if they’ve completed their checkout yet. Lock systems like the Salto KS are excellent for this, with their centralised user controls and easy reporting tools.
Get in touch with us for a personalised recommendation – we’re always keen to find the perfect solution to all your Airbnb security challenges.
Restricted Master Key Systems
Understanding Master Key Systems
A master key system is an incredibly powerful way to manage entry into your space. We’ve successfully designed and implemented systems for premises including hospitals, correctional facilities, as well as factories, hotels, and office buildings.
Master key systems allow you to assign a specific level of access to a specific keyholder. For example, you could assign yourself as the property owner to have access to every room and lock on the property, while assigning guests access to only the front door and garage, limiting access to storage areas or other private spaces. You can also create keys that provide customised access for contractors who might need to access the property regularly: a property management team or cleaning service might have access to only the front door and to a storage room where cleaning supplies are stored, but not to other parts of the property.
A systems designer can help you get things right, even when they might seem confusing! At John Barnes, we have a team of enthusiasts and experts who know common issues with Airbnbs. Talk to us and we’ll be able to plan a system that meets all your needs.
Alarm Systems: A Layer of Protection
Types of Alarm Systems
Alarm systems can be an important part of managing your Airbnb’s security– choosing the right system will give you unrivalled peace of mind and unbeatable records of the activity in and around your property. Here, we’ll run through some of the most common features our Airbnb rental property clients request.
Motion detectors both inside and outside the space are a really common choice for Airbnb rental property owners: they can give exceptional peace of mind while your property is empty.
We also offer alarms that can specifically sense glass breakage or window breaches, providing an added layer of protection.
Choosing an Alarm System
There are three considerations we often bring up to Airbnb owners when discussing alarm systems: real-time alerts, system integrations, and ease of use.
Most of the units we recommend can be smart-device enabled, so you can get real-time notifications of any breaches right to your phone. This can, in some cases, give you the ability to review the potential breach before taking action. Plus, as many Airbnb property owners don’t necessarily live adjacent to their rental property, these notifications will ensure you’re aware of what’s occurring around your property, regardless of whether you’re in hearing range of the alarm.
Many of our systems are also easily integrated with CCTV systems and smart locks, so that you can have a more holistic approach to your property’s security, with exceptional visibility across the board.
To maximise convenience and the incidence of false alarms, it’s always a good idea to consider how accessible your system will be to your guests. If it’s a system you’d like them to interact with, user-friendly design is a must to ensure they don’t accidentally trigger the alarm or forget to use it at all. For a system that’s only intended for your use when the property is not in use by guests, you might consider something that has a higher level of surveillance attached to it and a great level of sensitivity.
CCTV Systems: Monitoring and Deterrence
Benefits of CCTV
CCTV and security cameras for your Airbnb are an excellent tool, especially when your property is sitting empty. They deter thieves just by being visible and can give you valuable information and evidence in the event of a security breach. Security cameras can be easily integrated into your broader security system, too: we can help guide you with a solution that integrates with your digital locks and alarm systems.
Selecting the Right CCTV System and Security Cameras
When choosing your camera system, be sure to consider the quality of your footage, storage and streaming options, as well as your cameras’ positioning around the home.
Footage quality doesn’t just mean a high-resolution camera. While we do offer camera systems that record up to 4K video quality, we also offer systems that have exceptional low-light performance and even face and smart motion detection. This means that any footage you have works harder for you and provides better insight without delving through hours and hours of tapes.
In terms of storage and playback options, many cameras are now cloud-enabled, which means you can access the footage from anywhere. This is exceptionally helpful for Airbnb hosts who might not always be in the same area as their properties, and might need to manage security breaches without physically attending the site.
We recommend positioning outdoor cameras around the perimeter of your property, as well as at any entries and exits. It’s important to disclose to your guests that there are cameras and recording systems in place, even if they are not internal cameras. Internal cameras and recording devices must not go beyond communal areas on the property, and cannot be used in areas like bathrooms or bedrooms where privacy is expected. Be sure to heed instructions on this from your local authorities and Airbnb directly, as they’re subject to change.
Traditional Security Measures: Locks and Latches
While new tech like smart locks and remotely managed security cameras have made our homes and short-stay accommodation spaces safer, it’s not doing it alone: traditional security measures play an incredibly important role.
All vulnerable parts of your Airbnb – doors and windows – should be protected with high-quality locks and latches. Wear and tear can impact even the toughest parts of your home: it’s always a good idea to consult a locksmith, especially if you suspect there has been an attempted break-in or if you spot any signs of wear.
Our Recommendations and Best Practices
From conventional master key systems, through to integrated security cameras and smarthome systems, consistency, routine, and diligence all play their roles here to ensure you’re providing the best experience for your guests.
Be sure to keep your systems up to date: this means working with any software upgrades and ensuring that codes are changed after each guest has completed their checkout.
It’s also important to ensure that your guests are made aware of the security measures on the property: make sure you communicate the procedures and protocols in any welcome documents and messages, and make sure they’re aware of any emergency contacts. As all Airbnb hosts know, communication and clarity are key!
Ultimately, the best security system is the one that is planned most effectively. At John Barnes Group, we’re extraordinarily passionate about security and providing solutions that give you the ultimate peace of mind. We’re here to talk through exactly what security looks, sounds, and feels like for your property – get in touch for a consultation and to start your journey to a safer space for you and your guests.