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I’ve been hosting guests for six years, in places that I host remotely, and for four years in two of the three bedrooms in my house. I’ve had issues with guests, but never have I had anything of value go missing. Someone might steal a towel or sometimes a sheet might go missing, but I suspect its embarrasment because they’ve stained it, and just thrown it away.
I’m not saying that theft doesn’t happen (we’ve all read the horror stories), but if you try and host mostly people flying in (no locals) the chances are greatly diminished.
If the only way we can get more bookings is by being Instant Book, then we who offer shared homes are subject to more risk. In a way, I think this discriminates against single hosts (particularly women) or anyone who would like to be more cautious about who rents their home. People who can rent spaces that do not require shared space definitely have the advantage.
Dio you have tho make the guest aware of a security camera if only placed at the entrance? I like the idea of being able to monitorcomings and goings, but I also afraid guests may consider it too big brotherish.
I mention it in my listing and I put a picture of it. I just have a Ring doorbell and it is mounted right outside the gate onto my porch and facing the street. I “sell” it as being for their safety. There are cameras everywhere and certainly in all hotels. No one has mentioned it and I have more bookings than ever so I don’t see it being a problem.
I have this exact camera from Amazon in my hallway watching the door to my flat from the inside so I can tell if my guest has gone out or come back in. It’s great for that, but I wish I’d bought a better model as it’s unreliable, doesn’t always send me alerts and sometimes turns around by its own accord to point in the wrong direction. It’s just too cheap. Get a better quality one instead from a more mainstream brand.
I mention the camera in my listing and also point it out when I give them the arrival tour. Mine only monitors the front door, I’ve even added a piece of cardboard to one side of it to narrow down its field of view. You also don’t want a camera to register too much activity or you’ll be getting motion detection alerts all the time, it will drive you nuts.
Thats why I ultimately decided not to get one. No point me having it on the front door when they guests could just use the back door to the court yard or their ground floor bedroom window, I can hardly put a motion sensor camera in their bedroom to capture this. I would like better security for me though.
We had the same thing happen across the street from me without AirBNB. A moving van showed up and they stared emptying a friend’s house. We this is a small town and we know our neighbors. I called the neighbor and then the police. This can happen anywhere anytime. I have just added a door bell with a camera though. I think it’s a great idea. I can also talk to guests if they are having problems getting in.
